AGM Statement

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
30 June 2005



30 June 2005



                           Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
                                 AGM Statement



At today's AGM of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Nigel Newton, Chairman, will make
the following statement:

'Bloomsbury has made good progress since the beginning of the year, in line with
the outlook statement in the company's preliminary announcement in March.


'In the UK, our titles The Promise of Happiness by Justin Cartwright, Magyk by
Angie Sage, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini and the paperback of The Two of
Us by Sheila Hancock have performed well. In Germany Schott's Sammelsurium
(Schott's Original Miscellany) has spent most of 2005 in the Der Speigel
Bestseller list and we now have a new bestseller, Die Siebte Nacht (The Seventh
Night).


'The integration of Walker Publishing Company, Inc. with Bloomsbury USA is well
under way. Cost reductions and operational efficiencies have been implemented.
The sales, warehousing and fulfilment operations have now been moved to VHPS,
Bloomsbury USA's distributor. With the new infrastructure in place, the
operation will raise its output of titles through increasing its title
acquisition rate and the publication of its retained paperback rights beginning
in 2006.


'Our publishing programme in the second half of the year gets off to a strong
start with the launch of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince for which the
preparations are progressing in line with our expectations. The build up to
publication has already stimulated increased sales of the earlier books in the
series. We will begin our biggest ever consumer advertising campaign on 4th
July. The book will be launched at Edinburgh Castle, immediately after midnight
at 00.01am on Saturday 16th July, when J K Rowling will read from the new book
in the Great Hall to an invited audience of children. The reading will be beamed
by satellite transmission to television and radio stations around the world.


'Also in the second half, we will publish the paperback edition in September of
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke and Ben Schott will be launching
a major new project with Bloomsbury in November, Schott's Almanac, which is
designed to be a practical and entertaining annual volume, providing a biography
of the year through an intelligent analysis of the year's events.


'With effect from today, Charles Black, who joined our board in June last year,
will take-over the roles of Vice Chairman and senior independent non-executive
director from Paul Scherer, who will continue as a non-executive director. In
his new position, Charles Black will assume the Chairmanship of the Remuneration
Committee. He is already Chairman of the Audit Committee. In the next year, the
board anticipates appointing a new non-executive director.


'The board continues to view the outcome of the year to be in line with market
expectations.'



                                      ENDS



Enquiries:


Tim Spratt/Charles Palmer
Financial Dynamics                                    020 7831 3113

Sandy Karon, PA to the Chief Executive
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc                             020 7494 6015




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