Trading Statement

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
17 January 2002

           Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 'Bloomsbury' or the 'Company'

                              Trading Statement

London, 17 January 2002: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc is pleased to announce that
its profits for the financial year ended 31 December 2001 will exceed market
forecasts. Sales were strong across a wide range of titles from both
Bloomsbury and its subsidiary, A & C Black including Harry Potter, The
Flaneur, The Fourth Hand, Recorder Magic and Raptors of the World.  Bloomsbury
USA has performed well during the year with titles such as A Cook's Tour and
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain exceeding their budgets. Electronic
reference publishing continues to go from strength to strength. During the
last financial year, the Company completed and delivered the first major phase
of the English Language Teaching database to Macmillan. It has also concluded
a number of international licensing deals for the content of its new business
encyclopaedia database, including The Economist.com, due to be published in
book form in September.

Contact

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Colin Adams, Group Finance Director - 020 7494 6019

Impact Consultancy Ltd  -  020 7479 4770
Simon Forrest, 07885 317746 (Mobile)
John Barrington-Carver, 07831 655 630 (Mobile)