Holding(s) in Company

WH Smith PLC
21 February 2008


TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

     
(1). Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer 
     of existing shares to which voting rights are attached:      WH Smith PLC

     
2.   Reason for the notification (please place an X inside the 
     appropriate bracket/s):

     An acquisition or disposal of voting rights:                   ( X )

     An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments 
     which may result in the acquisition of shares already 
     issued to which voting rights are attached:                    (   )

     An event changing the breakdown of voting rights:              (   )

     Other (please specify) :                                       (   )


 
3.   Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation:

     Silchester International Investors Limited
 

4.   Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.):

     Silchester International Investors International Value Equity Taxable Trust
     Silchester International Investors International Value Equity Trust
     Silchester International Investors International Value Equity Group Trust
     Silchester International Investors Tobacco Free International Value Equity 
     Trust  
     The Calleva Trust 
 

5.   Date of the transaction and date on which the threshold is crossed or 
     reached if different):     
     
     20th February 2008


6.   Date on which issuer notified:

     21st February 2008
 

7.   Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

     6%
 

8.   Notified details:

     N/A 


A:   Voting rights attached to shares
 
Class/type of shares            Situation previous to  
if possible using the           the Triggering         
ISIN CODE                       transaction        

                       Number of shares       Number of voting Rights 

GB00B17WCM17           12,259,711             12,259,711


 
Resulting situation after the triggering transaction 

Class/type of shares Number of shares Number of voting rights % of voting rights  

if possible using                                                                 
the ISIN CODE                                                                         
                     Direct           Direct     Indirect     Direct  Indirect  

GB00B17WCM17         10,576,698       10,576,698              5.82%




B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction 

Type of     Expiration Date  Exercise/Conversion Number of voting    % of voting     
financial                    Period/ Date        rights that may be  rights          
instrument                                       acquired if the                      
                                                 instrument is                        
                                                 exercised/                           
                                                 converted.                           

N/A         N/A              N/A                 N/A                 N/A



Total (A+B)

Number of voting rights       % of voting rights 

10,576,698              5.82% 


9.   Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the
     financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable:

     N/A 




Proxy Voting:

 
10.  Name of the proxy holder:

     Silchester International Investors Limited
 

11.  Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

     N/A
 

12.  Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

     N/A
 

13.  Additional information:

     Silchester International Investors Ltd ('Silchester') acts as investment 
     manager for the clients detailed in Question 4 above (our 'Clients'). In 
     acting for our Clients, Silchester are given full discretion over their 
     investments and are empowered to vote on their behalf. However, we do not 
     act as our Clients' custodian and therefore shares are not held in our name 
     but in the name of each Client's custodian bank.
 

14.  Contact name:

     Henry Heathfield, Dealer
 

15.  Contact telephone number:

     0207 518 7147


 

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