DK LIFE
Richard Atkinson, Publisher, DK LIFE
I’m a publisher with long experience in creating illustrated books, many of which have won major awards. As an editor, I’m known for working closely with authors, combining creativity with attention to detail.
Over the years, I’ve published books on a wide range of subjects – from science and natural history to design, architecture and, most notably, food. These titles have received accolades including the inaugural Waterstones Book of the Year, the Royal Society Science Book Prize, and more than twenty James Beard Foundation, André Simon, Guild of Food Writers and Fortnum & Mason awards.
At DK, my focus is on publishing original, covetable books – mostly about food, but also about craft, gardening, nature and other ‘IRL’ pursuits. In a nutshell: I’m here to publish books about people’s personal passions – author-focused and design-driven, with the highest editorial and production values.
Books I'm proud of...
Among the cookbooks I’ve worked on are Dishoom by Shamil Thakrar, Kavi Thakrar and Naved Nasir, Polpo by Russell Norman, The Big Fat Duck Cookbook by Heston Blumenthal and The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit. I’m proud of them all, of course, but if I had to single one out right now, it would be Dishoom – a book that surpassed even my most ambitious hopes, creatively and commercially.
A book I wish I'd published...
I’m not generally one for regrets, but I still wish I hadn’t passed on Yotam Ottolenghi’s first book.