W F Howes publishes audiobooks, most of them readings of books first printed by other publishers, so a W F Howes recording of a printed book is not the first edition of that book. It has also issued large-print editions of novels after the trade first: its 2009 large-print The Little Stranger, published at Rearsby, followed Virago's first edition of 4 June 2009. Collectors wanting a first should look for the first printing of the original publisher's edition.
Publisher
W F Howes
W F Howes is a Leicestershire audiobook and large-print publisher founded in 1998 as the UK arm of Recorded Books, now part of RBmedia; its editions of printed books are not first editions.
- Editions tracked
- 59
- First editions
- 11
- Books
- 59
- Years
- 2003 to 2022
W F Howes is a publisher active from 2003. We track 59 editions it published between 2003 and 2022, 11 of them first editions across 59 books. How W F Howes marked its first editions is set out below, with a checker for the year on your title page.
About W F Howes
W F Howes is a Leicestershire audiobook publisher, founded in November 1998 to bring more unabridged audiobooks to the British market, which began as the UK subsidiary of the American firm Recorded Books and is now RBmedia's UK brand.
Origins. Recorded Books, founded in Maryland in 1978, began selling directly into Britain in 1997 and by 1999 had set up W.F. Howes Ltd as its wholly owned UK company. The business started with two people in Rothley and later moved to larger premises at Rearsby. Its first unabridged audiobook, released in September 1999, was A.S. Byatt's Possession on 16 cassettes, priced at £52.95.
What it publishes. W F Howes records complete readings of fiction and non-fiction, mostly books already in print from other houses, alongside some audio originals, sold digitally and, through Ulverscroft, on CD to libraries. Its imprints include Quest, Ukemi Audiobooks and Dharma Audiobooks. It has also issued large-print editions, such as its 2009 edition of Sarah Waters's The Little Stranger. By its 25th anniversary in 2023 it had released more than 6,500 audiobooks and employed 35 people.
Ownership. Haights Cross Communications bought Recorded Books in 1999 and sold it to Wasserstein & Co. in 2014; Shamrock bought it in 2015, and it was reorganised under the RBmedia name in 2017.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows W F Howes's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify W F Howes first editions
Authors
Books
Published by W F Howes
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a W F Howes first edition?
W F Howes publishes audiobooks, most of them readings of books first printed by other publishers, so a W F Howes recording of a printed book is not the first edition of that book. It has also issued large-print editions of novels after the trade first: its 2009 large-print The Little Stranger , published at Rearsby, followed Virago's first edition of 4 June 2009. Collectors wanting a first should
How many W F Howes books does MyVolumes track?
We track 59 editions published by W F Howes, 11 of them first editions, across 59 books.
Where these facts come from
- W.F. Howes celebrates 25th anniversary, RBmedia, 2023 (rbmediaglobal.com)
- W. F. Howes, RBmedia (rbmediaglobal.com)
- Recorded Books, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Little Stranger (W F Howes, Rearsby, 2009, large print), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
- The Little Stranger, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Loss of Innocence (W F Howes Ltd, Large Print Edition), AbeBooks (abebooks.com)
- Edition (book), Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 3 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.