Markus Dohle

“Through books, we can bring greater freedom to both the individual and our global society. Books can set us free.” (Read Markus Dohle’s full remarks from the 2015 PEN Literary Gala here.)

The 2015 PEN literary Gala will salute Penguin Random House CEO Markus Dohle as its Publisher Honoree.

“Penguin Random House has been among PEN’s most stalwart supporters, with a history of resisting censorship and promoting reverence for the written word. Markus Dohle’s passionate leadership has helped galvanize an industry amid transformation, bringing energy and vision that are fueling reinvention in a dynamic and fertile new era of literary creativity.”

As CEO of Penguin Random House since July 1, 2013, Markus Dohle leads the world’s first truly global trade book publisher, with operations in 20 countries and sales into over 100. He oversees Penguin Random House’s worldwide publishing divisions, whose 250 editorially independent imprints publish 15,000 new adult and children’s fiction and nonfiction titles annually in English, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Each year, Penguin Random House sells more than 700 million print, audio and e-books across the globe.

Under Mr. Dohle, Penguin Random House’s mission is to foster a universal passion for reading by partnering with authors to help create stories and communicate ideas that inform, entertain, and inspire, and to connect them with readers across the globe. Penguin Random House’s worldwide roster of fiction and non-fiction writers includes many of the world’s most widely read and beloved authors, more than 70 Nobel Prize laureates, and over 100 Pulitzer Prize winners.

Mr. Dohle’s entire professional life has been devoted to the support and service of authors, publishers, booksellers, and readers. Before the merger of Penguin and Random House in 2013, Mr. Dohle headed Random House, where he led the company’s transition to digital publishing while maintaining its world market leadership in print books. As a combined company, Penguin Random House now has more than 100,000 new and backlist books available digitally, and over 100,000,000 eBooks were sold worldwide in 2014.

As a member of the Bertelsmann Executive Board, Mr. Dohle and his fellow Board colleagues are responsible for setting the strategic direction for one of the world’s foremost media companies. He began his career with Bertelsmann in 1994, rising quickly to several subsequent leadership positions. Mr. Dohle also serves on the Board of Directors of the Association of American Publishers and the National Book Foundation, and on the International Advisory Committee of the Atlantic Council.

2015 PEN Gala

The Ceremony
Khadija Ismayilova, 2015 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award
Tom Stoppard, 2015 PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Service Award
Charlie Hebdo, 2015 PEN/Toni and James C. Goodale Freedom of Expression Courage Award