James Daunt
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Achilles James Daunt CBE (born 18 October 1963) is a British businessman. He is the founder of the Daunt Books chain, and since May 2011 has been managing director of the bookshop chain Waterstones. Since August 2019, Daunt has also been CEO of Barnes & Noble, the American bookstore chain. He is known as "the man who saved Waterstones".[1][2]
Early life and education
Achilles James Daunt[3] was born on 18 October 1963,[4] the son of the diplomat Sir Timothy Daunt and his wife Patricia Susan Knight.
He was educated at Sherborne School, before reading history at Pembroke College, Cambridge University.[5]
Career
His first job was as a purser with Carnival Cruise Lines.[4]
After working in the US as a banker for JP Morgan between 1985 and 1988, he founded Daunt Books in 1990,[6] a chain of six bookshops in London.[2]
In May 2011, he was appointed managing director of Waterstones by the company's new owner, the Russian billionaire Alexander Mamut.[7] The pair were listed at fourth place in a 2011 Guardian list of the top 100 people in the British books industry.[8]
Daunt was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2017.[9][10]
In June 2019, he became the CEO of the US bookshop chain Barnes & Noble,[11] acquired by Waterstones' parent, Elliott Advisors (UK) for $683m.[12][13]
In November 2021, Daunt interviewed Sir Paul McCartney to discuss McCartney's bestselling book "The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present".[14]
Daunt was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to publishing.[15]
Personal life
He is married to Katy Steward, a professional in the health sector. They have two daughters and live in Hampstead;[16][17] they also have homes in Suffolk and on the Isle of Jura in Scotland.[18]
References
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- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."James Daunt: the man who saved Waterstones". Evening Standard. London. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jones, Callum. "James Daunt: The man who wrote the book on the daunting task of taking on Amazon". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Daunt Books Limited". Companies House. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Interview" by Oliver Shah in The Sunday Times Business Section, 22 December 2013, p. 6.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Pembroke Gazette 2012" (PDF). Pembroke College. p. 120. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ Kate Kellaway, "James Daunt: 'I don't recognise that books are dead'", The Guardian, 3 June 2011.
- ^ James Hall, "James Daunt parachuted in to run Waterstone's", The Daily Telegraph, 20 May 2011.
- ^ Books Power 100: James Daunt and Alexander Mamut | No 4, The Guardian, 24 September 2011.
- ^ Natasha Onwuemezi, "Rankin, McDermid and Levy named new RSL fellows", The Bookseller, 7 June 2017.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Current RSL Fellows". Royal Society of Literature. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
- ^ Alexandra Alter and Tiffany Hsu, "Barnes & Noble Is Sold to Hedge Fund After a Tumultuous Year'", New York Times, 7 June 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Elliott to buy Barnes & Noble; Daunt will run both chains | The Bookseller". thebookseller.com. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Anderson, Porter (7 June 2019). "Hedge Fund Elliott Mngt. Agrees to Buy Barnes & Noble". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Romaine, Jenna (6 December 2021). "Paul McCartney reveals the Beatles were first all about the money". TheHill. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.[Script error: No such module "London Gazette util". "No. 63714"]. The London Gazette (Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".). 1 June 2022. p. Script error: No such module "London Gazette util"..
{{cite magazine}}: Check|url=value (help); More than one of|pages=and|page=specified (help)Script error: No such module "London Gazette util". - ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Eyre, Hermione (11 December 2014). "James Daunt: the man who saved Waterstones". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Anthony, Andrew (27 May 2012). "James Daunt: the bibliophile who means business". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Allfree, Claire (29 January 2025). "Waterstones CEO James Daunt: 'We have stubbornly held on in places like Middlesbrough long after M&S left'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
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