British publishing house founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large audiences existed for serious books. Penguin also had a significant impact on public debate in Britain, through its books on politics, the arts, and science.
Since 2013 part of Penguin Random House Ltd, from the merger of Random House (2) and Penguin Group.