Wakefield Press (Australia)
| Status | Active |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1942 |
| Founder | Harry Muir |
| Country of origin |  Australia |
| Headquarters location | Adelaide |
| Distribution | Australia |
| Nonfiction topics | Various |
| Fiction genres | Many |
| Official website | wakefieldpress.com.au |
Wakefield Press is an independent book publishing company in Australia, based in the Adelaide suburb of Mile End, South Australia. They publish an eclectic list diverse in subject, tone and point, with strong suits in true stories, gastronomy, history, literature and gift books.
History
Wakefield has been under its present ownership since 1989, but there have been several different versions of the company since the 1940s. It was founded in 1942 by Adelaide bookseller Harry Muir (1909-1991), owner of Beck Book Company Limited. His intention was to publish small, historical monographs which he believed would otherwise go unread. The company’s first publication was A Checklist of Ex-Libris Literature Published in Australia.[1]
The current director is Michael Bollen. Against national and international publishing trends of outsourcing most areas of expertise, Wakefield Press conducts all stages of the publishing process (except printing) under one roof. This includes editing, design, typesetting, marketing, publicity, sales, distribution and administration.
Wakefield Press publishes around fifty new titles each year. Their books often hit bestseller lists and win awards. Ochre and Rust, by Philip Jones won the non-fiction prize in the inaugural Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.[2]
Corporate Publishing Service
Wakefield provides a comprehensive publishing service for government, cultural institutions and corporate Australia.
Their clients include:
Adelaide Festival Centre Trust
- Carrick Hill
- Flinders University
- The Jam Factory
- Leigh Warren and Dancers
- Nexus Multicultural Arts Centre
- Parliament of South Australia
- South Australian Museum
- State Opera of South Australia
- University of Adelaide
- Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
- Botanic Gardens of South Australia
- Nine Network
- City of Onkaparinga
- Port Adelaide Football Club
- Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA
- Royal Zoological Society of South Australia
- South Australian Tourism Commission
Wakefield Press also have key ongoing partnerships with the Australian Association for the Teaching of English, the Narungga Aboriginal Progress Association, the South Australian Living Artists Festival (publishing ten SALA monographs to date), and a newly formed publishing partnership with the Hawke Research Institute for Sustainable Societies at the University of South Australia.
Distribution
Wakefield Press supplies bookshops and other retailers across Australia and New Zealand through an in-house distribution department.
References
- Poland, Louise (1 December 1999). "Independent Australian Publishers and the Acquisition of Books". Journal of Australian Studies. Retrieved 10 November 2008.