Heyday Books

Heyday Books is an independent nonprofit publisher headquartered in Berkeley, California. Founded in 1974 by Malcolm Margolin, the organization began with a single locally focused guide, The East Bay Out, which Margolin wrote, typeset, designed, and distributed himself. The publication reflected the sensibility that would continue to shape Heyday: books rooted in place, attentive to landscape and community, and produced with an emphasis on accessible scholarship, literary quality, and visual design. Over time, Heyday developed into a specialist California publisher. Its list covers the state's natural history, environmental issues, regional identity, architecture, archaeology, literature, social history, and cultural traditions. The organization also became particularly associated with publishing by and about California Native peoples. Since 1987, it has published News from Native California, a quarterly magazine presenting Native perspectives on cultural continuity, history, community life, and contemporary concerns. Its Berkeley Roundhouse, also known as the California Indian Publishing Program, extends that work through Native-centered publishing and public programming, including events and access to literature for underserved Native communities. Heyday generally publishes approximately twenty books per year, alongside its periodical activity. Rather than operating as a broad commercial trade house, it functions as a mission-driven cultural publisher. Its books often combine research with photography, oral history, memoir, literary writing, and regional documentation. The resulting list serves general readers, educators, libraries, researchers, cultural institutions, and communities seeking to preserve or interpret California's diverse histories. The organization has worked extensively with nonprofit, academic, museum, library, and public-sector partners. Collaborators have included the California Historical Society, the California Council for the Humanities, the California State Library, The Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley, the Oakland Museum of California, the Commonwealth Club of California, Santa Clara University, the California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese American National Museum, and Yosemite-related organizations. These relationships have supported books on California's literary heritage, the Inland Empire, Yosemite National Park, the Sierra Nevada, and other subjects that benefit from institutional expertise or community participation. In 2004, Heyday merged with its nonprofit wing, the Clapperstick Institute, and became a fully established 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise. This formalized the organization's charitable and cultural mission. Heyday also partially funds Sierra College Press, a community-college-affiliated press in Rocklin, California, whose publishing focuses substantially on the Sierra Nevada and related regional subjects. Malcolm Margolin retired from Heyday in 2016. He was succeeded by Steve Wasserman, a publishing and editorial executive who had served as editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times Book Review and as an editor-at-large at Yale University Press. Since 2020, the organization has been co-led by Wasserman as publisher and longtime staff member Gayle Wattawa as general manager. Heyday remains active as a California-centered nonprofit press whose publishing and community work connect cultural preservation, regional scholarship, environmental awareness, and Native-led expression.

Heyday Books originated in Berkeley in 1974 when Malcolm Margolin created The East Bay Out, a guide to the natural history of the hills and shoreline around Berkeley and Oakland. Margolin handled the writing, typesetting, design, and distribution, establishing a small publishing operation grounded in direct knowledge of the East Bay and a strong connection between books and place. The project became the foundation for a broader California publishing program. The press gradually expanded beyond local natural history into books about California's landscapes, communities, history, literature, architecture, environmental questions, and cultural heritage. Its publishing model emphasized subjects that were important to California readers and institutions but not always well served by large commercial publishers. Heyday's books have commonly drawn on collaborations with historians, writers, photographers, researchers, museums, libraries, universities, public agencies, and community organizations. Native California became one of the organization's defining areas of activity. In 1987, Heyday began publishing News from Native California, a quarterly magazine written from Native perspectives. The periodical created a continuing platform for Native authors and communities to document traditions, contemporary life, history, language, arts, and cultural concerns. Heyday's Berkeley Roundhouse, also called the California Indian Publishing Program, further focuses on California Native peoples through publishing, events, and efforts to make literature available to underserved Native community members. The organization developed numerous institutional partnerships. It co-founded the California Historical Society Press with the California Historical Society and worked with organizations including the California Council for the Humanities, the California State Library, The Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, the Oakland Museum of California, the Commonwealth Club of California, Santa Clara University, the California Academy of Sciences, the Japanese American National Museum, and Yosemite-related institutions. Through the California Legacy Project at Santa Clara University, it produced the California Legacy series on the state's literary and cultural heritage. Other collaborative programs addressed the Inland Empire, Yosemite National Park, and the Sierra Nevada. In 2004, Heyday merged with its nonprofit wing, the Clapperstick Institute. The merger transformed the organization into a fully developed 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise and reinforced its cultural and educational mission. Heyday has also partially funded Sierra College Press, founded in 2002 and affiliated with Sierra College in Rocklin. That press is notable as a community-college publishing operation and has issued books and journals with a substantial Sierra Nevada focus. Margolin retired in 2016 after more than four decades associated with the organization. Steve Wasserman, formerly editor-in-chief of the Los Angeles Times Book Review and an editor-at-large at Yale University Press, became his successor as publisher and executive director. From 2020, Wasserman and longtime staff member Gayle Wattawa have been identified as co-leading the organization, with Wasserman serving as publisher and Wattawa as general manager. Heyday's record includes recognition for book design, regional history, environmental communication, Native and multicultural publishing, literary work, and cultural leadership. Awards and honors associated with Heyday publications or its founder have included recognition from the American Library Association, the American Association for State and Local History, the Before Columbus Foundation, PEN, the Commonwealth Club, the California Readers Association, Choice, Foreword Reviews, the National Wildlife Federation, independent booksellers, and other literary, historical, planning, and cultural organizations. Heyday remains an active independent nonprofit press centered on California and its communities.

• 2020

  Co-leadership under Wasserman and Wattawa

  [1]Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Steve Wasserman and Gayle Wattawa begin the reported co-leadership arrangement, with Wattawa serving as general manager.

• 2016

  Leadership passes to Steve Wasserman

  [1]Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Malcolm Margolin retires and Steve Wasserman becomes publisher and executive director.

• 2004

  Clapperstick Institute merger

  [1]Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Heyday merges with its nonprofit wing, the Clapperstick Institute, and becomes a full 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise.

• 2002

  Sierra College Press is founded

  [1]Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Sierra College Press is established as a community-college-affiliated press; Heyday later partially funds the operation.

• 1987

  News from Native California begins publication

  [1]Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Heyday launches the quarterly periodical News from Native California, providing a Native-centered forum on California communities and culture.

• 1974

  Heyday Books is founded

  [1]Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Malcolm Margolin establishes the publishing operation through The East Bay Out, a guide to the natural history of the Berkeley and Oakland area.

A mission-driven, independent California publisher combining regional scholarship, literary and visual publishing, environmental interpretation, and Native-centered cultural work.

• Quarterly magazine · 1987

  News from Native California

  A quarterly magazine published since 1987 and written from Native perspectives. It covers the histories, cultures, arts, experiences, and contemporary concerns of California Native peoples, providing a continuing platform for community-based expression and documentation.

• Regional literary and cultural book series

  California Legacy series

  A collaborative series produced with the California Legacy Project at Santa Clara University. The series focuses on California's literary and cultural heritage and uses books to preserve, interpret, and broaden access to the state's historical record.

• Native-centered books and periodicals · 1987

  California Native publishing

  Heyday's Native California publishing includes books and periodical work developed through its Berkeley Roundhouse, also known as the California Indian Publishing Program. The program emphasizes California Native peoples, community participation, cultural continuity, and access to literature for underserved Native audiences.

• Books · 1974

  California regional and natural-history books

  Heyday publishes books on California's landscapes, ecosystems, environmental issues, regional histories, architecture, literature, and cultural communities. Its list often combines scholarly research with photography, memoir, oral history, and accessible narrative intended for both general and institutional readers.

• 1987News from Native California

  California · United States

  Heyday established an ongoing Native-centered publishing platform through its quarterly magazine, supporting writing and documentation from California Native perspectives.

  Outcome. The magazine became a continuing component of Heyday's Native California program.

  Source
• California Legacy Project partnership

  California

  Heyday worked with the California Legacy Project at Santa Clara University to publish books centered on California's literary and cultural heritage.

  Outcome. The partnership produced the California Legacy series.

  Source
• California Historical Society Press

  California · United States

  Heyday co-founded a press with the California Historical Society to develop books related to California history and culture.

  Outcome. The collaboration resulted in multiple jointly produced books.

  Source
• Inland Empire publishing partnership

  Southern California

  Heyday partnered with the Inlandia Institute at the Riverside Public Library on books concerning the Inland Empire.

  Outcome. The partnership expanded Heyday's regional publishing beyond the San Francisco Bay Area.

  Source

• 2020

  Co-led operating structureStrategy

  Background

  Heyday continued under Steve Wasserman after the 2016 succession and drew on longtime internal staff experience.

  Action taken

  Wasserman and Gayle Wattawa began co-leading the organization, with Wattawa serving as general manager.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement combined external publishing leadership with long-term organizational knowledge.

  Source

• 2016

  Publisher succession after Margolin's retirementStrategy

  Background

  Founder Malcolm Margolin retired after leading the organization from its beginnings in 1974.

  Action taken

  Heyday appointed Steve Wasserman, a former Los Angeles Times Book Review editor-in-chief and Yale University Press editor-at-large, as successor publisher and executive director.

  Aftermath

  Leadership transitioned to a publishing executive with experience in national literary and academic publishing while Heyday retained its California-centered nonprofit identity.

  Source

• 2004

  Formalization as a nonprofit enterpriseStrategy

  Background

  Heyday's publishing work had been accompanied by a nonprofit wing known as the Clapperstick Institute.

  Action taken

  The organization merged with the Clapperstick Institute and became a full 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise.

  Aftermath

  The merger consolidated Heyday's publishing and nonprofit cultural functions under a formal charitable structure.

  Source

1. 1Heyday Booksen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Heyday Books official websiteheydaybooks.com