Wakefield Press

Wakefield Press is an independent Australian publishing house based in Mile End, Adelaide. Its catalogue spans literary and popular fiction, young adult fiction, biography, history, art, architecture, social history, food, gardening, poetry, and other nonfiction subjects. Although the company publishes for a broad national readership, it has maintained a particularly strong connection with South Australia and with books about Australian places, communities, institutions, and cultural life. The press traces its origins to 1942, when Adelaide bookseller Harry Muir established a publishing company under the name The Wakefield Press. Muir owned Beck Book Company Limited, a well-known Pulteney Street bookshop that operated from Ruthven Mansions and was also known by several variations of the Beck's Bookshop name. His publishing objective was modest but distinctive: to issue short historical and specialist monographs that might otherwise struggle to find a commercial publisher. The first recorded publication was A Checklist of Ex-Libris Literature Published in Australia, reflecting Muir's interest in bookplates. During the 1940s through the 1960s, publishing activity was conducted from the bookshop. The Wakefield name was revived by the South Australian government in the 1980s in connection with the state's sesquicentenary celebrations. A series of historical works followed. Christopher Pearson, proprietor of the cultural magazine The Adelaide Review, acquired the name from the state government and operated the company from 1986 to 1988. Michael Bollen, who had worked with Pearson, took over in 1989, and Stephanie Johnston became involved as a co-owner approximately a year later. Under this management, the press developed into the independent publisher recognizable today. It operated from premises at The Parade West in Kent Town for many years before moving to Mile End in August or September 2014. Wakefield Press publishes approximately 40 titles annually, according to information reported in 2022. Its list combines commercially accessible books with projects that reflect editorial, cultural, or regional interests. The publisher has been especially active in South Australian history and the arts, while also building a substantial young adult list. Editor Margot Lloyd has been associated with the young adult programme, which has included work by emerging Australian authors. The press has presented its independence as an advantage when selecting books that may involve greater editorial or commercial risk than a large corporate publisher would normally accept. Its publishing record includes award-winning and shortlisted books. Philip Jones's Ochre and Rust: Artefacts and Encounters on Australian Frontiers won the nonfiction prize at the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Awards in 2008. Philip Butterss's biography An Unsentimental Bloke: The Life and Work of C.J. Dennis won the National Biography Award in 2015. Red Professor: The Cold War Life of Fred Rose was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards Australian History prize in 2016, while Places Women Make received the 2016 Bates Smart Award for Architecture in Media. In children's publishing, Charlie Archbold's Mallee Boys was recognized as an Honour Book for Older Readers in the 2018 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. Poppy Nwosu's Making Friends with Alice Dyson marked a notable 2019 young adult launch for an Adelaide first-time author. Wakefield titles have also achieved Australian bestseller status, including works such as The Vanished Land, The Home of the Blizzard, One Magic Square, Behind the Veil, and Your Brick Oven. Series associated with the press have included the AATE Interface Series, Friendly Street Poets, the Pentageli Papers, the South Australian Living Artists series, and the Wakefield Crime Series. The company also maintains partnerships with South Australian cultural and educational institutions and relationships with overseas publishers that help place its books beyond Australia. In 2019, the publisher marked 30 years under its current name and management structure, a milestone that underscored its continuity as an independent South Australian publishing business.

Wakefield Press began in Adelaide in 1942 when bookseller Harry Muir founded a publishing operation under the name The Wakefield Press. Muir was the owner of Beck Book Company Limited, a Pulteney Street bookseller whose premises at Ruthven Mansions were known as Beck's Bookshop and by several related names. The early press reflected Muir's personal interests and his view that short historical and bibliographical studies deserved publication even when they were unlikely to attract a large commercial audience. Its first known book was A Checklist of Ex-Libris Literature Published in Australia, a subject linked to Muir's interest in bookplates. For several decades, Wakefield Press functioned alongside the bookshop. Publishing activity was based there from the 1940s into the 1960s. The name was later revived by the South Australian government during preparations for the state's sesquicentenary in the 1980s. The revived press issued a series of historical works connected with South Australia's commemorative programme. Christopher Pearson subsequently acquired the Wakefield Press name from the state government. Pearson, who was associated with the cultural magazine The Adelaide Review, operated the company between 1986 and 1988. Michael Bollen, who had worked with Pearson, assumed control in 1989. Stephanie Johnston joined the ownership and management approximately a year later. The business developed as an independent publisher with a broad catalogue, while retaining a strong emphasis on Australian authors and subjects, especially material relating to South Australia. Wakefield operated for many years from premises in The Parade West, Kent Town. It moved to Mile End in August or September 2014, where its headquarters are identified in contemporary descriptions. By 2019, the press had completed 30 years under its current name and management, although the business's historical roots extended back to Muir's 1942 company. The modern catalogue combines fiction and nonfiction. Areas of publication include literary and popular novels, young adult fiction, biography, history, art, architecture, poetry, food, gardening, and books about Australian communities and cultural institutions. The company has also issued recurring series, including the AATE Interface Series, Friendly Street Poets, the Pentageli Papers, the South Australian Living Artists series, and the Wakefield Crime Series. Young adult publishing has become an important part of the list, with Margot Lloyd identified as publisher of the young adult programme. The press has supported new Australian voices, including Adelaide author Poppy Nwosu, whose Making Friends with Alice Dyson was launched in 2019. Wakefield's management has described independence as enabling editorial risks that larger publishers, whose decisions may be more tightly governed by marketing requirements, may be less able to take. The press's books have received significant recognition. Ochre and Rust won the nonfiction category at the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Awards in 2008. An Unsentimental Bloke won the National Biography Award in 2015. Red Professor was shortlisted for an Australian history prize in 2016, and Places Women Make received a Bates Smart Award for Architecture in Media that year. Mallee Boys was an Honour Book for Older Readers in the 2018 Children's Book Council of Australia Awards. Wakefield has also published Australian bestsellers and maintains partnerships with South Australian cultural and educational bodies, alongside relationships with overseas publishers that market selected titles internationally.

• 2019

  Thirty years under current name and management

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  Wakefield Press marks three decades under its current name and management structure.

• 2014

  Move to Mile End

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  After operating in Kent Town, the publisher relocates to premises in Mile End, Adelaide.

• 1989

  Michael Bollen assumes control

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  Michael Bollen takes over the company after working with Christopher Pearson.

• 1986

  Christopher Pearson takes over the press name

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  Christopher Pearson acquires the Wakefield Press name from the South Australian government and operates the company.

• 1980

  Wakefield name revived for South Australian historical publishing

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  The South Australian government re-establishes the Wakefield Press name during preparations for the state's sesquicentenary and publishes a historical series.

• 1942

  The Wakefield Press is founded

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  Adelaide bookseller Harry Muir establishes The Wakefield Press, initially concentrating on specialist historical and bibliographical works.

• 1942

  First known publication

  [1]Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org

  The press publishes A Checklist of Ex-Libris Literature Published in Australia.

Independent Australian publishing with a strong South Australian identity, combining regional and cultural nonfiction with literary fiction, young adult books, poetry, and accessible specialist titles.

• History and regional nonfiction

  Australian and South Australian history

  A core part of the Wakefield list consists of books about Australian history, South Australian places, institutions, communities, and encounters. These works continue the specialist historical orientation associated with the press's origins while being presented for a general readership. Examples include studies of frontier experience, regional landscapes, and significant Australian figures and events.

• Fiction

  Literary and popular fiction

  Wakefield publishes both literary and commercially accessible fiction by Australian authors. The list includes novels with strong regional, social, or contemporary themes, alongside books intended for broader popular readerships. The independent structure of the press allows it to maintain a varied fiction programme rather than concentrating only on the largest commercial genres.

• Young adult literature · 2019

  Young adult fiction

  The young adult list is a significant contemporary area for Wakefield Press. It supports Australian writers and includes books for older teenage readers, with publisher Margot Lloyd associated with the programme. The 2019 publication of Poppy Nwosu's Making Friends with Alice Dyson demonstrated the list's interest in emerging authors and Adelaide-connected literary talent.

• Biography and nonfiction

  Biography and cultural nonfiction

  Wakefield's biography and cultural nonfiction catalogue covers writers, artists, political figures, communities, and Australian cultural history. The list includes award-recognized books such as An Unsentimental Bloke, a study of C.J. Dennis, and Red Professor, a Cold War biography of Fred Rose.

• Art and architecture publishing

  Art, architecture, and South Australian Living Artists series

  The press publishes books concerned with visual art, architecture, artists, and the built environment. Its South Australian Living Artists series connects publishing with the state's arts community, while titles such as Places Women Make examine the contribution of women to urban spaces and received recognition in architecture-related awards.

• Poetry

  Poetry series

  Wakefield has published poetry through series including Friendly Street Poets. This reflects the press's broader role in supporting Australian literary culture beyond commercial fiction and mainstream nonfiction.

• Crime fiction

  Wakefield Crime Series

  The Wakefield Crime Series is a dedicated publishing line for crime-related fiction. It forms part of the press's genre publishing alongside its literary, regional, historical, and young adult lists.

• 2019

  Expansion of the young adult listProduct launch

  Background

  Wakefield Press had developed a strong interest in young adult fiction and in publishing new Australian voices.

  Action taken

  The press launched Making Friends with Alice Dyson by Adelaide first-time author Poppy Nwosu.

  Aftermath

  The publication became a notable example of Wakefield's willingness to support emerging authors through its young adult programme.

  Source

• 2014

  Relocation from Kent Town to Mile EndStrategy

  Background

  Wakefield Press had operated for many years from premises in The Parade West, Kent Town.

  Action taken

  The publisher moved its premises to Mile End in Adelaide during August or September 2014.

  Aftermath

  Mile End became the company's identified Adelaide base.

  Source

• 1986

  Transfer of the press name to Christopher PearsonOther

  Background

  Following the government-backed revival, the Wakefield Press name was acquired for continued publishing activity.

  Action taken

  Christopher Pearson bought the name from the South Australian government and operated the company from 1986 to 1988.

  Aftermath

  The company subsequently moved into the management of Michael Bollen and Stephanie Johnston and continued as an independent publisher.

  Source

• 1980

  Revival of the Wakefield Press name for a historical programmeStrategy

  Background

  The South Australian government sought to use the Wakefield name in connection with the state's sesquicentenary celebrations and a programme of historical publications.

  Action taken

  The government re-established the Wakefield Press name and issued a series of historical works.

  Aftermath

  The name later passed into private operation and became the foundation of the continuing independent publisher.

  Source

1. 1Wakefield Press (Australia)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Wakefield Press official websitewakefieldpress.com.au