Allen & Unwin

Elizabeth Weiss, Publisher

Congratulations on being named Australian Publisher of the Year for the ninth time! Does winning awards change your publishing philosophy at all, or the types of books that you publish?

We probably were fortunate enough to win Australian Publisher of the Year again this year because of our publishing philosophy, so our challenge is to do what we do better.

How long has Allen & Unwin been around, and was there a particular title that launched the press?

Allen & Unwin started in Australia in 1976 as a branch of the UK company George Allen & Unwin, which was founded in 1914. The first Allen & Unwin books which made an impact were Cameron Hazlehurst's Menzies Observed and David Marr's Barwick, and we continue to publish biographies and major books on Australian politics, among many other topics.

Are there any changes in the Australian publishing industry that are particularly affecting you? How do you deal with them?

The internet and other digital technologies is turning the established book industry on its head in Australia, as it is in the rest of the world, offering some fabulous opportunities, and also a fair few sleepless nights. We think its critical to work closely with old and new industry partners, to constantly review what we're doing, to experiment with new ways of working, and above all, to keep our eyes and ears open.

What's your favorite format to read books in? Do you own an ebook reader? Have you ever read an audio book?

I used to say I'm a print junkie, but in fact I'm a reading junkie and I read books in all sorts of formats. As a publisher, of course a lot of the books I read are manuscripts. I also read regular printed books, as well as ebooks on a laptop, on a Kindle and on an iPad. I think it's really important for all of us working in digital publishing to actually experience what it's like to read whole ebooks, so that we can better understand the needs of people reading on screens. I usually don't use audio books because I drift off and lose track of the narrative. Maybe I'm just a die-hard text junkie.

Are there one or two Allen & Unwin titles that you are particularly excited to see in large print and accessible formats?

We're delighted that print disabled readers have access to many more of our books than ever before, in whatever format suits them. It's great that they can join the passionate international debates over The Slap (how would you feel if some other adult slapped your child at a barbecue?) or bury themselves in Alex Miller's elegant and poignant novel of desire and loss, Lovesong.