Natasha Onwuemezi (The Bookseller) writes, “Peepal Tree founder Jeremy Poynting and associate fiction editor Jacob Ross look back on 40 years of publishing Caribbean and Black British literature with the Leeds-based indie.” Here are excerpts; read full article at The Bookseller. [Many thanks to Peter Jordens for bringing this item to our attention.]
Celebrating 40 years at the forefront of Caribbean and Black British literature, Leeds-based independent publisher Peepal Tree Press has become a “honeypot” for writers and readers seeking stories that transcend the mainstream and preserve the cultural richness of the Caribbean and its diaspora.
The press’ inaugural title, Backdam People by the late Guyanese writer Rooplall Monar, captured the nuanced lives of sugar estate workers and exemplified the press’ commitment to literature that tells stories from within communities rather than simply about them. “Backdam People was really a do-it-yourself enterprise,” press founder Jeremy Poynting recalls. “An act of discovery about how books could be made – finding out how to sell them was a longer act of learning.” Thus began a 40-year (and counting) commitment to this act, which has seen the press grow from a one-man band into a globally respected publishing house that now employs nine people and has more than 400 titles in print.
Founded in 1985 and named after the ficus religiosa tree brought to the Caribbean by Indian indentured labourers, Peepal Tree Press is deeply symbolic of cultural transplantation and resilience. The press has since nurtured and launched the careers of some of the most significant voices in Caribbean and Black British literature, from Bernardine Evaristo to Kwame Dawes, both of whom were first published by Peepal Tree in the 1990s. [. . .]
Dawes remains a core part of the press as associate poetry editor, publishing more than 20 books with the press. “The fact that we publish Kwame is undoubtedly seen as a signal of the press’ quality,” says Poynting. “And the relationship with him encouraged other quite established writers to submit work and he’s always there as a touchstone of our publishing values.”
The same is true of Jacob Ross, author and, since 2012, Peepal Tree’s associate fiction editor. He credits the press’ inclusivity, integrity and editorial depth as a rare find in the publishing landscape. “Independent publishers like Peepal Tree have always taken the nurturing role seriously,” Ross notes. “I’ve seen highly accomplished writers returning to Peepal Tree when the commercial viability of their recent work is up for question.”
Indeed, Peepal Tree does not chase bestsellers. Instead, it cultivates what it calls “long sellers” – books with enduring value that may sell modestly but steadily over time. This philosophy not only helps sustain the press financially but reflects its resistance to the disposability of literary trends. [. . .]
Operating outside of London, Peepal Tree has had to overcome challenges of visibility, but it has also reaped the benefits of lower costs and strong local networks. Its Leeds base has now become a hub for Caribbean literary culture in the North. Early adoption of digital technologies, from websites to short-run digital printing, allowed the press to stay nimble and sustainable. Initially, it even printed and bound its own books in-house. “We used to think of ourselves as part of the ‘plot’ rather than the ‘plantation’,” Poynting says, referencing Caribbean history; although part of a broader capitalist structure – the plantation – the plot represented cultural survival and autonomy. “Our kind of publishing has to engage with the plantation system of international publishing, and like the plot it tends to involve a degree of self-exploitation for those who work in it, but it is also a space where you can do your own thing and maintain alternative values.”
At 79, Poynting is candid about the need to pass the torch: “Peepal Tree needs to find someone from a much younger generation to lead us into the next decade, to bring fresh ideas, vision and energy, but also the commitment to embrace our history and mission.” Still, he remains focused on future projects, including compiling the collected works of Jennifer Rahim and Anthony McNeill, two Caribbean poets of profound influence. Poynting also points to Peepal Tree’s recent partnership with HopeRoad Publishing, and its role in amplifying works such as Small Boat (shortlisted for the International Booker), as heralding an exciting new chapter. [. . .]
For full article, see https://www.thebookseller.com/trade-interviews/peepal-tree-press-reflects-on-40-years-of-publishing