The first publishing co-operative in Britain to be set up and run by authors, has taken on its fifth member. Gritstone Publishing Co-operative, which specialises in books on the countryside, landscape and the outdoors, has published six titles since its launch in 2016.
The fifth member is Andrew McCloy, who joins founder members Andrew Bibby, Colin Speakman, Chris Goddard and Chiz Dakin. Mr McCloy is an experienced hill walker whose most recent book on the Pennine Way (Cicerone Press, 2016) offers a fascinating account of the story of Britain’s first long-distance trail. He has written over 20 books covering all corners of the UK and spanning a variety of subjects, from long distance paths to coastal walking, national parks to countryside protection and the plight of rural pubs.
His first Gritstone title, to be published later in 2018, will be a social and historical account of pubs in the Peak District, an area of the country he knows very well.
Gritstone is a fully mutual co-operative which only publishes titles by its members; as well as enabling books from the members to be marketed more successfully, the co-op encourages informal support and solidarity between the members. The co-op sees itself as “offering a collective platform for writers undertaking what can sometimes be an isolated way of working”.
“The idea of the authors’ co-op was first discussed by two of its founder members at a Society of Authors event in Manchester two years ago. Its members are all professional writers and journalists and the co-op is careful to maintain the quality of the books published under its brand,” says co-op member, Andrew Bibby.
The co-op’s most recent title is a profile of the geologist Adam Sedgwick, born in the Yorkshire Dales village of Dent in 1785, written by Colin Speakman. Andrew Bibby’s latest Gritstone title, Back Roads through Middle England, offers an assessment of the state of England today through an exploration of the Jurassic limestone landscapes from Dorset to Lincolnshire.
- Find out more at gritstone.coop
