About PQ Blackwell - a NZ success story

I visited PQ Blackwell Tuesday last week. I have been aware of their books for many years but had never actually visited their operation so thought it was time I checked them out.

PQB is an acclaimed creator and publisher of internationally best-selling illustrated books. Distinguished by their editorial excellence, design and production quality, Their award-winning books are sought after by many of the world’s foremost illustrated book publishers and are marketed in approximately thirty countries.

Founded by New Zealander Geoff Blackwell, PQ Blackwell collaborates with some of the world’s leading photographers and individuals. The company’s authors include Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Albert Watson, Andrew Zuckerman, Tim Flach and award-winning New Yorker photographer Platon.

 Its projects include New York Times bestseller Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela with a foreword by Barack Obama published in 25 languages in 2010; The Birth of the 787 Dreamliner, produced in collaboration with Boeing; and M.I.L.K. – Moments of Intimacy, Laughter and Kinship – a collection of images founded on humanity that has been exhibited at venues around the world, including New York’s Grand Central Terminal, the Sydney Opera House and London’s Science Museum. M.I.L.K. books have sold three million copies in more than ten languages.

Other PQ Blackwell projects include Mandela: The Authorized Portrait and Diana: The Portrait, published in collaboration with Nelson Mandela and the Spencer family respectively; Equus by British photographer Tim Flach, an epic portrait of horses published in a standard edition and a large-format limited edition in collaboration with renowned purveyor of luxury goods, Asprey; Wisdom, by photographer and film-maker Andrew Zuckerman who recorded the thoughts and ideas of fifty of the world’s most prominent individuals over sixty-five in cooperation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu; UFO (Unified Fashion Objectives), an epic forty-year retrospective by legendary photographer Albert Watson; Power by The New Yorker staff photographer Platon and in conjunction with The New Yorker editor David Remnick (see below); and Tutu: The Authorised Portrait which will be released in Fall 2011 to coincide with the Archbishop’s eightieth birthday.

PQ Blackwell’s offices are located in a converted art deco church in Auckland, New Zealand. They are the most interesting and spectacular publishers offices I have ever come across. There is a staff of twelve talented people. Ruth Hobday is Blackwell's deputy.

Geoff Blackwell is a second generation book publisher. His father John Blackwell was a senior staffer at Wm.Collins NZ (now Harper Collins) in the 70's and 80's before setting up prominent sports publishing house Moa Publishing which later merged with Beckett Sterling to become Moa Beckett which in turn was taken over by Hachette NZ who still employ the Moa Beckett imprint for selected titles.

Geoff Blackwell is at the London Book Fair this week. During my visit he gave me an advance copy of his latest title Power Platon.

In this market (ANZ) it is being published shortly by Hachette although there are several other editions being published simutaneously and in fact the copy I have carries the Wild Dog Press imprint from South Africa.
The book is an extraordinary collection of over 100 presidents, prime ministers, dictators and revolutionaries from across the globe with an interesting foreword by New Yorker editor David Remnick. A small selection of photographs appears below.

About the author:

Born in England to a Greek father and English mother, Platon grew up in both the Greek Isles and London.
He attended Central Saint Martin’s School of Art, and after receiving his BA with honours in Graphic Design, he was 
later awarded an MA in Photography and Fine Art at the Royal College of Art. Now based in New York, Platon has
contributed to a vast range of international publications including the NEW YORKER, TIME, NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, W and ROLLING STONE.
In 2008, Platon’s photograph of Russian Premier Vladimir Putin for TIME magazine’s Person of the Year cover was awarded first prize in the World Press Photo contest.
He is now staff photographer at the NEW YORKER magazine and has won two national magazine awards for his large scale portfolios.
Platon’s first book PLATON’S REPUBLIC was published in 2004 by Phaidon Press. He lives in New York with his wife, daughter and son.