In late August 2015, Massey University
Press began with a single employee: respected former Random House New
Zealand publishing director Nicola Legat.
When Professor Glyn Harper, the historian who chairs the Press’s
editorial board, announced her appointment, he said “With Nicola, we are
in excellent hands ... (Her) appointment as publisher is a strong signal
that the Press is a serious venture and will be a force in New Zealand
book publishing.”
So, big expectations and a big job: build a new publishing house from
scratch! Nicola regards the challenge as “professionally enormously
exciting. It’s no small thing for a university to set up a Press in these
difficult times. They have invested a great deal of trust in me and I
fully intend to earn that trust.”
Nicola has hired former Random House project editor Kimberley Davis as
managing editor - a part time role for now - and well-known freelance
book publicist Sarah Thornton will handle all the publicity for the list.
David Bateman Ltd is handling sales and distribution. A new website
www.masseypress.ac.nz
will launch Thursday March 17.
Ten books are scheduled for publication in 2016, the first being the
April release of Experience
of a Lifetime, another volume in the very active Centenary
History Programme publishing enterprise. Nicola describes its 16 chapters
as an interrogation of the traditional narrative of the First World War
as a total disaster and a waste of millions of young lives.
For more on what Massey University Press has in store for 2016 and beyond
click here
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