Peepal Tree Press and HopeRoad Publishing to join forces

Peepal Tree Press and HopeRoad Publishing are delighted to announce that from 1st February 2024 they are joining forces to secure and build the diversity of independent publishing in the UK.

Peepal Tree Press and HopeRoad see in each other companies with a compatible ethos, backlists and complementary publishing identities.

The new agreement means that Peepal Tree will take responsibility for the physical production of HopeRoad’s titles, marketing and back-office operations. HopeRoad will retain ownership and control of its IP and its choices of new titles.

This process should run smoothly because both Peepal Tree and HopeRoad are represented by Inpress Ltd (funded by the Arts Council) and distributed by BookSource.

HopeRoad will be developing five new titles to add to Peepal Tree’s sixteen titles scheduled for 2024.

About Peepal Tree Press Peepal Tree Press is a wholly independent, specialist publisher of Caribbean and Black British titles, including fiction, poetry and non-fiction, including creative non-fiction and academic titles. It was founded in 1985 and has published over 450 books, including books that have won the Costa Prize, T.S. Eliot, Forward, OCM Bocas, Guyana and Casa de las Americas prizes. It has been part of the ACE national portfolio since 2015. Its founding and managing editor is Jeremy Poyning and its operations manager is Hannah Bannister. Its associate editors for fiction and poetry are Jacob Ross and Kwame Dawes.

About HopeRoad Publishing HopeRoad was founded in 2010 by Rosemarie Hudson. Her emphasis has been to promote writing from and about Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, to share previously untold stories with themes of identity, cultural stereotyping, disability and injustice. Rosemarie was joined in 2019 by Pete Ayrton, founder of the hugely respected independent publisher Serpent’s Tail. Pete is Editor of HopeRoad’s imprint, Small Axes.

Pete Ayrton says: ‘I have always looked forward to reading the Peepal Tree titles on my shelves. Its publishing programme shows a long-term commitment to literary values that is not dictated by fashion. It will be a great pleasure to work with all at Peepal Tree.’ Rosemarie Hudson says: ‘I have admired Peepal Tree and the books they publish for a very long time. I’m very much looking forward to working with Jeremy and Hannah and the rest of team, especially to continue to give voice to the underrepresented. And very much looking forward to marking HopeRoad’s forthcoming 15th anniversary next year.’

Jeremy Poyning says: ‘This will be an exciting new stage for both of us. HopeRoad’s emphasis on translation, writing for young adults, and on South Asian literature brings something new. At Peepal Tree we see the connection as an opportunity to learn from the process. We were keen to have an agreement that was not about property but cooperation and solidarity.'

For further information contact Hannah Bannister: hannah@peepaltreepress.com 0113 245 1703 Or Pete Ayrton pete.ayrton@virginmedia.com