Small but mighty independent publisher Bluemoose Books celebrate 20th anniversary
This year a homegrown Yorkshire gem reaches a significant milestone. The small but mighty Hebden Bridge-based independent publisher Bluemoose Books is celebrating its 20th anniversary. And in a tough market they have not only survived, but thrived.
Bluemoose publish literary fiction of the very highest quality – evidenced by the fact that in the past decade their books have been shortlisted for or won 31 prestigious prizes – and from the outset they committed to representing voices that were seldom heard, particularly stories from working class writers.
A number of their authors are based fairly locally – most notably the bestselling writer Ben Myers whose book The Gallows Pole they published back in 2017. Set in 18th century Yorkshire, it told the true story of the Cragg Vale coiners; a niche story about poor northern folk that bigger publishers may have baulked at, it went on to win the Walter Scott prize for historical fiction and in 2023 was adapted into a three-part BBC TV series by acclaimed writer-director Shane Meadows.
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As a small-scale operation, with no shareholders to satisfy, Bluemoose can take risks and focus on what they do best – root out excellent stories and share them with readers. “We never publish more than about eight to ten books a year, we don’t have to worry about having a bestseller and there are only five of us in the company,” says Bluemoose founder and director, Kevin Duffy. “I am the one salaried employee and I work with four freelance editors who are brilliant. We read every submission that comes to us and if we all find something interesting, we will go with it. We can consider less mainstream stories that bigger publishers might not.” Duffy and his wife Hetha remortgaged their house back in 2006 in order to get the company off the ground. It’s the kind of leap of faith that few are willing to take and deserves the success they have since achieved.
Their bestselling author is Irish writer Rónán Hession whose debut novel, Leonard and Hungry Paul, was published by Bluemoose in 2019. A wonderful, gentle book about friendship and kindness, it went on to become a huge critical and commercial hit, around the world. It has sold over 350,000 copies globally, has been translated into nine languages and was adapted by the BBC and RTÉ into a six-part series which aired on BBC Two last autumn. Bluemoose also published Hession’s second novel Panenka and third, Ghost Mountain; his fourth is on the way. “Big publishers wait for our authors to win prizes and then they sweep in, but Ronan has stayed with us and we will be publishing his next novel in June 2027,” says Duffy. “I love Ronan’s insight into the human condition. His writing is so wise and multi-layered.”
One of the reasons that Bluemoose has been so resilient is due to the strong relationships they have built up with independent bookshops. “There is a kind of architecture or ecosystem of independence,” says Duffy. “Sales of The Gallows Pole and Leonard and Hungry Paul were helped enormously by bookshops like the Book Corner in Halifax and The Bookcase in Hebden Bridge. Part of our success is thanks to other similar shops around the country. When you go into a bookshop where the owner is passionate about a book, customers and readers will respond to that. It is all about trust. There have been times, like during Covid, when we thought it could be the end for us but the reading community got behind independent bookshops and publishers. In the end, we had one of our best years during Covid because people were buying from our backlist.”
Publishing a select number of books per year also means that Bluemoose can ensure their publications are distinctive in their look, paper quality and design. Their covers invariably stand out from the crowd. “I always say we are a delicatessen not a supermarket,” says Duffy. “We spend a lot more money on the paper we use and we work with some brilliant designers.”
While independent publishing faces its challenges, Bluemoose are still here and intend to stay. “We will just continue to do what we know we are good at – find good stories by talented writers and share them with our readers,” says Duffy. “We are not doing anything different from when we first started out.” Here’s to the next 20 years.
Books published by Bluemoose are available in bookshops and online via their website, bluemoosebooks.com