A new kid on the publishing block, Ultimo Press was founded in 2020 with the aim of being “home to Australia’s best storytellers”. That’s quite some ambition, and we’re pleased to report we can personally testify to the brilliance of the Ultimo Press books we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing. 

From the unforgettably moving When Things are Alive They Hum, to the eye-opening thriller Dark Mode, from literary triumph This Devastating Fever, to thought-provoking Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens, it’s fair to say we’re big fans of Ultimo Press. 

So, with the publisher now expanding in the UK, we thought it was high time we found out more about the publisher’s plans and upcoming books. Over to James Kellow, MD and Founder of Ultimo Press, to tells us more.

What’s the editorial ethos of Ultimo Press? Has it changed or evolved since the company was founded?

Bold. Creative. Different. Because we recognise publishing can be a bit ‘same, same please’ which cuts off the opportunity for new writers and new ideas to be platformed. And we don’t want to conform to industry conventions. The industry is defined by ‘surprise’ bestsellers and we’d rather play and work in a fresh, evolving space. 

We also believe in the idea that the author is the authority in their work – and our job is to shine a spotlight on them and their work. 

Huge congratulations! After just three years, you’re about to expand in the UK. Please could you share your journey to reach this point, and share your UK plans?

We announced in the height of the pandemic in Australia in September 2020 and began publishing in April 21. The first few months were challenging because we were still in lockdown and had to work exceptionally hard to make sure our authors’ work was visible to the world. 

Fortunately, that hard work paid off and the 2nd novel we ever published, Love & Virtue by Diana Reid, went on to win the Australian Book Industry ‘’Book of the Year’’ Award in 2022, our inaugural year – an unprecedented feat! 

We’ve just started publishing our Australian novels in the UK, which is very exciting as it’s been quite hard for Australian authors to get published here – and we’re getting a great reception. Later in the year, we plan to start commissioning here as well.

Which book/s are you most proud of publishing? 

All of them! We’re indebted to all of our authors for entrusting their work to us. It’s a big deal and we take our responsibility seriously!

Which books from the Ultimo Press backlist should everyone read?

When Things are Alive They Hum by Hannah Bent

Love & Virtue by Diana Reid

The Uncaged Sky by Kylie Moore-Gilbert

Lies, Damned Lies by Claire G. Coleman

Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

This Devastating Fever by Sophie Cunningham

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran

Give us an elevator pitch for some of your upcoming books.

The God of No Good by Sita Walker

Sita Walker was raised by five strong matriarchs who taught her to believe in God and to be good.

Her grandmother, mother and three aunts believed in unshakeable faith, in the power of prayer, in sacrifice, in magic, in the healing of turmeric and tea, and the wisdom of dreams. 

But as hard as she tries to be good, Sita always suspects that deep down, she isn’t very good at all.

At 35, she hasn’t prayed in years, her dream of true love has died, and along with it, her faith – not that she’s telling her mother, or her aunts. Instead, she abandons religion in secret, ‘taking tiny pieces of God away, one by one, under cover of darkness.’

Now, the only way she can fulfill her destiny is to seek out the wisdom of the ones who came before, and truly understand the women who raised her. But will they understand her? Either way, the matriarchy will never be the same again.

Seeing Other People by Diana Reid

Which comes first—those you love, or those you want?

After two years of lockdowns, there’s change in the air. Eleanor has just broken up with her boyfriend, Charlie’s career as an actress is starting up again. They’re finally ready to pursue their dreams—relationships, career, family—if only they can work out what it is they really want.

When principles and desires clash, Eleanor and Charlie are forced to ask: where is the line between self-love and selfishness? In all their confusion, mistakes will be made and lies will be told as they reckon with the limits of their own self-awareness.

Seeing Other People is the darkly funny story of two very different sisters, and the summer that stretches their relationship almost to breaking point. 

Who would you invite to your dream literary party?

Jane Austen, Ivan Turgenev and Ernest Hemingway. I’d love for them to argue about who had the greater impact on their country.

Tell us a secret about books…

We love a dinkus at Ultimo Press

Stay up to date with Ultimo Press:

Website: ultimopress.com.au

Twitter: @ultimopress

Facebook: Ultimo Press

Instagram: @ultimopressuk

To discover more from the people who bring you all those books you love, read the rest of our Industry Insights series.