Freight Books

Freight Books was an independent publisher based in Glasgow. It published books for an English speaking readership,[1] including award-winning literary fiction, poetry, illustrated non-fiction and humour.[2] Freight Books was named Scotland's Publisher of the Year 2015[3] by the Saltire Society.[4] Freight Books published the debut novel of Martin Cathcart Froden, the winner of the 2015 Dundee International Book Prize.[5]

The company was founded as an imprint of Freight Design by Adrian Searle in 2011. The publisher increased its output each year, at its peak publishing 35 titles in 2016,[6] with notable publications including Gutter magazine, a Scottish magazine of new writing established in 2009 (and still in existence), Jellyfish by Janice Galloway and the international bestseller The Hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu.[7][8]

Freight Books acquired Cargo Publishing in September 2015.[9][10]

In April 2017 Searle left the business citing "differences over strategic direction" between himself and fellow director Davinder Samrai.[11] Two months later Freight Books was offered for sale through the Publishing Scotland website.[12] The company was finally liquidated that December and it disappeared from the Scottish Publishing scene after failing to find a suitable buyer. Authors left the publishing house with unpaid royalties.[13]

  1. ^ "Freight Books Homepage". Freight Books. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  2. ^ "Freight Books Titles". Freight Books. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Freight Books wins Saltire Society Publisher of the Year 2015". Freight Books. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  4. ^ "Publishing". www.saltiresociety.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  5. ^ "Dundee International Bookprize". www.dundeebookprize.com. Archived from the original on 2016-02-02. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  6. ^ "Freight Books". Publishing Scotland. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Freight Books | Books from Scotland". Books from Scotland. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  8. ^ "Publishing Scotland - Scottish publishing industry network body". www.publishingscotland.org. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  9. ^ "Freight Books buys Cargo Publishing | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2016-01-22.
  10. ^ "Publishing Scotland - Scottish publishing industry network body". www.publishingscotland.org. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  11. ^ "Co-founder of Glasgow publisher quits".
  12. ^ "Freight Books in talks to sell | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 2017-06-19.
  13. ^ Flood, Alison (2017-12-06). "Freight authors aghast as former publisher sets up new imprint". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-12-08.