Annual Report 2018 Contents
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FREMANTLE PRESS ANNUAL REPORT 2018 CONTENTS Vision and Purpose 3 Chair’s Report 4 Chief Executive Officer’s Report 5 Publishing Program 7 Consultancy Work 16 Rights and Permissions 17 Marketing and Communications 18 Awards 30 Fundraising and Partnerships 31 Staff and Board 2018 32 Cover page, left to right: Ian Mutch, Dianne Wolfer, Kelly Canby, Deb Fitzpatrick, Cheryl Kickett-Tucker and Cristy Burne at the Great Big Dark and Spooky Book Read with AWESOME Festival, State Library of Western Australia. Left: Jodie Moffat, Ambelin Kwaymullina and Rafeif Ismail at the Great Big Book Club Tea Party, A.H. Bracks Library. ANNUAL REPORT 2018 2 VISION AND PUrpose Fremantle Press is a proudly not-for-profit team of publishers, authors and artists who bring uniquely Australian stories to the world. Established in 1976, Fremantle Press is renowned for producing quality works of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s literature. OUR VISION: To be a fine independent Western Australian publishing company in a national and international context. OUR PUrpose: To identify and nurture talented new and emerging Western Australian writers and artists, as well as champion and support existing authors, and publish and distribute their work to the widest possible audience. In doing so, we believe that Fremantle Press contributes to and enriches Australia’s social and cultural capital. A SNAPSHot OF 2018 New titles published 20 Print books sold 80,188 New editions published 9 Ebooks sold 36,000 Titles reprinted 31 Total books printed 120,000 Debut authors published 35 Recognition in literary awards 17 Total active authors/artists 212 Rights and licences sold 28 Total active titles on list 271 Freelance arts workers 24 engaged Left: Chris Ferreira talks about his book A Place in the Country at the Great Big Book Read, Fremantle Arts Centre. ANNUAL REPORT 2018 3 CHAIR’S REPORT to books. We are inspired by the Ian’s five years of dedicated service as Clair Medhurst, Chair Fremantle passion and loyalty of Fremantle Chair of Fremantle Press. Press Board (centre), with Press’s supporters and partners, and authors James Foley and Jay I thank the State Government of on behalf of the board I thank all the Martin. Western Australia through the organisations and individuals who have Department of LGSCI (Culture and provided personal, financial or in-kind Arts) for its continuing financial support to Fremantle Press in 2018. support. A special thank you to For their generous support, I wish to our Patron Tonya McCusker for her especially thank: advocacy for Fremantle Press and for • The Fremantle Press Champions of her passion for WA literature. I would Literature like to thank all board members for their dedication, diligence and good • Minderoo Foundation 2018 was a significant year of for the 2018 award that three of the humour during 2018, and especially consolidation for Fremantle Press, with shortlisted writers, including winner • McCusker Foundation Felicity Ruse, Deputy Chair, for her many highlights and achievements Holden Sheppard, signed publishing consistent energy on all matters • Fogarty Foundation throughout the year across our core contracts with Fremantle Press. We fundraising and Bill Chambers, publishing and fundraising activities. are delighted that in 2018 the City of The board oversaw a review of Treasurer, for his financial oversight. Despite a slow period of sales and Fremantle committed to partner with governance during 2018 prompted Finally, I thank the extraordinary team consultancy income early in the Fremantle Press for a further six years by the enactment of the new at Fremantle Press led by Jane Fraser year, we finished 2018 with a healthy (three awards) with increased prize Incorporated Associations Act 2015. As for their hard work and commitment surplus as a result of higher book money for the winning author. Two a result of the review, Fremantle Press and for the professional guidance they sales and a boost in consultancy major developments further boosted has: amended its Rules of Association give to our writers, poets and artists to work in the final quarter. I wish to our mission to nurture emerging WA to comply with the new act and to bring more unique WA stories to our acknowledge the excellent leadership writing talent: Fremantle Press was reflect the structure of our business great community of readers. of CEO Jane Fraser and Marketing and appointed by the Department of operations; formalised delegation Communications Manager Claire Miller Local Government, Sport and Cultural arrangements; and implemented an I look forward to another exciting year in achieving this positive result that Industries (LGSCI) to oversee and agreed operating model approved ahead for Fremantle Press. enables the Press to continue to build a support a pilot program for emerging by the board. We have also finally financial reserve. writers at WA’s major writers centres; removed the words ‘Arts Centre’ and we announced the Fogarty from our registered name, having This annual report describes the Literary Award funded by the Fogarty moved from those premises decades publishing highlights of 2018. Many Foundation – a new biennial award to ago (although our relationship with the of our 20 new titles and over 30 encourage, nurture and promote WA Fremantle Arts Centre as partners reprinted titles by established and writers aged 18 to 35. and collaborators remains as strong debut authors and artists were as ever!). launched at our popular ‘Great Big Throughout 2018, Fremantle Press Book’ events attended by hundreds has continued to successfully build There were two changes to the of book lovers. Our challenge is to partnerships with philanthropic membership of the board during the find new WA writers with a good individuals, foundations and sponsors year. Annie Fogarty stepped down at story told well, and the biennial City who wish to support our core business our April AGM and Chair Ian Lilburne of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford as well as specific projects, such as: retired in August 2018. On behalf of Award is a great opportunity for a building our capacity to grow; the the board I thank them both for their new writer to get their first break. So improvement of literacy statewide; valuable contributions to Fremantle strong was the field of submissions and increasing WA children’s access Press, and would like to acknowledge ANNUAL REPORT 2018 4 CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER’S REPORT The most popular titles of 2018, ($43,391 / non-fiction trade), In the Jane Fraser, CEO of Fremantle Press (right) with City of Fremantle T.A.G. selling over 2,000 copies, were In the Lamplight ($40,999 / children’s), The Hungerford shortlisted author Julie Lamplight (4,217 copies / children’s), Valley ($37,212 / fiction), The Tree Sprigg and City of Fremantle Deputy Sister Heart (3,245 / children’s), The ($32,600 / non-fiction photography), Mayor Ingrid Waltham (left). Valley (2,806 / fiction), Gastronauts A Fortunate Life ($31,678 / memoir), (2,760 / children’s), Bush and Beyond Heaven Sent ($31,505 / crime fiction), (2,463 / children’s), A Fortunate Life and Sister Heart ($30,273 / children’s). (2,444 / memoir), Heaven Sent (2,172 Our longstanding and highly valued / crime fiction) and The Happy Bowel partnership with the City of Fremantle (2,142 / non-fiction). was augmented in October when The children’s publishing program the council unanimously elected There were many highlights worthy because each fulfills our charter to is our most successful in terms of to continue as naming partner of of celebration in 2018. Top of the list foster the careers of new Western copies sold and income earned each the T.A.G. Hungerford Award for an for all of us at the Press was ‘bringing Australian writers and artists. year. The demand for children’s books unpublished writer for another six home’ A Fortunate Life and publishing from educators and parents is always years. The renewal of this partnership Our 2018 program under the direction it once more with the Fremantle Press growing so our long-term plans are acknowledges our joint commitment of publishers Georgia Richter, Cate imprint. First published by the Press to build the list. Representing around to fostering the arts in WA. Sutherland and Naama Grey-Smith in 1981, A Fortunate Life was licensed 35% of all new titles on our list each featured books across our full set Equally affirming was the to Penguin in the same year. We have year, our children’s books sell more of genres: fiction, non-fiction and announcement at the end of the year always felt connected to our first than other genres annually, accounting narrative non-fiction, biography, of an exciting initiative developed big success, now recognised as an for just on 60% of all copies sold. photography, art, Indigenous stories, in partnership with the Fogarty Australian classic, so it was affirming poetry, children’s fiction and picture The highest earning titles of 2018 (net Foundation. The Fogarty Literary to re-release three new editions (adult, books. The 20 new publications in $30,000) were A Place in the Country Award will offer WA writers aged 18 a special Treasures edition and a the program included works by seven to 35 one of Australia’s richest literary children’s edition). previously unpublished, debut authors, prizes. From 2019, this will be a biennial In fact, we celebrate the publication each of whom has the potential for a event, with a cash prize of $20,000 and promotion of every new book long and successful writing career. In from the Fogarty Foundation and a addition, we published works by six publishing contract with Fremantle emerging writers and nine established Press. It will run in alternating years writers. We reissued nine backlist to the Hungerford Award.