Acclaimed independent publisher Hardie Grant, best known for food, design, and lifestyle titles that stimulate the minds and hearts of readers, is taking North America by storm. From the company’s first headquarters in Melbourne—and with offices now in Sydney and London—the publisher recently launched Hardie Grant North America, an imprint based in Berkeley, Calif., featuring substantive, boutique cooking and lifestyle titles.
For Jenny Wapner, publisher of Hardie Grant North America, the expansion is not only an opportunity to reach new readers but also an exciting moment for independent publishing in North America. “With so much consolidation in the industry, having a new independent publisher on the scene is greatly needed,” says Wapner, who is looking to publish beautiful, trendsetting, and inspiring books. “I want Hardie Grant North America to become the destination for new and emerging voices and trusted authorities in the field. I want to make sure our authors feel nurtured and valued and to fill some of the many holes in the market with books that tell previously untold stories.”
With its inaugural list, Hardie Grant North America is well on its way to doing just that. The publisher’s five lead titles speak to its commitment to showcasing the work of passionate and seasoned professionals in their fields. “Our inaugural list is small but mighty!” Wapner says. “These five books represent years, careers, and lifetimes of work and expertise.”
Among these is Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California by Sylvan Mishima Brackett with Jessica Battilana, a cookbook that highlights traditional Japanese dishes with a California twist, as served at the acclaimed San Francisco restaurant of the same name. Rintaro includes recipes for curry rice, yakitori, tonkatsu, sashimi, fresh bamboo shoots, and many other dishes.
Sohn-mat, which translates to “hand taste,” is a Japanese cookbook from chef Monica Lee with Tien Nguyen that centers on intuitive cooking as prepared at the renowned L.A. Koreatown restaurant Beverly Soon Tofu. Featured dishes include the restaurant’s signature soon tofu soup, banchan, kimchi, and bibimbap.
Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More was created by ethnobotanist and bartender Danny Childs. Divided by season, the book offers recipes for readers to make country wines, meads, sodas, beers, tinctures, shrubs, and more and provides guidance for finding and collecting fresh ingredients.
Also on the inaugural list are the first two books in Hardie Grant’s Preserved series, Preserved: Fruit and Preserved: Condiments, both by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, and Richard Martin. The books each include 25 recipes for jams, syrups, pickles, sauces, chutneys, and other preserved dishes, ranging from pomegranate molasses to a Haitian pickled vegetable relish called pikliz.
In each of the five books, recipes are complemented by historical and cultural insights and uplifted by the experiences of the authors and chefs sharing their knowledge. “The life stories of the authors are what make them who they are and inform their cooking,” Wapner says. “They are as fundamental to the book as the recipes.” In addition to the delicious foods, dishes, and culinary traditions, each title is beautifully designed with striking photography and inviting layouts. Whether displayed on a coffee table or thumbed through in a home kitchen, these books will resonate with food and drink enthusiasts everywhere.
The future is bright at Hardie Grant North America. “I want books on the list,” Wapner says, “that are surprising, idiosyncratic, and deeply researched and that add something new to the cultural conversation.”
Hardie Grant North America is actively seeking titles that embody its long-established values and traditions of presenting vivid voices, candid perspectives, and eye-opening content. See hardiegrantusa.com.
