Berkeley, Calif.–based Graphic Arts Books has rebranded itself as West Margin Press in a move the more than 50-year-old independent publisher said signals a new direction for the company. “We want to make room for more voices, increasingly engaging visuals, and an expansive view of the world within our house,” explained publishing director Jennifer Newens.
Graphic Arts was established in 1967 in Portland, Ore., focusing on regional luxe coffee table books. It acquired Alaska Northwest Books in 1993, which is known for its books about the Last Frontier. In 1998, it added the WestWinds Press imprint to encompass western titles. Graphic Arts became part of the Ingram Content Group family about 10 years ago.
Going forward, West Margin Press will retain the imprints of Graphic Arts Books (art, photography, comics, and other visual titles) and Alaska Northwest Books, and phase out WestWinds Press. WestWinds titles will live out their current life under the WestWinds imprint, but if they are reprinted, they will likely appear under the West Margin Press imprint, a spokesperson said.
Among the first books featuring the West Margin Press logo will be children’s picture books: Yao Bai and the Egg Pirates by Tim J. Myers and Bonnie Pang), Why Worry? by Eric Kimmel and Aiko Ikegami, and Catastrophe by the Sea by Brenda Peterson and Ed Young. West Margin will also publish western regional and national titles in the genres of nature, travel, history and memoir, fiction, food and lifestyle, and art.
Commenting on the adoption of its new name, Newens said: “West signals our location and foundation. It is a subtle reference to the coastal values we aspire to convey in our list, which will inform our acquisition process. It also evokes a pioneer spirit, reflecting our experimental nature and our willingness to take risks. Margin is a literary reference, evoking a manuscript or a book, as well as a place where things are allowed to unfold outside prescribed boundaries.”
