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Publishing company Boydell & Brewer has incorporated specialist academic publishers James Currey into its group, and plans to further develop the company's book list.
Oxford-based firm James Currey, which specialises in African studies, produces all its books, which average around 20 titles per year, as co-editions, primarily with US universities and academic institutions.
From November this year, Boydell & Brewer plan to begin launching new titles solely under the James Currey imprint. The group plans to release a programme of around 25 new titles under the James Currey banner, which it will steadily increase alongside the continuing promotion and distribution of James Currey's 400-strong backlist.
"We are going to develop the James Currey imprint in the UK, US and Europe, rather than just producing co-editions. This will open up really interesting opportunities for us, particularly in the US," said Peter Clifford, m.d. of Boydell & Brewer.
Boydell & Brewer, which itself publishes a number of specialist African titles in its core US and UK markets, believes that the deal will give it a considerable boost in this specialist market.
"We already have a presence in that area, and when we started talking with James Currey it became clear that bringing the two imprints together would move our status up to that of a major player in African studies and open up new markets. For James Currey, which is a small operation, this step gives them the back office facilities that they need and allows them to concentrate on managing the commissioning list," said Clifford.
James Currey's m.d. Douglas Johnson will take on the role of commissioning editor in the new arrangement, while the company's managing editor Lynn Taylor will remain in the same role.
Clifford described the financial details of the agreement between the two firms as "a little complex", but said that the deal was a "mutually beneficial arrangement".