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Independent Jessica Kingsley Publishers (JKP) has acquired the list of co-operative Vala Publishing, as the publishing house is "set to close".
Forthcoming books commissioned by Vala will be published under the imprint, but Vala will retain its identity within JKP.
A notice on Vala's website said that the majority of its books will be published by JKP as of 1st July, to which it added: "Thank you for all your support and encouragement over the years. The books are now in a very happy new home.”
Bristol-based Vala launched in 2011 as a co-operative social enterprise and "pioneer in participative publishing". Co-owned by its members, comprising staff, authors and investors, it aimed to "give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the whole process of bringing a book into the world, and in doing so, break some of the conventions of the publishing industry”, specialising in books that "explore and celebrate life, and brave and authentic ways of living”.
JKP m.d. Jessica Kingsley said: "We're very happy to give a home to Vala's highly respected list. So much of what Vala has done aligns directly with JKP's aims and values, it's a perfect fit."
Sarah Bird, founder of Vala, added: "I'm so delighted that JKP are taking on Vala's list. Our books aim to help readers discover strength and inspiration through lived stories of learning and transformation, and JKP's values, publications and expertise make them the perfect new home for our titles."
Among these titles is Marian Partington’s “moving memoir" If You Sit Very Still due to publish under Vala in September. In it Partington describes the “grief and rage” she felt after her sister, Lucy, was murdered, and her journey to "turn her trauma into something good".