New university press from Goldsmiths, University of London to partner with renowned MIT Press in landmark deal

A new university press from Goldsmiths, University of London will partner with the MIT Press in a unique deal between the two prestigious institutions.

The partnership will see all Goldsmiths Press titles marketed and distributed through MIT Press’s Cambridge, Massachusetts and London offices.

The first title to be released is Academic Diary by the influential Sociology professor, Les Back, in April this year.

Goldsmiths Press will take advantage of digital technology to revive and regenerate the traditions and values of university press publishing. It is driven by a widely-recognised need for new forms of academic publishing in the digital age. The new venture highlights the strengths of Goldsmiths, University of London, as an incubator of ideas and creativity for over a century.

Goldsmiths Press will publish print books as well as ebooks, apps, and online resources.

Sarah Kember, Director of Goldsmiths Press, said: “We want to create a culture around academic knowledge practices that is far more inventive than it is now and are actively seeking contributions that do not easily fit within existing disciplines or publishing conventions.

"We will not compromise on quality and care far more about content than we do about platforms. We’ll always look for the best ways to publish any particular piece of work.”

Amy Brand, Director of the MIT Press, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased to enter into this exciting arrangement with Goldsmiths Press. Their driving forces match quite well with our own and we are thrilled to help usher this new and promising Press into the exciting world of university press publishing.”

Broadcaster and former Professor of Sociology Laurie Taylor said of Professor Back’s work: “Academic Diary is a profoundly humanistic account of the unexpected and often fleeting day-to-day pleasures of working in a contemporary university."

While serving the academic community, Goldsmiths Press, along with the support and guidance of the MIT Press, will explore the many ways in which to increase its reach to a wider public.

About The MIT Press

One of the largest and most distinguished university presses in the world, the MIT Press is known for quality, innovation, and distinctive design. The Press publishes in selected disciplines within the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Its authors are drawn from the global academic community. The Press publishes 30 scholarly journals and 220 new books annually, in a variety of print and electronic formats. More than 750,000 publications carrying the MIT name are disseminated by the Press to scholars and general readers around the world each year. The MIT Press is especially noted for its support of emerging fields, for its strong international distribution, and for pioneering digital projects.