Scottish indie looks to kick up an Ink with launch collection

New Scottish independent publisher 404 Ink is to launch its début book, Nasty Women, on International Women’s Day (8th March 2017). The non-fiction collection will explore being a woman in the 21st Century, with women “telling their own stories in their own voices” through essays, interviews and accounts.

Founded by publishing freelances Heather McDaid and Laura Jones, and supported by Creative Scotland, 404 Ink will publish two to three books a year as well as a literary magazine twice a year. McDaid told The Bookseller: “We’ve remained open-minded as to the content we will publish, but feel that we can approach the business end of the publisher a little differently, through rolling crowdfunding, loud marketing and offering an alternative platform for new artists.”

Speaking about the launch title, McDaid said: “With intolerance and inequality increasingly normalised by the day, it’s more important than ever for women to share their experiences. We must hold the truth to account in the midst of sensationalism and international political turmoil. People, politics, pressure, punk: Nasty Women covers a vast spectrum of the world around us, from family divides in the wake of Trump’s success in America and the power of punk as a vessel for action, to personal tales of finding a voice online and navigating identity.”

The title will feature contributions from author Chitra Ramaswamy, journalist and writer Kaite Welsh and writer and editor Zeba Talkhani.