Kellow returns to UK as Ultimo reveals spring titles

Ultimo Press m.d. and founder James Kellow – who launched the indie publisher from Sydney in 2020 – is relocating to the UK.

Formerly c.e.o of HarperCollins Australia, Kellow launched Ultimo as an “independent press backed by Hardie Grant” and distributed by Macmillan Distribution in the UK. Previously Kellow worked for a roster of publishing houses in the UK and Australia, including Penguin Books, Simon & Schuster and Fourth Estate.

Kellow will now be based at parent company Hardie Grant’s offices in Southwark, London, and is seeking a commissioning editor to join his team.

Kellow said: “After a satisfyingly successful launch in Australia which saw Diana Reid’s Love & Virtue win the Australian Book Industry Book of the Year Award in our inaugural year, and an encouraging first UK season, we believe it’s the right time to expand our offering and begin commissioning in the UK. We’ve been extremely pleased to see the first Ultimo Press books so well received by UK readers, booksellers and the wider literary community, and I’m excited to be back in London to lead our ambitious publishing efforts.

"The titles Ultimo Press has planned for 2023 are wide-ranging in topic and voice and reflect our aim to champion original and brilliant writing and bring bold, creative storytelling to readers everywhere.”

His move comes as Ultimo reveals its six-strong list of titles for spring and summer 2023. The first to be released is Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran. Released on Thursday 2nd March, it is described as a "love letter to storytelling" in which the author draws on her Tamil heritage to tell the tale of residents at Cinnamon Gardens nursing home. Also publishing on 2nd is This Devastating Fever by Sophie Cunningham; 16 years in the making, it follows protagonist Alice as she delves into research about Leonard Woolf, Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury set, all while wrestling with questions of environmental collapse to sexual reckonings in the present day.

These titles are followed by Ashley Kalagian Blunt’s Dark Mode (13th April), which takes true crimes such as the Black Dahlia murders and reimagines them for a modern age; The Lovers by Yumna Kassab (20th April), described as a "enchanting" love story which takes an old form and refreshes it in an "unforgettable" way; and When We Fall by Aoife Clifford (3rd May), a crime thriller which centres on Alex Tillerson and her mother as they fight to solve the mystery surrounding two supposedly drowned women’s deaths. Finally, An Afterlife for Rosemary Lamb by Louise Wolhuter (8th June) tells the story of three outcasts – Meg, Rosmary and Lily – who become prime suspects when a local nine-year-old goes missing. 

Sandy Grant, c.e.o. and founder of Hardie Grant, commented: “We are pleased to bring our excellent Ultimo authors to UK audiences and our forthcoming list has variety and quality we feel proud to be presenting. We plan to build on our first two years by actively building our UK commitment.”