Tindal Street bought by Profile

Profile Books has acquired Birmingham-based independent Tindal Street Press. 

From 1st November, a Tindal Street imprint within Profile Books will be overseen by Serpent's Tail publisher Hannah Westland, with approximately 75 frontlist and backlist titles coming over from Tindal Street.

The buy-out follows the cutting of funding to Tindal Street from both Arts Council England and Birmingham City Council. Tindal Street Press director Alan Mahar, senior editor and publicist Luke Brown and another staff member, Melissa Rudd, have been made redundant. However Mahar and Brown will both do freelance work with Profile for upcoming titles, with Brown working at Profile's Clerkenwell office for a period.

Profile has no plans to continue Tindal Street's programme of creative writing courses, and would not comment on the financial details of the deal.

Mahar said: "We're proud of what we've achieved during Tindal Street Press' 14 years of independent publishing in Birmingham. We found new English writers and published them with conviction and flair, earning prize-listings for the Man Booker, Orange and Commonwealth Writers' Prizes, a British Book Award and two Costa Prize winners.

"We built the Tindal Street name outside of London, with a tiny dedicated and talented publishing team and a voluntary board. We had a close connection with our authors, an independent ethos and a vision for our English regional list, in all of which we were supported by the Arts Council England.   
  
"It is genuinely a great comfort that Profile and Serpent's Tail will be continuing our list and legacy in this takeover. They are great publishers, independent and successful, and have much in common with our publishing approach. I have no doubt Andrew Franklin and Hannah Westland will do extremely well by our authors; the Tindal Street imprint lives on in London."

Profile Books m.d. Franklin said: "It's always sad to see the end of an independent publisher but we're very pleased that Tindal Street's publishing programme will be finding a home at Profile. Tindal Street have always punched way above their weight and we will make sure they continue to do so. Profile and Tindal Street Press share the same ideals for independent publishing and we greatly look forward to working with Luke Brown and the Tindal Street authors."

Westland said: "Tindal Street joining us feels like a perfect fit. I am incredibly proud to be leading our combined lists which together offer a range of books whose diversity and originality I believe is unrivalled in UK publishing." 

Recent titles from Tindal Street included Gaynor Arnold's After Such Kindness, Anthony Cartwright's How I Killed Margaret Thatcher and Lawrence Scott's Light Falling on Bamboo.