A flying gecko - success for Gecko Press

by Fiona Oliver, a freelance writer and editor who divides her time between Wellington and the Wairarapa. This story was first published on nzlive.com

Photograph of Julia by Mary McCallum

A well-starred start

Nearly five years ago Julia Marshall, a Kiwi working in Sweden producing corporate magazines, was on a bus to the Frankfurt Book Fair – the biggest event in European book publishing. A call to her HR Manager explaining her absence from the office was overheard by a fellow traveller, who entreated to her to check out a particular book at the fair. It was a stroke of serendipity – that book was Donkeys, which was to be the first picked up by Julia under her new imprint, Gecko Press. It exceeded all expectations (unless you’re onto a Harry Potter, the world of book-publishing keeps its expectations modest), and more books followed.

Recipe for success
Working out of busy offices in Wellington, Gecko Press publishes modern, international children’s books and sells them here and overseas. Ostensibly a niche publisher, Gecko Press has become a sensational success. Its real strength is Julia’s canny eye and her well-honed selection criteria. She hand-picks books only by renowned authors and illustrators, whose stories are heart-felt (not moralistic or didactic) and cross cultural boundaries. She doesn’t shy away from books that deal with emotions, but will not do ‘issues’. Julia is also emphatic: “we don’t do ‘best-selling’ pink books about little bears.” As a mother of two preschool fairies, I resist the urge to grasp her hand in gratitude.

Leading the way
Most Gecko Press titles have not been published before in English. It seems amazing that so many writers already translated into myriad languages have not yet found an English home, given the size of the lucrative English market and the calibre of the books. This may be partly because of an Anglo-Saxon tendency towards monoculturalism – its suspicion of anything a little different – along with the relative difficulty of buying rights and organising good translations.

To read the full piece by Fiona Oliver link to nzlive.com

And some of the gorgeous recent releases from Gecko include:

FRIENDS - SNAKE & LIZARD Joy Cowley/Gavin Bishop Hardback $29.99, papereback $19.99
A delightful sequel to Snake & Lizard the much awarded 2008 title from this highly talented NZ author & illustrator.


THERE WAS A CROOKED MAN Gavin Bishop Board Book $19.99
Gavin Bishop illustrates an old English rhyme in a vertical board book for very young children. A follow up to Bishop's There Was an Old Woman.

WHEN WE WERE ALONE IN THE WORLD Ulf Nilsson & Eva Eriksson Hardback $29.99, paperback $19.99

An extraordinarily warm & funny book about a big brother's courage and inventiveness when he discovers his parents have been run over by a truck - or have they?



REFLECTIONS OF A SOLITARY HAMSTER Astrid Desbordes and Pauline Martin Paperback with flaps - $24.95

An endearing story all about the friendship between a group of forest animals which is brought to life in this enchanting book of comic strips. Great Christmas gift, for ages 5 to infinity.





Update on Gecko Press news:

· Publisher Julia Marshall has had a very busy past few months. In September, she attended the Beijing Book Fair for the first time - and in October was at the Frankfurt Book Fair. She has found quite a few gems at these Fairs, so Gecko Press books for the next couple of years are shaping up nicely. One particularly exquisite book is called Seasons, by award-winning French comic artist and printmaker Blexbolex - this will appear in April 2010.

· After the Frankfurt Book Fair, Julia went to London to launch Gecko Press books in the UK. Bounce! Sales & Marketing have taken on representation of the Gecko Press list, and have been reporting healthy support from booksellers - far exceeding expectations.

· In Australia, Scholastic has taken over distribution of Gecko Press titles. Their enthusiasm for the books is reflected in their great sales figures!

Gecko Press,
PO Box 9335, Marion Square,
Wellington 6141, New Zealand

Tel: +64 4 381 4476
e-mail: geckopress@geckopress.com

ps A nice mention in The Guardian for a recent Gecko title too.