Jamie Byng is the CEO and publisher of the independent publishing firm Canongate Books.

When Canongate was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1994, Byng, then in his mid-20s, bought it with a business partner. His first move in overhauling the company's image was to establish the ultra-hip Payback and Rebel Inc. imprints, dedicated to championing cult authors. Over a series of years, the publisher became a radical underdog success story not only publishing wonderful books by Miranda July and The Mighty Boosh but also two books by an, at the time, little-known Senator in Barack Obama—Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope. Jamie continues to be a maverick and taste-maker in the industry, taking chances on bold titles and authors and navigating an industry with an ever-consolidating base of power.

-------

Thank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team:

Manna Vitality

https://mannavitality.com/

-------

Squarespace

https://squarespace.com/tetra

-------

LMNT Electrolytes

https://drinklmnt.com/tetra

-------

House of Macadamias

https://www.houseofmacadamias.com/tetra

192 – Absurdism and the Meaning of Life, with Alex