In this episode, I chat with Natania Jansz co-owner of Sort of Books about what led her to start a publishing company with her partner, Mark Ellingham in 1999, book cover designers, distribution for indie publishers, and author Shehan Karunatilaka's novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida winning the 2022 Booker Prize.
Sort of Books is an independent publisher of both original and classic fiction and non-fiction titles. Mark Ellingham and Natania Jansz, creators of the Rough Guide travel series, founded Sort of Books in 1999 mainly to help their friend Chris Stewart launch his debut book Driving Over Lemons which became a surprise UK bestseller, eventually selling more than a million copies. Fired by its success, they have hand-picked three or four titles each year since.
In 2022, Sort of Books published Shehan Karunatilaka's novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, which went on to win the 2022 Booker Prize. In short, Sort of Books publish the sort of books they feel proud of. Books you’ll want to discover and re-discover.
Sort of Books
The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida, Shehan Karunatilaka
On Writing And Failure, Stephen Marche
Ladie’s Lunch: And Other Stories, Lore Segal