Mākaro Press

Mākaro Press is an independent New Zealand publishing house based in Wellington. Founded in 2013 by novelist and editor Mary McCallum and her son Paul Stewart, the press emerged from a family publishing project. McCallum had been editing an anthology involving writers from Eastbourne and decided to publish the work herself; Stewart joined the project and helped establish the publishing operation. During its first five years, Mākaro developed a broad list spanning fiction and non-fiction and published more than seventy books. Its early catalogue included books by New Zealand writers and works intended for both general and younger audiences. One notable early success was Harriet Rowland’s The Book of Hat, published in 2014. The book documented Rowland’s experience of terminal cancer and achieved bestseller status. It received a Storylines Notable Book Award and was a finalist in the non-fiction category of the 2015 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Rowland died shortly after the book’s publication, adding to the work’s significance and public resonance. In 2018, McCallum and Stewart reassessed Mākaro’s publishing model. They concluded that first-time novelists in New Zealand faced particular difficulties in securing publication and chose to concentrate Mākaro’s resources on debut fiction from New Zealand authors. At the same time, McCallum, Stewart, and Sarah Bolland established a separate company, the Cuba Press, to handle other kinds of work. Mākaro consequently adopted a more selective schedule, publishing approximately one fiction title per year after the change in direction. The focused model produced a strong record at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Mākaro titles won the award for best first book in three consecutive years: Kirsten Warner’s The Sound of Breaking Glass in 2019, Rachel Kerr’s Victory Park in 2021, and Becky Manawatu’s Auē in 2020. Auē also won the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel in 2020. The novel had reportedly been declined by several publishers before Mākaro accepted it, and its editorial development involved a year of work and six revisions. Mākaro’s reputation therefore rests less on scale than on editorial selectivity and its role in developing New Zealand writers, particularly debut novelists. In 2020, Paul Stewart was named Young NZ Publisher of the Year for his work with Mākaro Press and the Cuba Press. In 2021, Mākaro received the Nielsen Book Publisher of the Year award at the Aotearoa Book Industry Awards, with judges recognising its contribution to New Zealand literature.

Mākaro Press was established in Wellington in 2013 by Mary McCallum and Paul Stewart. The company grew out of McCallum’s decision to publish an anthology connected with writers from Eastbourne after she had been editing the project. Stewart joined her in developing the publication, and the undertaking became a broader independent publishing business. The press initially maintained a varied list. In its first five years it published more than seventy titles across fiction and non-fiction, including books for younger readers. The 2014 publication of Harriet Rowland’s The Book of Hat was an important early moment. Rowland’s account of living with terminal cancer became a bestseller, received a Storylines Notable Book Award, and reached the finalist stage in the non-fiction category of the 2015 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. Rowland died soon after the book was released. By 2018, Mākaro’s founders had decided that the company should concentrate on a specific gap in the local market: the difficulty experienced by first-time New Zealand novelists in finding a publisher. McCallum and Stewart, together with Sarah Bolland, created the Cuba Press as a separate publishing venture for other kinds of books. Mākaro then moved toward a highly selective programme focused on New Zealand debut fiction, publishing roughly one fiction title annually after the strategic change. This approach generated substantial critical recognition. Kirsten Warner’s The Sound of Breaking Glass won the best first book award at the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards. Becky Manawatu’s Auē won the same category and the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction in 2020, as well as the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel. Rachel Kerr’s Victory Park won the best first book award in 2021. Auē had been rejected by several publishers before Mākaro acquired it; the press’s editorial process involved six revisions over approximately one year. The company and its leadership also received industry recognition. Paul Stewart was named Young NZ Publisher of the Year in 2020 for his work with Mākaro Press and the Cuba Press. In 2021, Mākaro won Nielsen Book Publisher of the Year at the Aotearoa Book Industry Awards. The judging recognition emphasised the press’s contribution to New Zealand literature. Mākaro’s history is consequently defined by a transition from a broad independent list to a smaller, more deliberately curated programme focused on discovering and supporting New Zealand literary voices.

• 2021

  Mākaro wins Publisher of the Year

  [1]Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Mākaro Press receives the Nielsen Book Publisher of the Year award at the Aotearoa Book Industry Awards.

• 2020

  Auē receives major awards

  [1]Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Becky Manawatu’s Auē wins the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction, the Ockham best first book award, and the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.

• 2019

  The Sound of Breaking Glass wins best first book

  [1]Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Kirsten Warner’s The Sound of Breaking Glass wins the best first book award at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.

• 2018

  The press pivots to debut New Zealand fiction

  [1]Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Mākaro adopts a selective focus on first novels by New Zealand writers, while the Cuba Press is established for other publishing activity.

• 2014

  The Book of Hat is published

  [1]Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Mākaro publishes Harriet Rowland’s The Book of Hat, which becomes a bestseller and later receives children’s and young-adult book recognition.

• 2013

  Mākaro Press is founded

  [1]Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Mary McCallum and Paul Stewart establish Mākaro Press in Wellington after developing a project originating in an Eastbourne writers’ anthology.

An independent New Zealand literary publisher with a selective, author-focused list, particularly recognised for identifying and developing debut New Zealand novelists.

• Literary and crime fiction · 2020

  Auē

  Becky Manawatu’s debut novel is one of Mākaro Press’s most prominent publications. After being rejected by several publishers, it was acquired and developed through an extended editorial process involving six revisions over a year. The novel won the 2020 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction and the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards’ best first book award, and it also received the 2020 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel.

• Literary fiction

  Victory Park

  Rachel Kerr’s debut novel formed part of Mākaro Press’s post-2018 focus on first-time New Zealand novelists. It received the best first book award at the 2021 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, reinforcing the press’s reputation for identifying debut literary fiction with significant critical potential.

• Literary fiction

  The Sound of Breaking Glass

  Kirsten Warner’s debut novel was published as part of Mākaro Press’s selective New Zealand fiction programme. It won the best first book award at the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards, one of the earliest major award successes associated with the press’s focused publishing strategy.

• Non-fiction · 2014

  The Book of Hat

  Harriet Rowland’s account of living with terminal cancer was an important early Mākaro Press publication. Released in 2014, it became a bestseller, received a Storylines Notable Book Award, and was a finalist in the non-fiction category of the 2015 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

• 2018

  Concentration on debut New Zealand fictionStrategy

  Background

  The founders identified publication barriers faced by first-time novelists in New Zealand after several years of maintaining a broad fiction and non-fiction list.

  Action taken

  Mākaro Press narrowed its programme to focus on New Zealand debut fiction and moved toward publishing approximately one fiction title per year. McCallum, Stewart, and Sarah Bolland established the Cuba Press as a separate home for other works.

  Aftermath

  The strategy was followed by major award recognition for Mākaro titles, including works by Kirsten Warner, Becky Manawatu, and Rachel Kerr.

  Source

1. 1Mākaro Pressen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Mākaro Press official websitemakaropress.co.nz