~ Orkneyology Press ~

Why are we creating Orkneyology Press?

We just have to.

Tom and I share that feverish, greedy passion for books which you probably recognize if you're reading this.

We bibliophiles are always on the hunt for the next book to carry us away. We're saddened by the relentless approach of the last page, and yet we live in hope of the next spell-binder leaping off the bookshelf and into our sweaty hands.

Orkneyology Press, a bibliophile's dream

Curating rare and remarkable stories by means of an independent press has been our ultimate goal since we began Orkneyology.com.

Anyone who knows us could have predicted this. After all, books brought us together. (If you're interested you can read our story here.)

Orkneyology Press exists to give voice to stories that deserve to be known.

We've run across so many good stories and writers in the course of daily life here in Orkney. Sadly, many of the best of these might not sell in large enough numbers to warrant the expensive and risky publication process through traditional publishing methods.

Our mission is to rescue and preserve some of these most worthy stories - stories which might otherwise end their days languishing in a stuffy drawer.

What we'll be publishing

We plan to publish mostly non-fiction: memoirs, social history, archaeology and whatever else tickles our fancy.

Some of our authors live in Orkney and many of our books will have an Orkney connection, but not all. We'll be adding author pages soon so you'll know what's on the horizon.

We've got a lot to learn!

At the moment, we're busy learning the mundane but necessary process of shepherding a book from that first wonderful idea through revisions, sourcing illustrations and deciding on cover design ... until finally it's transformed into one of those mysteriously-beckoning blocks of paper that we all adore.

Indie publishing with soul

Inspired by sheer curiosity for the next undiscovered story, Tom and I aim to curate a shining treasury of books that will be delightful, whimsical, soulful ... fascinating.

Our desire for excellence in serving both our readers and our authors is the reason we're taking as much time as we need to before releasing our first book through Orkneyology Press.

We know you'll be patient with us, and we promise to move right along as quickly as we can! We're aiming for spring of 2022 to release our first book.

"But what shall we do while we wait?" I hear you cry.

The best thing you can do while you're waiting (oh, so patiently) for things to get rolling at Orkneyology Press is to sign up for our quarterly blether, Orkney Stories, Stones and Bones.

Just leave your best email - the one you use for fun things - on the subscription form that you'll find on this page, not too far from here.

Once each season we'll update you about our goings-on with Orkneyology Press, as well as entertain you with Orkney lore from Tom and other interesting tit bits.

So, if opening a new book makes you feel something like this:

... you're in the right place.

Keep watching this space for introductions to our authors!

Katherine Soutar ~ 'Myths in Isolation'

Ragnhild Ljosland ~ a new look at Orkney myth and lore

Kenn Harper ~ 'Missing Sisters'

Colin Urwin ~ 'The Madman's Window'

Bryce Wilson ~ 'An Orcadian Odyssey'

Áine King ~ 'A Stitch in Time'

Gabrielle Barnby ~ new short story collection

Mermaid image (Rhonda's pages) and storyteller image (Tom's pages), and all other illustrations except where noted are here by the courtesy of our dear friend - Stromness author, artist and historian, Bryce Wilson MBE, who owns all copyrights. Thanks, Bryce!

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