From nostalgia to necessity: Linda Martin on the most wondrous years of her career and why she had to document them
From Fremantle Press to Night Parrot Press, Linda Martin has been an advocate of West Australian writing and publishing for decades. In her upcoming release, A Tale of Two Publishing Houses, she shares her experiences with risk-taking, author–editor relationships and building an independent press from the ground up.
What inspired you to research and write about the history of Fremantle Press?
In the 1990s, I worked at Fremantle Press (then Fremantle Arts Centre Press) as a production coordinator. These were possibly the most wondrous years of my career. From my desk, I had an overview of the different roles and operations of the publishing house, and this ignited a passion for publishing that never left me. Inspired by FACP editor and publisher Ray Coffey, I went on to become a fiction editor and taught publishing and editing at universities. I often spoke nostalgically to students about the early days at the Press and, through those conversations, I came to see the need to collect and document the Press’s history and my personal recollections in detail – for my own satisfaction, for the benefit of current and future students, and as a contribution to Australia’s cultural publishing heritage and inheritance.
How did your prior experiences with Fremantle Press equip you to set up Night Parrot Press?
When working with Fremantle Press, I witnessed deeply respectful author–editor relationships from in-house and freelance editors that I believe were one of the publishing house’s greatest strengths. New and diverse authors could trust the editors with their work, and their work was treated with sensitivity and care. I also appreciated the Press’s approach in taking risk and valuing works. So, for me, the importance of respect for the author and respect for new (sometimes unconventional) work was the foundation for Night Parrot Press. My publishing partner, Laura Keenan, shared this philosophy and approach, so we had a good partnership from the outset. And of course, the project management and budgeting skills I developed as production coordinator gave me a solid grounding in the operational and business side of publishing.
What’s next for Linda Martin and Night Parrot Press?
A Tale of Two Publishing Houses has given me the research and writing bug, and I have a couple of writing projects on the boil. I’m very excited to be a judge for this year’s Dorothy Hewett Award with UWA Publishing. I also continue to enjoy mentoring and teaching the next generation of writers through teaching, projects and general support. As for Night Parrot Press, 2026 is an exciting year with a new collection of flash fiction by Gillian O’Shaughnessy, novelettes by Karleah Olsen and Rashida Murphy, and the next issue of the little journal.
A Tale of Two Publishing Houses is available now from all good bookstores and online.
