HKU Bulletin April 2010 (Vol. 11 No. 2)

38 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin 39 April 2010 The Press, he says, is becoming more representative of what Hong Kong, as a city, has been for many years, “which is a vital conduit for western interactions with China, and Chinese interactions with the west.” Colin Day, the Press’ previous publisher, helped establish it as a regional pan-Asian cultural studies and history centre. Duckworth believes in continuing that trend and exploring more provocative areas. A new series called ‘Queer Asia’ is one such major effort, which will be featured at the Shanghai Literary Festival this month. So too, has the ‘Trans- Asia Screen Cultures’ series “which explores an emerging pan-Asian cultural space in film, media and television - the way in which Korean TV dramas are influencing Chinese consumers, for example.” “We are able to publish what we think are meaningful, internationally credible works on taboo subjects, like Taiwan and Tibet. We benefit greatly from having this creative space in Hong Kong where such things are possible.” “So, the Press is a kind of safe zone for Taiwan, Mainland, North American and European academics to bring together important dialogue dealing with not just China, but Asia and east-west relations which is really distinctive.” “We do have a claim to say that we are the most influential scholarly publisher in Asia, publishing in English. The University’s strong and steady support is a key factor in what the Press has achieved in the last decade. The University continues to be the beacon of academic excellence in Hong Kong and in Asia, and we benefit greatly from that.” While the world’s university presses struggle under financial restraints, the HKU Press is enjoying a veritable renaissance thanks, in large part, to strong University backing and a grand vision for the future. Publisher Michael Duckworth says HKU Press has just enjoyed its best year ever with 63 new titles in 2009, steadily increasing sales, and the strategic creation of new staff positions. “We were a bit late getting into the electronic books arena,” he confesses. “But in a sense we have learned from everyone else’s trial and error, and now we have the momentum and commitment to make very good decisions and move very quickly.” This is due partly to HKU Libraries position, ahead of the curve in terms of digital publishing. “They’re a terrific partner for us in many different ways, and connected well with China,” says Duckworth. “Because our basic costs are covered through rising sales and University support and because our incredibly efficient staff is keeping us well ahead of budget we can afford to be visionary strategically, both with electronic publishing and with other experimentations that many peer presses cannot afford at this time. We have just released our first iPhone app, for instance, an audio version of our bilingual Handbook of Practical Medical Terms . If leading Mainland scholars want to get their books published in English, we ought to be the primary place to do that … and create a market for them in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and around the world in concert with copublishers and distribution partners in North America and Europe.” He views investment in China as a long-term strategy. “Unlike many of the commercial presses we are in there to identify the five to ten leading disciplines and programmes where we can help facilitate influential scholarly dialogues in many directions.” And he is extremely bullish on the Press’ influence. “It carries the name of HKU farther, in more disciplines, in more countries, than any other single unit of the University. And, more than that, we are not just an academic enterprise, in the commercial marketplace we are aggressively competing for intellectual shelf space and conversation space. We are one of the most competitive and influential units of the University.” In fact, he says, “The Press ought to be recognized as truly a crown jewel of the University.” For the first time ever, and for two years running, the Press has enjoyed sales of more than $5 million. This fiscal year ending June 30, it is expected to reach sales of more than $6 million - an unprecedented figure. “So we are moving in the right direction, and making important gains in terms of visibility,” he says. “But we still have a ways to go to become widely recognized as a world-class imprint.” People A JEWEL INTHE university’s crown HKU Press is expanding its reach and increasing its influence. The Press’ Publisher Michael Duckworth reveals its strategy for success.