News

The future of Australian small press

With the pausing of the Small Press Network earlier this year, many saw it as a death knell for independent publishing. But with a new board, SPN looks set to again champion small press in 2025.

13 Dec 2024 9:00

George Dunford

Image of woman (Louise Swinn) at a lectern with signage behind her reading "Most Underrated Book of the Year SPN"

Writing and Publishing

Louise Swinn presenting the Most Underrated Book Award at the SPN conference. Image: Supplied.

In May 2024, the Small Press Network (SPN) announced that the organisation would pause operations for two months. The announcement shocked many it had been successfully representing the needs of small and independent publishers since 2006.

Former SPN General Manager Tim Coronel tells ArtsHub that SPN actually saw “a big membership boost during COVID” as many writers thought it would be a great time to start self-publishing.

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George Dunford

George Dunford was Director of Content at ArtsHub, Screenhub and GamesHub (2019-2022). He has also written for Meanjin, The Big Issue, Lonely Planet, The Good Food Guide and others. Long ago he co-founded Cardigan Press, a collective that published four volumes of short fiction. He has worked in digital leadership roles in the cultural sector for more than 10 years including at the National Library of Australia, National Museum of Australia and the Wheeler Centre. He was a mentor in the CEO Digital Mentorship program working with Back to Back and Desart. You can find him on LinkedIn and other scattered digital places.