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Lawrence & Gibson
Founded2005
Country of originNew Zealand
Headquarters locationWellington
Publication typesBooks (fiction)
Official websitewww.lawrenceandgibson.co.nz

Lawrence & Gibson is an independent publisher founded in Wellington, New Zealand in 2005.[1] The organisation functions as a non-profit worker collective where profits are split 50/50 between author and publisher.[1]

Their most notable releases are Richard Meros' On the condition and possibilities of Helen Clark taking me as Her Young Lover[2] (2005) and Brannavan Gnanalingam's Sprigs (2020). As of 2023, the collective is steered by Murdoch Stephens (co-founder), Brannavan Gnanalingam (2011) and Thomasin Sleigh, all of whom have released multiple titles with the collective.[3]

Notable authors

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Notable authors include Richard Meros,[4][5][2][6] William Dewey,[7] Brannavan Gnanalingam,[8] Thomasin Sleigh,[9] Murdoch Stephens, Alice Tawhai, Tīhema Baker, Rhydian Thomas,[10] and Sharon Lam.[11][12] The Dominion Post described it as one of the capital city's most promising independent publishers.[13]

Publications and awards

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In 2016, Gnanalingam's A Briefcase, Two Pies and a Penthouse, which was long-listed for novel of the year in New Zealand's Ockham Book Awards.[14] The following year, his novel Sodden Downstream was short-listed for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards novel of the year.[15]

Both of their 2017 novels—Milk Island and Sodden Downstream —received critical acclaim. Milk Island was judged as the fifth best book of 2017 by the Spinoff,[16] while Sodden Downstream was described by the same publication as 'surely the best local novel of 2017 by a long stretch. No other novel comes close to achieving such a close examination of life in New Zealand right now.'[17]

The 2019 release of Lonely Asian Woman by Sharon Lam marked the twenty-fifth publication from the collective.[11][12][18] The novel was long-listed for the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards novel of the year.[19]

In 2020, the publisher and founder of Lawrence & Gibson, Murdoch Stephens revealed himself as the author behind the Richard Meros novels.[20][21] Concurrently, the collective released a debut novel under Stephens' own name Rat King Landlord.[22][23]

Gnanalingam's sixth book with the collective, Sprigs, was released to widespread acclaim in 2020.[24][25][26] It was short-listed for the best fiction of the year and described by The Spinoff as "having that rare thing in a novel: impetus" .[27] The success of the novel led to Gnanalingam authoring a fortnightly column in the Sunday Star-Times.[28] Sprigs won the Ngaio Marsh Award for best work of crime fiction in the 2021 ceremony.[29]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lang, Sarah (2014) 'Uber Cool and has a social conscience' Capital Magazine April pp. 60-62
  2. ^ a b "Shortcuts". The Guardian. 21 June 2005. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  3. ^ Lawrence and Gibson website. "Contact us". Lawrence and Gibson homepage. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  4. ^ Dalgleish, Jodie (2011) 'Generation Xperimental' Landfall Review Online October http://www.landfallreview.com/2011/10/generation-xperimental.html?q=Lawrence+and+Gibson
  5. ^ Cohen, David (2008) 'Mystery Man' NZ Listener 9 August http://www.listener.co.nz/uncategorized/mystery-man/
  6. ^ Finnermore, Sam (2011) 'Privatising Parts by Richard Meros and Getting Under Sail by Brannavan Gnanalingam review' http://www.listener.co.nz/culture/books/privatising-parts-by-richard-meros-and-getting-under-sail-by-brannavan-gnanalingam-review/
  7. ^ Richards, Lily (2013) 'Life in a Day' NZ Listener 20 June
  8. ^ Dennerstein, Natasha (2014) 'Book review: You Should Have Come Here When You Were Not Here, by Brannavan Gnanalingam' 30 January.
  9. ^ Oliver, Angela (2014) 'Book Review, Ad Lib by Thomasin Sleigh' http://booksellersnz.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/book-review-ad-lib-by-thomasin-sleigh/
  10. ^ "The Poetics of Planned Obsolescence". Landfall. 31 October 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  11. ^ a b "Lonely Asian Woman: A hilarious, smart Kiwi book of our era". Stuff. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  12. ^ a b "'The smallest of things: a review of Sharon Lam's "Lonely Asian Woman"', by Shu-Ling Chua". The Lifted Brow. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
  13. ^ Burgess, Malcolm (2011) 'Small and Cheekily Formed' The Dominion Post, May 11.
  14. ^ Blundell, S. (2016) 'Longlist revealed for the 2017 Ockham Book Awards' NZ Listener, 22 November http://www.noted.co.nz/culture/books/longlist-revealed-for-the-2017-ockham-book-awards/
  15. ^ "Diana, Brannavan, and the others: announcing the 2018 Ockham national book awards shortlist". The Spinoff. 6 March 2018. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  16. ^ Barbon, Joseph (18 December 2017). "The fifth best book of 2017: Milk Island by Rhydian Thomas". The Spinoff. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  17. ^ "The best books of 2017: the 20 best novels". The Spinoff. 14 December 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Book review: Lonely Asian Woman". NZ Herald. 27 May 2019. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  19. ^ "The top 40 books in New Zealand of 2019, according to the experts". Stuff. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  20. ^ Stephens, Murdoch (14 July 2020). "Meros is dead. Long live Murdoch". The Spinoff. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Murdoch Stephens - a new book, under his real name!". RNZ. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  22. ^ Adams, Josie (16 August 2020). "My flatmate, the rat". The Spinoff. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  23. ^ "Books of the Week: Woke fiction". Newsroom. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  24. ^ Dean, Uther (30 July 2020). "Rugby, rape and the rest of us: Sprigs is a surefooted novel about heavy subjects". The Spinoff. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  25. ^ "Brannavan Gnanalingam: 'There are ways of being male without it coming at the expense of other people'". Stuff. 17 July 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  26. ^ "Brannavan Gnanalingam tackles toxic masculinity in new novel Sprigs". RNZ. 15 August 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  27. ^ Woulfe, Catherine (3 March 2021). "Ockham NZ Book Awards shortlist, 2021: the brutal cull, revealed – plus, our pick for the win". The Spinoff. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
  28. ^ "The dumbest thing I ever did". Stuff. 21 November 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
  29. ^ Neil (5 May 2022). "Author Interview: Ngaio Marsh winner Brannavan Gnanalingam". Library Blog. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
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