Meet Frankfurt first-timer Ginny Grant of Bakers Lane Books
Ginny Grant launched independent publisher Bakers Lane Books in 2025 with a commitment to “platforming bold, inclusive storytelling”. Ahead of her first visit to Frankfurt, she tells us about her list, why she started an independent and the $10,000 investment that paid off.
You’ve worked in several Australian publishing houses. How has your experience in those inspired/provoked your move to become an independent publisher?
I’m fortunate to have had an editorial career that has spanned more than 20 years, working in a broad range of contexts including adults’ and children’s books in both the Australian and US markets. I’ve worked in small family-owned publishing houses through to some of the largest global publishers, such as Random House and Hachette. After so many different opportunities, I had a desire to challenge myself by working independently and discovering the full publishing process from manuscript to store. In the 18 months since I set up Bakers Lane, I’ve learned a tremendous amount and it’s been a very rewarding experience on a personal level.
Bakers Lane Books launched with a significant ($10,000 advance) prize. That’s a bold move for a new independent publisher – was it a big leap of faith? How did you fund the prize given you hadn’t been operating as a business?
I knew early on that it would be important for Bakers Lane to announce itself in a meaningful way. I wanted to attract new, under-represented voices to the list. From my experience at bigger publishers, I felt confident that the writing talent in this country is strong and therefore made the commitment to not only award the prize but to publish the winner. Teaming up with previous Stella Prize–winning author Emily Bitto was an important consideration, adding an esteemed writer’s perspective to the judging. Thankfully, we were inundated with diverse and high-quality entries and as a result, directly and indirectly, I have acquired four titles for the Bakers Lane list (Violet Town, Swimming Backwards, Alice Comes Home and the winner, Everything Grows Towards the Muted Light). The Fearless Prize was always going to be an investment for the long-term success of the business, more of a heart-over-head decision funded by our savings.
You’ve acquired a range of titles since launching last year. What would you say these have in common? What makes something a Bakers Lane book?
To date, I have acquired 11 titles: nine of which are fiction and two nonfiction. These are primarily written by first-time or emerging authors, who would likely have not found a publishing home otherwise. I feel passionately about building these authors’ careers and bringing their stories to the world. I am deeply committed to publishing high-quality books with a distinctive voice. I am particularly proud of the five children’s and young adult books which I am publishing over the next year. Each of the authors of these titles has great talent and I hope they will enjoy long careers in the field.
Outside of titles from Bakers Lane Books, what Australian titles or trends have excited you recently?
There are so many amazing books being published in Australia right now! I’ll confess it’s difficult to keep up with all the reading there is to do, with Bakers Lane submissions taking up a lot of my time. My TBR list is rather huge! I’m currently reading neurodivergent children’s author Kate Foster’s verse novel A River I Must Be; next on my list are Gather Up Your World in One Long Breath by S Shakthidharan and The World Beneath Her Feet by Holly Ringland. I am pleased to see verse novels having their moment in the sun and have just acquired one for the Bakers Lane list: Flying Hearts by Rico Craig.
Anything else you’d like to share?
It’s so exciting to experience the Frankfurt Book Fair – my first book fair – and I’m looking forward to representing Bakers Lane to a global audience.
Bakers Lane Books is one of the publishers on the Australian Collective Stand at Frankfurt in 2026. Meet the Australian publishers sharing the stand here.
Category: Think Australian profile
