Times Printers: “Every story deserves a beautiful beginning”

In the lead-up to the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards, Books+Publishing is inviting the event’s major sponsors to share little-known facts about their organisations, their top tips for booksellers and publishers, and their thoughts on the state of our industry. This week, Esther Kee, assistant general manager for sales and account servicing at Times Printers, writes on the organisation’s relationship with the Australian literary scene.

This segment is supported by the event sponsors. 

Every great story deserves a beautiful beginning, and at Times Printers, we know that this long precedes the moment a book reaches its readers. We are all about that moment ink meets paper.

So often that’s a moment we don’t see or think about – though as literary folk, we most certainly enjoy the romance of it (like the smell of a bookstore, filled with those pages as yet unread).

So it’s exciting for us to step out from behind the scenes, joining the ABIAs as a major sponsor this year, seeing Australian stories in the limelight, long after they cool down from the press.

This partnership is our way of celebrating the brilliant authors, creative illustrators, visionary publishers and dedicated booksellers – along with the many other unsung heroes behind the scenes – who together shape the vibrant heart of the Australian literary landscape.

An inky history

For more than 50 years, Times Printers has been found in the imprint pages of books as far-flung as the United States, the United Kingdom, various countries across Asia and, yes, Australia.

From our offices, we support these books to travel across the world – and to await their journeys, too – via a seamless, one-stop service.

In practice, these days, this looks like pre-press support, advanced offset and digital on-demand printing options, and integrated warehousing and fulfilment options.

Together with these stories, we wait behind the scenes, preparing words in many languages to reach readers near and far.

Writing a sustainable future

Part of our role in holding these stories is to think about the world we are sending them out into. Sustainability figures significantly into how we work as a printer, contemplating the materials we weave our stories out of, and how we distribute them to their destinations.

Our parent company, Fraser and Neave, has a target of net zero by 2040 for Scope 1 & 2 and by 2050 for Scope 3. This is a high-ambition strategy designed to meet the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Corporate Net-Zero Standards.

This is a long way of saying that we’re always thinking about sustainability. Our green initiatives focus on reducing environmental impact through sustainable materials, energy-efficient technology, and responsible waste management.

Key actions include using FSC- and PEFC-certified paper and eco-friendly inks, as well as upgrading machinery to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

When you’re enjoying that unique smell of a freshly minted book, then, you’re breathing in something a little healthier.

If you visit our facilities, there’s another sign of sustainability you’ll most likely encounter first. Our rooftop solar PV system generates renewable solar electricity mainly. This currently contributes to about 15% of our total electricity consumption and an annual GHG emissions reduction of 516 tCO2e.
We like to think about this when we’re reading by sunlight.

The Australian journey

So, we journey to Australia and the 2026 awards.

Our partnership with the ABIAs reflects a longstanding shared dedication to excellence in the Australian publishing and literacy landscape. This is a privilege we hold with immense pride and humility.

From the morning’s meditative sudoku to the culinary inspiration found in a glossy magazine – or the gripping novel that commands “just one more chapter” before sleep – there is a good chance these moments were crafted on our presses.

It is an honour to play a part in these daily rituals, and we look forward to nurturing this enduring bond with the Australian literary community, sustainably and with care.

The Australian Book Industry Awards are presented for achievements in bringing Australian books to readers. 

Books+Publishing is the Australian book industry’s number-one source for news, opinions, pre-publication reviews, jobs, and advertisements.

Category: ABIA sponsor spotlight