The Emma Press acquires non-fiction debut celebrating the craft of sewing from Aotearoa New Zealand author Maddie Ballard
The Emma Press is thrilled to announce the acquisition of Maddie Ballard’s non-fiction debut Bound: A Memoir of Making and Remaking, a sewing diary exploring love, shifting connections and self-care.
‘a quiet celebration of the value of craft in a digital age’
Structured as a series of sewing projects, in Ballard’s lyrical memoir each handmade garment charts the author’s navigation of changing relationships, careers and ambitions, and her shifting sense of self. Focusing on the practical comfort and pleasure provided by sewing in a time of uncertainty, Bound is a quiet celebration of the value of craft in a digital age.
Following the successes of Nina Mingya Powles’s Tiny Moons and Florentyna Leow’s How Kyoto Breaks Your Heart, Ballard’s sewing memoir marks the third title in The Emma Press’s series of essay collections.
Ballard’s proposal was one of two selected from 356 submissions of poetry and prose received in The Emma Press’s July 2022 open call.
Maddie Ballard says:
“I’m so thrilled to have had my submission chosen and am excited to bring this book to life! I’ve loved reading The Emma Press’s previous publications and can’t wait to work with them on this project.”
James Trevelyan, Director (maternity) of The Emma Press said:
“From the first reading of Maddie’s submission, the whole team were enthralled by the innovative presentation and startling lyricism of this book of essays. Celebrating the act of making and embracing the necessity of re-making, this collection speaks to what we can achieve through times of turbulence. We are incredibly excited for it to join our growing list of essays on ways of navigating the contemporary world.”
Bound: A Memoir of Making and Remaking will be published in October 2024. The Emma Press have acquired worldwide rights.
For further information or to request a review copy please contact:
Georgia Wall, Publishing Manager, The Emma Press
About Maddie Ballard
Maddie Ballard is a writer and editor of mixed Chinese heritage. Born in Syracuse, New York, she grew up in Aotearoa New Zealand, spent time living in Oxford and London, and now lives in Wellington. She works as a journalist, with a focus on food.
About The Emma Press
The Emma Press is an award-winning independent publishing house based in the Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham. It was founded in 2012 by Emma Dai’an Wright and is dedicated to producing beautiful, thought-provoking books for adults and children, and to making poetry accessible to everyone. The Emma Press publishes themed anthologies, illustrated chapbooks and children’s poetry and fiction, with a growing list of translations which includes titles from Latvia, Estonia, Indonesia, Spain and the Netherlands.
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