About Backroom Press
Backroom Press was founded by Pat Lowe, Susan Sickert and Joyce Hudson in 2006 to publish entertaining and educational books from the Kimberley region.
Pat Lowe
The three friends pooled funds and in September 2006 published our first two titles: ‘When Harry Went to India’ by Susan Sickert and Harry Watson, and ‘Jimmy and Pat Go to China’ by Pat Lowe. We then hastened to demonstrate that we were not just self-publishers, with our third title, ‘Looking for Bobby — a Broome Adventure’, a children’s book by then Broome resident Kerry Jordinson. This has proved to be our best seller, with its sequel, ‘Bobby’s Surprise’.
Susan Sickert
Our fourth title, ‘Making Things Come Good’ by Kim Doohan, was our first full-length book for adults. We received from the author an unmodified Ph.D. thesis, which Joyce and Pat compressed and edited into an accessible volume. Next came ‘The Art of Fire’ by Jimmy Pike. This has since been translated into Manyjilyjarra and adapted as an animated DVD for use by Aboriginal Rangers.
In 2009 we became incorporated as a Not-for-profit Association. We held a well-attended Inaugural General Meeting to recruit members, appoint a management committee and elect office bearers. We set up a new website and online sales outlet.
Joyce Hudson
We published ‘Sid and Skipper’ by Heather Charlton, another children’s book, in early 2012. Our main market is in Broome and the Kimberley, but we have received on-line orders from as far away as Holland, UK and USA.
Backroom Press has no paid employees — the Management Committee and active members are volunteers, who give generously of their time; we pay only for professional services.
The Management Committee meets monthly, We have broadened our role beyond the publication of books to become a partner in ‘Corrugated Lines — a Festival of Words’, since 2012.
Backroom Press runs occasional community workshops about writing and publishing.
