Testimonials — part two

‘Working with Scribe across three books has been an enormously rewarding experience. From the very beginning, they understood and supported what I was trying to achieve: sharing and preserving Melbourne’s heritage, and bringing those stories to a wider Australian audience. Having a publisher believe in those ideas and help bring them to life has been a real privilege.

Those three books have become an important part of my life and, in many ways, part of my legacy. They’ve had an extraordinary impact on my career and reputation, and I simply couldn’t have achieved what I have without Scribe. From Henry’s support and encouragement to the wonderful design and publicity teams, the entire process has always felt collaborative, seamless and genuinely positive.

Congratulations to Scribe on 50 remarkable years of publishing. It’s an incredible achievement, and I’m very proud to have played a small part in that history alongside so many diverse and talented authors.’

—Chris Macheras

‘Publishing my third novel with Scribe has been an affirming and exciting experience. Scribe staff genuinely care about their authors and the quality of the work they are publishing. I have felt held, heard, seen and understood, and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product. I’m very proud to be published alongside such a diverse array of talented writers. Long live Scribe!’

—Laura McPhee-Browne

‘The publication of Behind the Exclusive Brethren is one of the proudest moments of my professional life as a journalist. I didn't know it then, but it's helped thousands of people to understand the religion they were brought up in and why it treats them so badly. Without Scribe and an approach from Henry Rosenbloom, it may never have been written.’

—Michael Bachelard

‘I remember it like — well, not yesterday — but I was sitting in a board meeting with the Scribe team to discuss their offer to publish my first book. For some reason I thought I had to be really dangerous and cool! Haha. But I didn’t. And they published it anyway. They didn’t offer the most money, and the book barely broke even (actually, I think I’m still paying back the advance) but they cared about what they were doing — that was clear — and they believed in publishing as a force for good (good literature, good ideas) in a world that worships money. And it’s clearer now than ever that this country needs publishers like Scribe. I am immensely grateful for the care they have taken with my work. I want to grow old with them. Even older.’

—Miles Allinson

‘My experience with Scribe is almost two decades. So many helpful and kind people. Always the best feedback and never an argument. Henry is a fine man and excellent employer. Thanks Scribe.’

—Barry Heard

‘Congratulations to Scribe on its 50th anniversary milestone. I am honoured to have had three books published by Scribe, which helped launch my full-time career as a journalist and author. Scribe published two of my biographies — on Paul Keating and Robert Menzies — and Henry Rosenbloom’s expert editing, advice, and encouragement was invaluable. Cheers to the next 50 years!’

—Troy Bramston

‘I was a long time admirer of Scribe before I published books with them, and becoming a Scribe author was a dream come true. Both of my books have received incredible care from everyone there. I am proud to be part of their 50 year history of fiercely independent publishing, alongside so many authors I admire. Here's to many more years of brilliant Scribe books!’

—Luke Horton

‘When I decided to attempt my first book, Scribe was the first publisher I contacted — reading works by the likes of Jeff Sparrow, Patrick Mullins, and Rebecca Giggs, I knew it would be the ideal home for the kind of work I aspired to write.

Despite being unpublished and basically unknown, I pitched my plan to write a book about one of the most infamous men in modern Australian history — and to my relief and surprise Henry Rosenbloom and the team backed the idea, and gave me permission to take the leap.

On the day I received an email offering me my first book deal, I was in the National Library in Canberra trawling through the personal papers of a subject who died in the 1970s. A few hours after the email, I found a decades-old condolence letter from Henry in amongst those papers. It told me I was in the right hands, and spoke to the company’s deep history and commitment to the kinds of stories I wanted to explore and share.

Over two books Scribe has continued to be an ideal home, not only helping to bring my books to readers around the world — and transforming my writing practice and career along the way — but continuing to publish a community of ambitious and independent voices that I’m proud to join. I’m grateful to the entire team, past and present, for making me a small part of Scribe’s story.’

—Walter Marsh

‘Congratulations to Scribe Publications and its founder Henry Rosenbloom for 50 years publishing the best and most significant Australian and international fiction and nonfiction. Fifty years is a remarkable achievement for a small press, and one well recognised in Scribe’s numerous awards and nominations for the press itself and its authors. Scribe holds an incredibly important place in our publishing landscape in its determination to tell Australian stories, from original, landmark, and in-depth nonfiction to new voices in fiction that explore our fractured history and culture in unexpected and significant ways. Publishing with Scribe and working with the dedicated team behind it has been a delight, from commissioning to editing, artwork, and production, and one that I look forward to continuing.’

—Jenny Hocking

‘Publishing with Scribe has been incredibly rewarding. The team is so invested in every stage of the publishing process, and perhaps most importantly, the publishing experience for the author. Each book is treated less like a commodity and more like a creative collaboration.’

—Keely Jobe

‘It's no exaggeration to say that without Scribe I wouldn't be an author. At the start of my career, when I was just starting to find my voice, I was shortlisted for the Scribe prize for young writers, and gained invaluable advice and mentorship from experienced authors. Years later, when it came time to publish my own book, Scribe was there. Scribe is one of the few publishers in the country regularly putting out interesting, intelligent books. And I'll forever be grateful that my work is among them.’

—Michael Dulaney

‘I am sure that I am not alone in being grateful to Henry Rosenbloom, the founder and spirit of Scribe. His choice of publications, his meticulous skills as an editor, and his sensitive understanding of their intentions have given Scribe an outstanding body of work and multiple awards as a leading Australian publisher. I am among the many grateful Scribe authors thankful that he chose to help us reach our potential, rather than use his considerable skills in the production of work of his own.

Between 2008 and 2021 I published six books on resolving complex problems. When it came to writing my memoir I found it almost impossible to move on from academic language and provide a subjective account of my life. Henry Rosenbloom came to the rescue. He agreed to publish a highly flawed book and to take on the task of editing a muddled one. He called his work on my book an editorial odyssey. Most of all, he understood what I was trying to say and helped me say it. Moving to Scribe from my previous scientific publishers proved to be one of the best decisions of my professional life.

It is not surprising that, due to Henry’s role as publisher/editor, Scribe’s list holds so many influential, bestselling, and seminal publications. I am aware that his combination of a powerful mind and passion for detail have earned respect from everyone associated with Scribe. His deep affinity with human experience supported me while I tried to move from the academic to the personal. Most important of all was that, as in my own case, he was always sensitive to what Scribe authors were trying to say. He is on the record as saying that he looked for books that were different, could be the first book the author had written, and carried their own powerful message. Over the years, this has given Scribe its distinctive flavour and strong reputation. Many Scribe authors are hoping that Henry will meet these criteria in a work of his own.’

—Valerie A. Brown

‘I’m proud to be a Scribe author. I’ve been a direct beneficiary of its exemplary engagement with and nurturing of young and emerging writers, its laudable willingness to explore issues of historical and contemporary resonance, and its brave championing of Australian writing in all its forms. Scribe is everything a publisher should be — and more.’

—Patrick Mullins

‘Scribe has published nine of my novels, so there are a few truths to which I can attest. As a publisher, under Henry’s wise stewardship, Scribe nurtures its writers and gives us time and room to develop. To be the beneficiary of such loyalty is a rare privilege. Henry’s commitment has always been to excellence at every stage of a book’s progress. Every editor I have worked with at Scribe, including Henry, has been brilliant, and words can’t do justice to the genius of the design team. A Scribe book, apart from its other qualities, is a gorgeous object to hold and gaze upon. Scribe is a welcoming place to visit, and that is no small thing. It feels like family.’

—Robert Gott

‘Let me describe why I love Scribe Publications. It’s a long story.

After writing The Last Yakuza, and having a lawyer at the US publisher demand I go back and ask every yakuza I interviewed to sign a release form — a perilous and stupid idea — I decided I’d rather lose a pinkie than deal with an American publisher again.

So almost everything I’ve written since then was published first in France by Marchialy. Cyril, Clemence, and Julia are wonderful people to work with. And they are fearless.

Scribe Publications has now published, in English, everything that Marchialy has been putting out in French for the last decade. That means my entire body of work is finally accounted for on two continents. And they have published the most recent and updated versions of those works, including a chapter that I couldn’t publish because one yakuza boss asked me not to write it until after he died. He died; I wrote it. “For Whom The Chimes Toll”.

Scribe was very interested in publishing the sequel to Tokyo Vice, which is Tokyo Noir (Tokyo Detective in French). I wanted them to do it but I explained to Henry, the publisher, that the Tokyo Vice trilogy had a certain order, and I wanted The Last Yakuza published in English first. And when I explained my thoughts behind that, Henry agreed. He’s a man of his word.

I’m damn proud to be published by Scribe.

I should explain what that means to me. Marchialy is a house with taste. Taste is rarer in publishing than money. Scribe has the same quality. When I pick up a book with the Scribe logo on the spine, I don't have to audition it. Somebody already did the reading. That somebody has better judgment than I do. That's not a small thing in an industry that publishes roughly a thousand books a day, most of which are a fine way to lose an afternoon.

Case in point — Ahona Guha. Dr. Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist who works with both victims and perpetrators of abuse. A beat that would hollow out most people. Her first book, Reclaim: understanding complex trauma and those who abuse (2023), is exactly as clear-eyed as that job description suggests. Thanks to Scribe Publications helping me to attend a book festival Down Under, I got to meet Dr. Guha. She is charming and witty, and once you’ve met her, you hear her voice when you’re reading her books, even if they’re not the audiobook version.

It was her second, Life Skills for a Broken World(2024), that got me through last year, after my Zen master died. I had the sutras. I had the robes. What I didn't have was a way to stand up in the morning — it was a miserable November. Her book gave me that. I don't know how you thank a publisher for putting the right book in your hands at the right moment. So I'm doing it here.

Another of my favourite books in recent years — The Mountains Are High: a year of escape and discovery in rural China by Alec Ash, published by Scribe in 2024. Ash is a journalist and writer who lived in China from 2008 to 2022. He previously worked as a stringer for The Sunday Times and The Economist and has written for the New York Review of Books, The Atlantic, and others. The book follows his move from Beijing to rural Dali in Yunnan, where he lives among “reverse migrants” leaving the cities. Hey, I went to high school with River Town author Pete Hessler and that is a great book for its time. But after reading Ash’s book, I felt like I had been living in China myself. Wonderful book.

Now, about Henry Rosenbloom. Henry has personally edited my last four books. That's a bit like having the chairman of the airline show up to fly your plane. Reassuring, yes. Also terrifying. With a normal editor, if you disagree about a line, there's a chain of command. You can appeal. You can sulk. You can hint darkly about “talking to the publisher.” Henry is the publisher. There is no higher court. There is only Henry. Henry is usually right, which is not annoying but humbling. He's a fantastic editor. He has made every one of those four books better. He has done it while running the entire company. That suggests either superhuman stamina or a very well-hidden second Henry.

To be honest, Henry is a little intimidating because he’s almost always correct. Amy Plambeck, who has done the first round of edits on my last four books, and is my co-author on Code Blue(coming in February) also has tremendous respect for Henry. And she knows that when Henry sends us his notes, that I’m going to read them over with fear and trepidation and gently say, “Hey, Amy, can you take the first round of looking at the suggested edits and give me your advice?” Because like all authors, I’m in love with my own wording, but I know that if Henry and Amy agree something isn’t working, it’s definitely not working.

Scribe has also given me real input on cover art. I'm grateful in a way that requires context. The original Tokyo Vice cover featured a dead fish. I hated that fish and that cover. I still think about that fish, but it has provided me with years of jokes. Now, that fish cover has been put to rest. Every cover since — The Last Yakuza, The Devil Takes Bitcoin, Tokyo Noir, and Code Blue — we have had a real say on the cover. But most importantly, Henry has been there to ensure that the contents are worthy of your time.

Next time I'm in Australia, dinner's on me, Henry. Fish and chips?’

—Jake Adelstein