The Book Depository: What/who do you see as your primary market?

Victoria Gilder: We publish books across an enormous variety of subjects, so our market is extremely broad. We are best known for our non-fiction, especially in the areas of politics, current affairs, history, music, health and wellbeing, but we also have growing fiction and children’s lists. We publish books under a range of imprints including Basic Books, PublicAffairs, Da Capo Press, Westview and Running Press. They range from popular to academic, so really there’s something for everyone!

BD: What are the principal challenges/opportunities you see at the moment in the business of publishing books?

VG: The Perseus Books Group is one of America’s largest independent publishers, and as such we have the freedom to publish in areas which might not be of interest to the larger conglomerates. Our size and structure also gives us the flexibility to publish quickly. As the UK arm of the company it is interesting to publish American books into the British market, as we fill a niche for subjects which aren’t always covered by British publishers, but which are obviously in demand.

BD: What brings you to the decision to publish a particular title/author?

VG: Innovation and editorial freedom are the real guiding principles when it comes to deciding who or what to publish.

BD: What books are you most proud of having published?

VG: Shadowplay: Clare Asquith's groundbreaking look at how Shakespeare secretly addressed the most profound political issues of his day and how his plays embody a hidden history of England. Will the Boat Sink the Water: the first English language version of an investigative expose which looks beneath the gloss of the new China to reveal the truth about daily life for the rural poor. Banned in China it sold ten million copies on the black market. The Republican War on Science: the bestselling book that exposed the American Right's agenda to put politics ahead of scientific truth. Johnny Cash: The Biography: based on interviews with the singer's family and friends, this book reveals fresh insights into his music and poignant details about his final days.

BD: What books are you working on right now?

VG: We have a really strong spring programme, so I’m working on lots at the moment, but some highlights are: Among the Righteous: Middle East expert Robert Satloff’s search to find a single Arab rescuer of Jews during the Holocaust. The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: world-renowned child psychiatrist Bruce Perry's groundbreaking new perspective on how stress and violence affect children’s brains, and how they can be helped to heal. I Am a Strange Loop: Douglas Hofstadter's long-awaited return to the themes of his groundbreaking book Godel, Escher, Bach. The Devil Came on Horseback: a powerful memoir from the heart of Darfur by a former American soldier who became a military observer for the African Union – the first extensive, on-the-ground account of the genocide in Sudan. He's a Rebel: a completely updated edition of the definitive Phil Spector biography, which traces the life of the record producer right up to his forthcoming murder trial. A MAD Don Martin: a 2-volume collection of the work of Don Martin, the most famous artist of the iconic magazine MAD.

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These are The Book Depository's favourite Perseus Books Group titles: