Jamie Byng

Published: Nov. 1, 2023, 7 a.m.

Jamie Byng is the CEO and publisher of the independent publishing firm Canongate Books.\nWhen Canongate was on the verge of bankruptcy in 1994, Byng, then in his mid-20s, bought it with a business partner. His first move in overhauling the company's image was to establish the ultra-hip Payback and Rebel Inc. imprints, dedicated to championing cult authors. Over a series of years, the publisher became a radical underdog success story not only publishing wonderful books by Miranda July and The Mighty Boosh but also two books by an, at the time, little-known Senator in Barack Obama\u2014Dreams From My Father and The Audacity of Hope. Jamie continues to be a maverick and taste-maker in the industry, taking chances on bold titles and authors and navigating an industry with an ever-consolidating base of power.\n-------\nThank you to the sponsors that fuel our podcast and our team:\nManna Vitality\nhttps://mannavitality.com/\n-------\nSquarespace\xa0\nhttps://squarespace.com/tetra\n-------\nLMNT Electrolytes\xa0\nhttps://drinklmnt.com/tetra\xa0\n-------\nHouse of Macadamias\nhttps://www.houseofmacadamias.com/tetra