Creative owned and led publishers, creating beautiful stories that plant seeds of wisdom
11th October 2021
After an 18-month incubation period, Reeta Dhar and Darren Pryce are excited to announce the launch of Wise As Stories, a hybrid publisher, distributor and bookseller.
The inspiration for Wise As Stories came at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020 when Reeta and Darren realised they shared a desire to 'create stories that they wish they'd grown up with - quirky ones that came with a side of wisdom. This came from reflecting on their own life experiences and has become the founding mission for their creative enterprise.
Co-founder and Managing Director Reeta Dhar said, "We grow up with so many narratives that set false expectations, hopes and dreams that we then spend our lives chasing. Inevitably we find ourselves disappointed. Imagine the change that would come from telling a different set of stories to children - ones that are grounded in age-old universal wisdom on life and living."
Co-founder and Creative Director Darren Pryce said, "Stories are a wonderful way to plant seeds of wisdom in young minds. We are starting with the very established and much loved medium of picture books as it offers so much scope for creativity and humour, so we can do this with a light touch."
Story making is at the heart of Wise As Stories with the hybrid model allowing them to stay intimately involved in the creation, production and distribution of their stories.
"We designed our business model based on research into the book industry, which is arguably one of the most 'disrupted' of our age. We are optimistic about the future of books but find that creatives get shortchanged by the powerful platforms and players in the industry. This holds true even in self-publishing. Our 'hybrid' model gives us the best chance to maximise the value that goes back to the writers and illustrators involved," Dhar said.
"The trend of the moment is to create platforms that commoditises creativity. What we forget is that no amount of templates and stock images can replace a bespoke creation by an artisan. As a society we need to recognise this and value original creativity - our cultural landscape will be richer for it", Pryce added.
Wise As Stories will be officially launching their debut picture book series, Willow the Wonderer, in mid October. Books can be purchase directly from Wise As Stories' online store and is also available exclusively on consignment and firm sale terms to 'brick and mortar' booksellers.
For more information, refer to the links below or contact Wise As Stories directly:
Wise As Stories' website
Willow the Wonderer Advanced Information Sheet
Research from Wise As Stories: A peek into the most disrupted industry of our modern age
Research from Wise As Stories: The myth of self-publishing on Amazon
Media enquiries:
Reeta Dhar
Wise As Stories
0405 447 362
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