We are an award winning Indie Cornish publisher & specialist bookseller based in Penryn, Cornwall who are dedicated to showcasing the talent of Cornish Writers.
As an Indie publisher we endeavour to amplify voices in print that would otherwise be overlooked and unrepresented by the main publishing industry. We aim to highlight alternative perspectives and voices that contribute to the rich literary landscape of Cornwall and we support community based work that would be otherwise be overlooked.
Launched in 2020 by Dr Paul McCartney-Taylor, the press was set up to create publishing opportunities for Cornish writers. In the five years under Paul's guidance the press created five amazing books following the initial open call for submissions in 2021. These books successfully showcase the unique voices of Kath Morgan, Claire Dwyer, Polly Roberts, Robin Falvey, and Scott Jones. His final contribution to the collection of 'home-grown' books was to co-ordinate and publish the award winning short story anthology - Twelve Stories for Twelve Sections which was produced in collaboration with the Cornwall National Landscape organisation and featured the work of twelve renowned Cornish authors,
Paul stepped back from the press in 2025, handing over the reins to freelance writer- Sam Stone - whose first task was to amalgamate two of the largest Cornish writing communities - The Writers Collective and Cornwall Writers - as well as the Cornish Authors Bookshop into the press.
Alongside offering a traditional publishing service Hermitage Press now offers a no-nonsense, collaborative consultancy service dedicated to helping writers make their books the best they can be. So whether a writer is stuck in an editing slump, or is in need of a fresh pair of eyes to fine-tune your work for publication; someone to format your book for the printers, convert it to audio; a book cover design, our team can help. Our services range from standard editorial assessments and detailed line-edited reports to submission support and full mentoring packages, tailored to help you from any point in your writing journey.
So what next for the press?
Salt & Stone - our first collection of emotive short stories from Cornish Writers will be launched on May 16th, to coincide with our Cornish Indie Book Festival. Our next Adult fiction submission window also opens at the same time - so get polishing your fiction manuscript in readiness to pitch your heart out!
Cornish Indie Book Festival - our annual festival offers FREE workshops, talks and discussions relating to independent publishers and self publishing authors,
Running alongside our schedule of events is a vibrant book fayre which provides a platform for independent authors and publishers to showcase their talent, and for Cornish services such as printers, designers and illustrators to connect with writers.
Got questions?
Drop us a line via our contact form.
Thanks for visiting – now go forth and support the local legends in our bookshop…