Ian Randle

Ian Randle (born 7 July 1949) is a Jamaican publisher. He is the founder of an eponymous independent publishing company whose main focus is on English-language readers. He has won awards including the Prince Claus Award in 2012[1] and the 2019 Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for distinguished service to Caribbean letter.[2]

For the Australian rules footballer, see Ian Randle (footballer).

Ian Randle
Randle in 2019
Born (1949-07-07) 7 July 1949
Hanover Parish, Jamaica
NationalityJamaican
Alma materUniversity of the West Indies
OccupationPublisher
Known forFounder of Ian Randle Publishers
AwardsOrder of Distinction 2002
Prince Claus Award 2012
Honorary LLD degree, University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad, 2013
Bocas Henry Swanzy Award 2019

Life

Randle was born in Green Island, Hanover Parish on Jamaica in 1949, the eldest of his parents' three boys and two girls.[3] He studied for a Special Honours degree in history at the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, and later for an MSc in international politics at the University of Southampton UK on a Commonwealth scholarship. After his academic study he worked many years for British publishers until he set up his own firm, Ian Randle Publishers (IRP), in 1990.[4] This start made him the first English-language publisher of scholarly books in the Caribbean, publishing books on and about the region since 1991.[5][6] Later, his firm became a model for particularly the African book scene.[7][8][9]

Ian Randle Publishers

At first Randle focused on history and the social sciences, which allowed young academics to publish their findings locally. As a result, the region became less dependent on writers from the United Kingdom, the colonizer of Jamaica until 1962.[7][8][9] In later years Randle expanded the range of books to include biography, culture, cookery, and sports, while producing texts for undergraduate-level students and the upper levels of the Caribbean secondary school system. His list contains the most comprehensive offerings on the Regional Integration Movement and on the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). His published list contains over 350 printed titles and some electronic editions.

The direction of the firm is now in the hands of Randle's daughter Christine, while he himself has continued in fields such as marketing, public relations and consultancy.[7][8][9]

In 2000 Randle helped establish the Caribbean Publishers Network (CAPNET) and became its first president, serving for two two-year terms, during which he established links with the international publishing community and with publishers in Africa through the sister organization APNET. During this period Randle contributed regularly to the University of Denver Publishing Institute delivering the annual lecture on international publishing and presenting papers in a variety of international publishing and education fora.

Recognition

His pioneering work was recognized by the government of Jamaica when he was conferred with the Order of Distinction in 2002. In 2012 Randle was honoured with a Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands for his contribution to Caribbean intellectual property and for championing independent local publishing and self-representation in other post-colonial contexts.[7][10] Earlier that year, the Caribbean magazine Tallawah included him on the list of most influential Jamaicans.[11] In 2013, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree from the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus in Trinidad, for his contribution to Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean. In the same year, he received the Trailblazers Award from the Book Industry Association of Jamaica.[12]

In March 2019, Randle was announced as the recipient of the Bocas Henry Swanzy Award,[13][14][15] which was presented on 5 May 2019 at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Port of Spain, Trinidad.[16]

References
  1. Richard Johnson, "Randle gets int'l award", Jamaica Observer, 26 September 2012.
  2. "Bocas Henry Swanzy Award for Distinguished Service to Caribbean Letters", NGC Bocas Lit Fest.
  3. James Ferguson, "Ian Randle: the Accidental Publisher", Caribbean Beat, Issue 42 (March/April 2000).
  4. "Ian Randle tells of tough times in the publishing industry", Caribbean Book Blog, 19 september 2011.
  5. "About Ian Randle publishers", Ian Randle Publishers website.
  6. "BOOKS, BOOKS, AND MORE BOOKS! Ian Randle Publishers takes Jamaica to the world", Jamaica Global, 21 September 2018.
  7. Prince Claus Fund (June 2012), Report from the 2012 Prince Claus Awards Committee Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Ellington, Barbara (10 October 2005), "The Monday Interview: Ian Randle - 'Booking' date with destiny", Jamaica Gleaner.
  9. Campbell, Howard (18 September 2011) "Small company doing big things...", Jamaica Gleaner.
  10. "Jamaica Selected for Prince Claus Award", Jamaica Television, 3 October 2010.
  11. "Publisher Ian Randle to receive prestigious Dutch-based award", Tallawah magazine, 27 September 2012.
  12. "Local Publisher Signs Historic Agreement With University of Guyana", Jamaica Gleaner, 22 March 2017.
  13. Verdel Bishop, "Publisher wins award at Lit Fest launch", Trinidad & Tobago Sunday Express, 26 March 2019.
  14. "Honouring Ian Randle for his service to Caribbean literature", Bocas News, 1 April 2019.
  15. "Ian Randle Publishers to get literary service award", Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, 31 March 2019.
  16. "2019 Bocas Henry Swanzy Award", NGC Bocas Lit Fest, 5 May 2019.
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