David Salariya

I was born in Dundee and trained at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, studying illustration and printmaking. I trained as an art teacher, and freelanced as an illustrator and book designer. I didn’t enter publishing through a clear route or job title.

In the 1980s I began originating children’s nonfiction, inventing formats, designing structures - then bringing in writers, illustrators and subject consultants as each project required. Through this work, I came to understand how books are conceived, commissioned, designed, produced and financed - because I was responsible for making them work.

In 1989 I founded The Salariya Book Company, starting small and building it into an independent children’s publisher with imprints including Book House, Scribblers and Scribo. Over time I created and designed more than fifty bestselling series, including You Wouldn’t Want To Be…  with books published worldwide in over 35 languages. I have received Times Educational Supplement awards, British Book Design awards, and in 2010 I was named IPG Children’s Publisher of the Year. Along the way, I also experimented with emerging formats - including early apps and augmented reality - to explore how storytelling, information and learning might work beyond the printed page.

Alongside new publishing projects, I worked on acquiring and publishing translated editions - and on bringing well-known children’s classics, including Jane Hissey’s Old Bear books, back into print - experiences that shaped my understanding of how publishing choices affect what stories are preserved, revived or lost.

In 2022 I sold my business, bringing one chapter to a close. I now focus on new creative projects, speaking in schools and colleges about how books are really made - not just written - and the many different roles and skills involved in publishing and the creative industries. I’m currently working on my first book for adults - a book about books -The Books That Changed Britain.

I’m particularly keen to speak to students who enjoy ideas, design, organising information, problem-solving or making things - including those who don’t see themselves as “authors”, but are curious about how creative work actually happens.