Bonus episode #5

The Garret interviews writers about the craft of writing. But the literary industry includes more than just writers - editors, publishers, self-publishers, critics and agents all play roles. Here we interview Michael Webster.

Michael has had a long and distinguished career in the Australian publishing industry, with roles as a publisher, academic, board member. He is a recipient of the George Robertson Award for services to the book industry.

Michael is the Chair of the Small Press Network and also serves on the board of Melbourne Writers Festival (where he was Chair between 2009 and 2017).

He previously served on the Foundation Committee that led to Melbourne becoming UNESCO’s second City of Literature. He was also a member of the literature board of the Australia Council in the 1980s, and the Chair of The Copyright Agency from 1999–2002, and an Adjunct Professor at RMIT University’s School of Media and Communication.

In 2000, Michael introduced Booktrack (now Nielsen Bookscan) and managed its integration into the Australian and New Zealand book trades, where it revolutionised the electronic data collection and analysis of sales.

About The Garret

The Garret is committed to accessibility and education. The transcript and interactive show notes of Michael’s interview are available at www.thegarretpodcast.com/michael-webster.