About Purpose statement

At Canongate we believe in books. We know – because we’re readers – all the good that they can do. They create joy, open minds and foster empathy; a reading habit can reduce stress and improve wellbeing. We know – because we’re readers – that books can change lives: they changed ours (that’s why we’re publishers). So we publish authors we believe in, amplify voices that need to be heard and defend writers’ freedom to write without fear.

And as publishers we want to change lives not just with our books but with how we publish them. That means ensuring that Canongate staff are paid fairly, treated with respect, and well supported with benefits and training. It means working with suppliers who share our values and holding them to our high standards. It means being environmentally conscious in every decision we make. And it means working to improve our industry, making it fairer and more inclusive than we found it.

Being an independent publisher gives us the freedom to do work we care about. We’re here to make books and change lives, and we’re going to keep finding ways to do both better.