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The Wordsmiths Story

Wordsmiths was established in 1998 as a small but dynamic partnership in the publishing sector. We have edited high-profile titles for major publishers such as Jonathan Ball, including Tony Leon’s autobiography On the Contrary, Mark Gevisser’s monumental biography of Thabo Mbeki The Dream Deferred, and Edward Griffiths’s chronicle of the Springbok rugby captaincy The Captains. Our own titles also cover various subject fields.

Among numerous conservation-related projects, we edited Jacana’s celebrated Discover the Magic eco-tourism series, and Trevor Carnaby’s Beat About the Bush. We helped develop Jacana’s guide to Ulusaba Game Reserve, and copy-edited their landmark 2008 publication Roberts Guide to Birds of the Kruger National Park.

rhino-stamp-artwork

Wordsmiths Nature is deeply committed to wildlife conservation. We support a highly effective rhino protection operation. For every wildlife Checklist sold we donate R 5-00 to help fund field work and the prosecution of poachers and rhino-horn agents.

The Plight of the Rhino

These are the wordsmiths

Owen Hendry

Publishing Director, author and editor

Owen is our senior partner. He has over thirty published titles as author and co-author. His expertise in research and information-presentation shapes the design and development of our new Checklist series.

Meg

Marketing Director

Meg is a dynamic, multi-talented force of nature. Her fashion-design business ARNASA and her therapeutic reflexology practice should be more than enough to keep any one person fully occupied. Should be, but are not. Her imagination and energy as Marketing Director drive the relationship with our retail partners.

Lisa

Photography and Graphics

Lisa is a fine art photographic specialist with a thriving newborn photography business in Atlanta, GA. All her photographic work is characterized by a simple, clean style with a strong emphasis on organic components – just perfect for Wordsmiths. Lisa’s imaginative sensitivity to the creative potential of natural light, in particular, gives a fresh vitality to familiar subjects. Her technical skill and eye for detail provide the foundation for our photography and graphics.

Michael

Photography

Michael is a professional wildlife photographer in the making. Many of his photographs appear on our checklist covers, display box banners and marketing posters. He returns to his beloved Kruger Park whenever he can to add to his growing wildlife portfolio while he completes high school in Atlanta, GA.

Noel
Noel

Design and Pre-press

Noel McShane is the real person behind our wonderful design partner fabalula. His expertise in both hardware and software covers every discipline in the print industry, from project planning through electronic origination and file creation, to litho and digital production. he applies his creative magic from his home in Nova Scotia to transform our lists of animals and birds into the colourful, engaging wildlife and travel companions that pop off the press at the end of the line.

John

Web design and management

John is the uncomplaining behind-the-scenes (great big diesel) engine whose tireless energy gives Wordsmiths a voice and a face. He embraces whatever he is involved in with enthusiasm. This, with his commitment to perfection and his irrepressible team spirit, are invaluable assets for Wordsmiths. Like all the members of the Wordsmiths team, he is dedicated to the protection of wildlife in South Africa and further afield, and plays an important role in our rhino-protection initiative.