As far as many local booksellers were concerned, last Christmas belonged only to one book, Jonathan Chamberlain's King Hui: The Man Who Owned All the Opium in Hong Kong. This biography of one of Hong Kong’s most historically pivotal individuals – and a wildly successful scumbag – was a surprise yuletide hit, helped along its way by a slew of favourable reviews.

However, what may be more surprising is the publisher behind this hit, independent Hong Kong company Blacksmith Books. Several years ago, the publishing company was merely a glint in the eye of London-born Pete Spurrier. Then Spurrier turned this idea into a start-up, and within a remarkably short period of time, Blacksmith Books had put itself on the map with an enticing array of Hong Kong- and Asia-centric titles, which found favour with the reading public.

The 35-year-old businessman, actor and writer is sanguine about the origins of what has turned into both a solid business and a life-affirming Hong Kong success story. “I started off in publishing by editing a local magazine, and did that for five years before the endless cycle of never-ending deadlines got to me. I reckoned that publishing books would allow for a more flexible schedule.”

Spurrier took an incremental approach; baby steps in the early days. “We kicked off with two very small local guidebooks – Hong Kong Cheap Eats and Adventures with Kids – which both did really well.”  

After these two early successes, Blacksmith Books felt confident enough to push the envelope; as Spurrier puts it: “The success of these two books emboldened us to try something bigger, so we produced Lorette Roberts’ Sketches of Soho, which has been so popular it’s been reprinted at least once every year since 2005. It spawned two similar books, Sketches of Stanley and Sketches of Sai Kung, which have done equally well. These were very expensive to produce, so carried quite a risk. But the gamble paid off.”

Blacksmith Books has also published a few fiction titles; Muhammad Cohen’s hilarious but insightful Handover yarn Hong Kong On Air, being the most recent example. But, as Spurrier explains, it’s Asian-related non-fiction that seems to interest readers the most, and that’s what the company is best at promoting. Indeed, so well-received was Blacksmith Books’ Whispers and Moans – “Our book about the local prostitution business” – that it was adapted into a film of the same name last year directed by Herman Yau (read Time Out’s interview with the director at timeout.com.hk/film/features).

“King Hui really made an impact, too, and sold so briskly that it made its production cost back in little more than a month of being on sale.”

That Blacksmith Books is a home-grown success is due to the convergence of a number of factors, and Spurrier is keen to give credit where it’s due: “We’re lucky that local bookshops are very willing to give space to Hong Kong-produced books and let us hold signings in their outlets. Also, the local print and broadcast media gives us a lot of attention.”

Then, with the ghost of a smile on his lips, he says: “Most importantly perhaps, there’s no shortage of decent manuscripts out there.”

www.blacksmithbooks.com

Nick Walker