Tenth Anniversary Retrospective
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July 2025 marked the tenth anniversary of the founding of Extremis Publishing; a significant milestone that celebrates a decade of giving new ideas a voice. Since its inception in July 2015, we have been delivering high-quality non-fiction with a truly global reach, and the company has remained steadfast in its core mission: providing a bespoke platform for diverse and insightful perspectives that resonate far beyond the borders of Scotland.
During the five years between 2020 and 2025, Extremis Publishing matured from a local start-up into a multi-award-winning publishing house, distinguished by its innovative multi-channel strategies and a profound commitment to cultural preservation. The period between 2020 and 2025 saw the company’s reputation solidified through consistent recognition from awarding bodies. These accolades reflect the high standards maintained across the Extremis catalogue.
The Extremis Publishing catalogue proliferated during this five-year window. Adopting a philosophy of "slow tourism," we have championed travelogues that encourage readers to savour local heritage and scenery. The cornerstone of this category is the "Exploring" series by David M. Addison, featuring Exploring the NC500, Exploring the SWC300, and Exploring the Snow Roads. This was bolstered by the definitive Heart 200 guides, such as The Heart 200 Book and Secrets and Mysteries of the Heart 200 Route, and Neil Hallam’s increasingly popular The Robin Hood 500 Route. The portfolio has been further enriched by James R.A. Herriot’s globe-trotting The Sabbatical and Tweed Trail Challenge, an evocative journey along the River Tweed. Extremis has also served as a vocal proponent of Scottish identity. The works of noted archaeologist Dr Murray Cook, including Hidden Stirling, Bannockburn and Stirling Bridge, and Conflicts of the Forth (co-authored with Jim Roche), have unearthed the secret sites and bloody tapestries of the Forth Valley. Other landmark releases include the Stirling Legends anthology, The Bannock Burn, and the comprehensive historical study Scotland’s Christmas, which traces festive traditions in Scotland from prehistoric rituals through to modern customs. A major scholarly endeavour was completed during this period: Dr Tom Christie’s monumental four-volume history of 20th-century Christmas cinema. This project spans the festive film landscape across the decades: The Golden Age of Christmas Movies (1940s/50s), A Seriously Groovy Movie Christmas (1960s/70s), A Righteously Awesome Eighties Christmas (1980s), and A Totally Bodacious Nineties Christmas (1990s). Furthermore, we have celebrated the Digital Pioneer Spirit through works such as A Very Spectrum Christmas, honouring the legacy of British home computing. Extremis has also branched into pragmatic non-fiction designed for personal and professional advancement. Key titles include Fast-Track to Property Millions by Laurie Duncan, Alex Robertson, and Conar Tracey, and James R.A. Herriot’s Insights to Kitchen Design. In early 2025, the house published The Rev. Dr Alasdair Black’s The Courage to Speak, a compassionate exploration of contemporary social and faith-based issues. Embracing the digital age with a bespoke multi-channel approach, Extremis Publishing has moved beyond the printed page to engage audiences through a variety of sophisticated media formats. The Extremis Publishing Podcast reached a prolific milestone of over 80 episodes, offering a wide range of monthly interviews with experts. This was complemented by the Traditionally Speaking series, a cross-cultural festive programme co-hosted by Dr Tom Christie and American author Joe Moore. A strategic collaboration with the ethical streaming service Jeeni facilitated the release of narrated book excerpts and classic poetry readings. The annual Christmas video features became a cherished Extremis tradition, supported by a suite of professional book promo trailers on the company’s YouTube channel. July 2025 saw the successful launch of Extremis Etc., a bi-monthly Substack newsletter designed to cultivate a closer community of readers through behind-the-scenes insights. Extremis Publishing operates as an enthusiastic stakeholder in the Scottish cultural landscape, bridging the gap between commerce and community engagement. These included the delivery of the Writing for Publication lecture series at Forth Valley College to mentor and support emerging writers, and proactive fundraising for Start Up Stirling (including the "Footsteps for your Foodbank" challenge) as well as supporting the philanthropic efforts of Forthgiving. Membership in the Forth Valley Chamber of Commerce and strategic backing for Stirling’s UK City of Culture bid also underscored our commitment to the local community. The success of the past decade is a testament to a diverse and expert author base. The family of authors has proliferated to include varied experts such as respected anthropologist Professor Joy Hendry, veteran educationalist Gaye Manwaring, computing and digital culture pioneer Mel Croucher, property expert Laurie Duncan, and noted metal detectorist Alan Baxter (author of Making History). This recruitment of authoritative voices ensures the house remains at the vanguard of non-fiction publishing. As Extremis Publishing embarks upon its second decade, it remains dedicated to its founding principles while seeking new horizons for innovation. The company enters its next chapter with confidence, ready to inspire and inform a global audience for many years to come, as well as a willingness to work collaboratively and encourage those who are only just beginning their writing journey. 
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