Ultimo Press — About Us

About Us

Ultimo Press is an independent publisher established in 2020 with the simple ambition to become home to Australia’s best storytellers.

We are part of Hardie Grant Publishing.

Distinctive and discerning, we value quality above all else, and aspire to be known for our creativity and our commitment to our authors. We want to excite readers of general and literary fiction (especially the sweet spot in between), and discover non-fiction that inspires and ignites. Our hallmarks will be editorial excellence, arresting design, dynamic marketing and publicity, respect and loyalty to our authors, and publishing compelling new voices and original perspectives that reflect the full spectrum of Australian life.

Our ambition is serious, but with a brief to be vibrant and compelling; we want to be distinctive, a little bit different, to disrupt and to have fun.

Named for the Sydney suburb that houses Hardie Grant’s Sydney office, Ultimo references our home – an historic and colourful part of Sydney. The Italian translates roughly to ‘the latest’, and that will be our ambition: to provide a platform for the latest trends and newest voices.

The Team

Robert Watkins, Publishing Director

Publishing Director of Ultimo Press, Robert Watkins, has over 25 years experience in the Australian book industry having worked in book retail, sales, marketing, publicity, and publishing. His love for a good story well told has led to publishing some of Australia's most acclaimed contemporary authors including Shankari Chandran, Diana Reid, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Claire G. Coleman, Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Sulari Gentill, Victoria Hannan, Sarah Schmidt and Peter Polites, to name just a few. His particular passion is progressive, inclusive publishing that speaks to contemporary issues, whether that be in narrative non-fiction or literary and reading group fiction.

Brigid Mullane, Publisher

Brigid Mullane is a publisher at Ultimo Press. She previously worked at Hachette where she was the Managing Editor. Before that, she was Editor of literary journal Kill Your Darlings, Communications Manager at Writers Victoria, and she has also worked in a variety of roles at Melbourne Writers Festival, National Young Writers’ Festival, Emerging Writers’ Festival, the Sun Bookshop and the Brunswick Street Bookstore. Brigid is seeking narrative and literary non-fiction. She is interested in activism and politics, nature and science writing, pop culture and criticism, and memoir. She encourages LGBTQIA+ and own voices submissions across all topics.

Alisa Ahmed, Managing Editor

Alisa is the managing editor at Ultimo Press. She began her publishing career at a literary agency in London and has worked closely with authors writing across a variety genres and topics. She is passionate about championing new voices and strives to widen inclusivity in publishing. She also has experience in negotiating contracts and selling rights, and more recently, she worked in production at Scribe Publications. Alisa edits adult fiction and non-fiction and is proud to have worked with some of Australia's best contemporary writers.

Sophie Mayfield, Senior Editor

Sophie Mayfield is a senior editor at Ultimo Press. She recently worked at Hachette Australia where she edited across the children's and adult fiction and non-fiction lists, with a particular focus on children’s and literary fiction. Sophie has worked with award-winning authors Dr Michael Mohammed Ahmad, Natasha Lester and Jessica Townsend. She also previously worked as a production editor.

Andrea Johnson, Marketing Manager

Andrea is an experienced marketing, community and digital content specialist, having worked in roles spanning from book publishing to consumer advocacy. She joins Ultimo Press from HarperCollins Australia, where she was the Social and Digital Manager. Andrea delights in coming up with new ways to reach and connect with readers, and has supported a range of Australian authors on their publishing journeys such as Trent Dalton, Dervla McTiernan and Holly Ringland.

Zoë Victoria, Publicist

Zoë is the Media Officer at Ultimo Press. She is a dynamic content professional with experience across the media and non-profit communications sectors. She joins Ultimo Press from the Older Persons Advocacy Network, where she worked as Marketing Coordinator - Media and Content. Prior to that she worked for SBS, where she was involved in the administration of the 2021 SBS Emerging Writers' Competition. She also has over three years of experience working in public libraries. Zoë is passionate about championing the work of new and diverse writers, and making reading accessible for all.