An Aberystwyth author is launching a publishing house to create books by and for marginalised communities.

Margin to Margin Books (M2M Books) is the brainchild of author Gareth James, a former Cambrian News columnist eager to see more literature “not written for the mainstream”.

After speaking on a panel at a Marginalised Writers Takeover Day at Aberystwyth University this summer, Gareth was unconvinced about how things were going to change.

Having spent the event asking people why they wouldn’t set up a marginalised writers publishing house, he decided to do it himself.

The 59-year-old said: “I went up to publishers and asked what they do with regards to marginalised writers.

“There’s a big push for publishing marginalised writers but they publish stories by them written for mainstream audiences.

“This is a sensible business model, but there is clearly a gap regarding books for marginalised audiences rather than about them.

“There are exceptions to that rule but library shelves are still overwhelmingly filled and aimed at white, straight, middle-class men.

“The margins of race, gender, sexual orientation, and class greatly outweigh the mainstream with regards to population.

“Every child of difference has a day at school where a book waved about points to their difference rather than simply representing them, with great stories and diverse, relatable characters.

“I'm a black man and I'm yet to meet a black man or woman who has ever watched the film ‘12 Years A Slave’.

“It’s not for black people.

“It’s so traumatic, no one needs to explain to black people that racism is a terrible thing.

“People of colour don’t need books where the moral is that racism is wrong.

“Women don’t need men mansplaining what it’s like to be a woman in a book.

“What we want is relatable characters that have experienced what you have, with really good storytelling.”

After contemplating what to do following the closure of his bar next year, Irie’s Rum Bar, where he runs open mic nights, Gareth decided to take the leap.

M2M Books is opening for submissions from 14 November - 14 February, looking for literary fiction manuscripts, insightful non-fiction, children's books and poetry, to publish a minimum of five books by the end of September 2025.

He’ll be celebrating the submission launch with an open mic on 14 November at his bar, Irie’s Rum Bar, and will be publishing submission details on m2mbooks.com and social media.