Potton & Burton is a prominent and independent New Zealand publisher, with a diverse list of New Zealand non-fiction books, all produced with a strong commitment to quality and a collaborative relationship with authors.
Our books have always had a strong focus on natural history and the environment, and include the landmark New Zealand’s Native Trees, other seminal books such as Ghosts of Gondwana: The History of Life in New Zealand, Birdstories: A History of the Birds of New Zealand, Above the Treeline: A Nature Guide to Alpine New Zealand and Tamatea Dusky: The remarkable story of Fiordland’s Dusky Sound.
In the area of New Zealand culture some noteworthy books have included Edmund Hillary: A Biography, He Ringatoi O Ngā Tūpuna: Isaac Coates and his Māori portraits, Mauri Ora, After Dark: Walking into the nights of Aotearoa, as well as the poetry of Sam Hunt.
Outdoor recreation continues to be an important focus, and has included significant books in this genre such as Shelter from the Storm: The Story of New Zealand’s Backcountry Huts, Tramping: A New Zealand History, and The Great Unknown: Mountain Journeys in the Southern Alps.
An important offshoot of Potton & Burton’s publishing has been an interest in contemporary issues, with most prominent being the work of investigative writer Nicky Hager, including the highly controversial, bestselling books The Hollow Men, Dirty Politics and Hit & Run.
Over the last decade Potton & Burton has also developed a strong focus on good quality children’s books, which have included classics such as the bestselling Herbert the Brave Sea Dog, which has sold over 40,000 copies in New Zealand, the hugely successful Explore & Discover series, and a range of natural history books from illustrator and author Ned Barraud.
In 2019 the company shifted its distribution to Bateman Books in Auckland.
Potton & Burton is proudly independent, and actively values the freedom to publish books that inspire and matter, and to maintain a committed and hands-on involvement in every book that is published.
COMPANY HISTORY
Craig Potton Publishing was started in 1987 by photographer and conservationist Craig Potton, whose original motivation was to create a vehicle to publish high-quality photographic books.
In 1990 Robbie Burton joined Craig Potton Publishing as Managing Editor and Publisher, and now co-owns the company with Craig Potton. The company continues to publish a range of high-quality New Zealand books, maintains a strong backlist of New Zealand books, and also publishes around 20 calendars annually.
The company is based in Nelson, and changed its name to Potton & Burton in March 2015. Robbie Burton remains as Publisher and Managing Director.