ChideStudyPress
MAINLY HISTORY
Australian – Chinese Australian and some fiction as well
Everyone wants history of their side but not everyone wants to be on the side of history.
(Apologies to Terry Pratchett).
Chinese-Australian history has always been a fascinating—if sometimes puzzling—part of Australia’s broader story, especially for many white Australians. As the Chinese community continues to grow and evolve in Australia, interest in this history is also on the rise. People are exploring it from all angles, from academic research to everyday curiosity. But like in many fields, the insights from scholars don’t always make their way smoothly into public conversations.
When it comes to popular or public understanding, Chinese-Australian history is still often framed around a few familiar themes: gold rush migrants, racial discrimination, and market gardeners. But there’s so much more to the story. Recent research sheds light on ongoing ties with villages in the Pearl River Delta, historical business networks linking Australia to Hong Kong and Shanghai, the contributions of Chinese-Australians to the Federation, and even how they’ve helped shape Australian identity itself.
The goal here is to share history in a way that connects both academic insight and everyday interest. Instead of simply adding another chronological story, Chinese-Australian history is explored from a variety of perspectives. The hope is that by looking at it from different angles, we can diminish mystery while illuminating history.
Are readers stupid? Publishers seem to think so with efforts to publish anything with footnotes or a close argument routinely refused. This leaves the so-called “academic” press which routinely refused anything outside the favourite theme of the month, not to mention high prices and firewalls.
ChideStudy Press aims to publish cheaply anything of interest without much regard for popularity. ChideStudy Press aims to fill a “niche of necessity.” Much of this history is buried in local archives, family stories, and bilingual records that traditional publishers often find “too difficult” or “too narrow” to market. This focus is on accessibility (low price) and depth (footnotes and close arguments), something the descendant community and serious researchers are looking for. History mainly, and Chinese Australian history as a speciality, but you are welcome to suggest anything!
Michael Williams founded ChideStudy Press so that he could publish what he wanted as he wanted. An author of several academic works, Michael was dissatisfied at their high prices and lack of reach. Hopefully ChideStudy Press will change this.
