# Arthur Attwell - 12 Roseland Road, Rondebosch, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa - Email arthur@arthurattwell.com - Phone +27 83 647 9678 - Website [arthurattwell.com](https://arthurattwell.com) ## Summary Arthur has worked in publishing for over 25 years as an editor, publisher, designer, technologist, consultant, and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and managing director of [Electric Book Works](https://electricbookworks.com), an award-winning publishing studio. As a consultant, he specialises in publishing strategy and technology, and works with businesses and institutions around the world. He co-founded healthcare publisher [Bettercare](https://bettercare.co.za); children's book publisher [Book Dash](https://bookdash.org); and [Paperight](https://paperight.com), an award-winning initiative in distributed print-on-demand. He is the host of [How Books Are Made](https://howbooksaremade.com), a podcast about the art and science of making books. Arthur worked for multinational publishers in South Africa and England before starting EBW in 2006. He has presented at conferences and contributed to publishing resources around the world, including writing Encyclopaedia Britannica's ['ebook' entry](https://www.britannica.com/technology/e-book). He is a Shuttleworth Foundation alum. ## Experience ### Electric Book Works - Co-founder and Managing Director - May 2006 – Present (16 years) Electric Book Works ([electricbookworks.com](https://electricbookworks.com/)) is an award-winning publishing studio. We develop, design, and deliver print and digital books that create change. ### Bettercare - Co-founder, board member, former chairperson - Jun 2007 – Present (15 years) Bettercare ([bettercare.co.za](https://bettercare.co.za/)) provides open-access, self-learning textbooks for healthcare professionals in developing countries. ### Book Dash - Co-founder, board member, former chairperson - Apr 2014 – Present (8 years) Book Dash ([bookdash.org](https://bookdash.org/)) believes every child should own a hundred books by the age of five. We work with creative professionals to create high-quality, open children's books that anyone can freely translate, print, and distribute. Book Dash has distributed over two million free books to children. ### Paperight - Founder and Managing Director - Aug 2009 – Mar 2015 (5 years) Paperight ([paperight.com](https://paperight.com/)) was an award-winning initiative that provided a library of books for copy shops to print quickly and legally. ### Curious, Whetstone & Frankley - Co-Founder - Jan 2008 – Jan 2009 (1 year) Curious, Whetstone & Frankley was an art gallery in Cape Town dedicated to showcasing emerging artists. ### Pearson - Senior Publisher - Jul 2004 – Nov 2005 (1.5 years) Commissioned textbooks and related learning materials for high school learners and teachers. ### Oxford University Press, UK - Assistant Commissioning Editor, Economics - Jul 2003 – Jul 2004 (1 year) Assisted with commissioning and oversaw the production of OUP's scholarly Economics and Finance frontlists. ### Freelance - Consultant, writer and designer - Sep 2002 – Jun 2003 (10 months) Edited, designed, and co-wrote a book about HIV for children and a series of 18 case studies on small South African businesses for Tabeisa, a non-profit based in Coventry, UK. ### Oxford University Press South Africa - Commissioning Editor - Dec 1999 – Aug 2002 (2 years) Published higher-education books in health, social and natural sciences, humanities, tourism, education, and other areas. - Editor - Jan 1998 – Nov 1999 (2 years) Copy editing and project management in OUPSA's higher-education division. ### Amnesty International - Founder and chair, Amnesty International University of Cape Town branch - National Committee member, Amnesty International South Africa - 1995–1998 (4 years) ### Early casual employment - Publishing research, editing, and manuscript review - Bookseller, Exclusive Books, Claremont - 1995–2000 (5 years) ## Education ### Master of Arts, University of Cape Town - In Creative Writing (Poetry) - Feb 1998 – Dec 2000 - Awarded with distinction ### BA (Hons), University of Cape Town - Majored in English Literature and Latin - Feb 1994 – Dec 1997 - Awarded with distinction