WESTMONT, IL—InterVarsity Press (IVP-USA) is pleased to announce that through an expanded partnership with Inter-Varsity Press (IVP-UK) and the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) it will soon be distributing a wealth of thoughtful Christian titles from the United Kingdom to readers throughout the United States and Canada.
Up until a few years ago IVP-USA’s books were represented in Europe by IVP-UK through its Partnership Distribution program. In October 2015, when IVP-UK came under the management of SPCK, IVP-USA also partnered with SPCK to make its stock of books available through Macmillan Distribution Limited (MDL) with SPCK offering sales representation to key accounts and local shops in the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. Now IVP-USA and SPCK will expand their partnership by having IVP-USA serve as the distributor of SPCK and IVP-UK titles throughout North America.
SPCK, the United Kingdom’s leading Christian publisher, has been around since 1698, making it the third oldest English publishing house still operating today. Over the centuries SPCK has distributed over thirty million books and has provided the means for translating the Book of Common Prayer into more than two hundred languages.
“SPCK is a company with a long and storied tradition of publishing quality books for the theological academy and the global church,” said Jeff Crosby, IVP-USA’s publisher, in announcing this new partnership. “The addition of the IVP-UK imprint to what SPCK has long published made our alliance for North American distribution a win-win proposition. I’m delighted to expand the partnership that was already in place for UK distribution of our titles and work even more closely with Sam Richardson, Alexandra McDonald, Steve Mitchell, and their entire team in London. We look forward to a fruitful and profitable relationship as we bring their titles to market here in the United States and Canada.”
Alexandra McDonald, commercial director for SPCK and IVP-UK, said, “SPCK and IVP-UK are thrilled to be partnering with IVP-USA to distribute its range of books in the United States. We feel an affinity with IVP-USA across our lists of books which allows us to create a new partnership to complement our range of titles and roster of authors and enable our books to reach new readers.”
Titles that will now be readily available to North American readers include the following:
- Creation, Power & Truth by N.T. Wright
- A Celtic Liturgy by Pat Robson
- A trilogy of classics in spirituality and spiritual formation, which includes The Living Flame of Love by John of the Cross, Introduction to the Devout Life by Francis de Sales, and Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich
- Places of Pilgrimage by Ian Scott Massie
- Come, Lord Jesus by Stephen Motyer
- Aidan, Bede, Cuthbert: Three Inspirational Saints by David Adam
- But is it True: Honest Responses to 10 Popular Objections to the Christian Faith by Michael Ots
“I have long admired the unique perspectives of SPCK and IVP-UK books,” said Justin Paul Lawrence, director of sales at IVP-USA. “Both lines mesh naturally with many of the key areas in which we already publish. I am excited to be able to connect North American readers even more to writers like Tom Wright, Tim Chester, Miranda Threlfall-Holmes, and Michael Reeves. Given that InterVarsity Christian Fellowship was originally a British import, this partnership makes a lot of sense and will hopefully be profitable for both presses.”
IVP-USA and IVP-UK both have their roots in the International Fellowship for Evangelical Students, known as InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the United States and the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship in the United Kingdom. They have historically been linked as the primary publishers in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively, for authors like John Stott and series such as the New Studies in Biblical Theology and the Bible Speaks Today.
“The long-standing friendship between IVP-UK and IVP-USA has grown and deepened as we both continue our work of publishing books full of biblical truth, wisdom, and encouragement,” said Steve Mitchell, publisher for IVP-UK. “We base our vision and mission on the foundation of Scripture, and we look forward to this new chapter in our shared story which will allow us to offer to the church in the USA and Canada an even broader selection of IVP-UK titles.”
Founded in 1947 as an extension of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, InterVarsity Press serves those in the university, the church and the world by publishing thoughtful Christian books that equip and encourage people to follow Jesus as Savior and Lord in all of life. For more information, visit ivpress.com.
Contact: Krista Clayton | 630.734.4013 | kclayton@ivpress.com
