Heyday Books is an independent nonprofit publisher based in Berkeley, California

Berkeley, California

Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...

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Heyday was founded by Malcolm Margolin in 1974 when he wrote, typeset, designed, and distributed The East Bay Out, a guide to the natural history of the hills and bayshore around Berkeley and Oakland. Heyday publishes around twenty-five books a year, founded two magazines—News from Native California and Bay Nature—and has been involved in public education programs in California.

In 2004 Heyday celebrated thirty years of publishing native California books. It also marked a great change for Heyday: they merged with their nonprofit wing, Clapperstick Institute, and became a full-fledged 501(c)(3) nonprofit enterprise.

Partnerships

From the start, Heyday has worked in partnership with many of California's leading cultural organizations. Heyday cofounded California Historical Society Press with the California Historical Society and together have published several distinguished books. Heyday also has produced books in conjunction with the California Council for the Humanities; the California State Library; the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley; the Oakland Museum of California; the Commonwealth Club of California; Santa Clara University; the California Academy of Sciences; the Japanese American National Museum; the Yosemite Association; and many others.

Working with the California Legacy Project at Santa Clara University, Heyday produces the California Legacy series, which serves to preserve and promote California's literary and cultural heritage. Heyday's books on the Inland Empire focus on the inland region of southern California, Heyday has since formed a partnership with the Inlandia Institute at the Riverside Public Library. Heyday's Great Valley Books imprint promotes wide appreciation of the diverse Central Valley. In 2008, Heyday began publishing books on Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada for Yosemite.

Bestselling Titles, 1999-2010

1. The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada by John Muir Laws
2. Journey to Topaz by Yoshiko Uchida
3. The Ohlone Way by Malcolm Margolin
4. The Harvest Gypsies by John Steinbeck
5. Sierra Birds by John Muir Laws
6. Only What We Could Carry edited by Lawson Inada
7. Humphrey the Wayward Whale by Callenbach and Christine Leefeldt
8. Stickeen by John Muir
9. The Way We Lived edited by Malcolm Margolin
10. Life in a California Mission by Jean Francois de la Perouse

California Indian Publishing Program

California Indian Publishing program celebrates Indian culture by publishing books on Native life; hosting Indian events; and helping provide reading material to community members who would not otherwise have access to quality Indian publications. Since 1987, Heyday has also published News from Native California, Heyday's quarterly magazine devoted to California’s indigenous people. Written and produced by California Indians and those close to the community, News provides an intimate portrait of traditional and contemporary tribal culture.

Events

Heyday sponsors over two hundred events annually; in the last couple of years eight of Heyday's books have launched or have accompanied museum exhibitions; and three of Heyday's books have served as the basis for PBS documentaries. Heyday also works to strengthen other organizations in California’s cultural infrastructure by offering talks, readings, workshops, presentations and displays all over the state. Heyday has held events in fourteen states and three countries.

Museum Exhibits

More than twenty books published by Heyday have been adapted into exhibits and museum shows that traveled to dozens of venues including the Oakland Museum of California, the Autry Museum, the Museum of California, and scores of smaller community museums.

Book Awards

• ALA Notable Book, American Library Association
• American Association for State and Local History Leadership in History Award
• American Book Award, Before Columbus Foundation
• PEN Beyond Margins Award
• California Book Awards, Commonwealth Club, Gold Medal
• California Collection Book, California Readers Association
• Choice Magazine Outstanding Academic Title
• Commonwealth Club Award, Silver Medal
• Foreword Book of the Year Award, Bronze Medal
• Journalism Award-Media Award, American Planning Association
• Kiriyama Prize Notable Book
• National Wildlife Federation's Communicator of the Year Award
• Northern California Independent Booksellers Association Award
• Pen Oakland Annual Josephine Booksellers Association Award
• Pen Oakland National Literary Award
• PubWest Book Design Award
• Rolling Stone Magazine Ralph J. Gleason Award
• William Carlos Williams Award, Academy of American Poets

Awards won by Malcolm Margolin, Publisher (sampling)

• American Book Award for Publishing/Editing, Before Columbus Foundation
• Award for Organizational Excellence, American Association of State and Local History
• California Council for the Promotion of History Award
• California Indian Heath Services Award
• Carey McWilliams Award for Lifetime Achievement, California Studies Association
• Cultural Freedom Award, Lannan Foundation
• Distinguished Service Award from the Society of Professional Journalists
• Fred Cody Award, Bay Area Book Reviewers Association
• Gerbode Fellowship
• Helen Crocker Russell Award for Community Leadership, San Francisco Foundation
• The Hubert Howe Bancroft Award, The Bancroft Library
• Martin Baumhoff Award for Achievement by the Society for California Archaeology
• The Oscar Lewis Award for Contributions to Western Society, Book Club of California
• Presidential Commendation, The Society for California Archaeology
• Publishing Award, California Horticultural Society
• Special recognition for leadership in the arts, California Arts Council