Manchester University Press is the university press of the University of Manchester, England. It publishes academic books. The Press was founded in 1904, initially to publish academic research being undertaken at the Victoria University of Manchester. Manchester University Press has developed into an international publisher. It maintains its links with the University and is the third largest University Press in the United Kingdom after Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. Manchester University Press publishes textbooks for academic teaching in higher education. It produces around 140 new books and sells around 150,000 books annually. It also publishes 11 journals. Around half the output is exported. The Press was founded by Professor of History at Manchester University James Tait. His successor was also from the University's History department, and between them they were in charge fo rthe first 40 years of the Press' existence. Their presence is still felt; around one third of the books published today are on History. Other areas of expertise are Politics and International Law, Literature and Theatre Studies, and Visual Culture. In the United States of America MUP books are marketed and distributed by Palgrave, in Canada by the University of British Columbia Press, and in Australia by Footprint books. All other global territories are covered from Manchester itself. From the first all publishing functions had taken place in house; Editorial, Production, Marketing, Accounts and Distribution. However, in March 2006 the Accounts and Distribution function was outsourced to NBN International in Plymouth, allowing the business to expand. 2007 will see the largest throughput of new publishing in the Press' history with well over 150 new titles published, thanks in part to the Research Assesment Exercise, as well as the increased flexiblity of the new distribution arrangement.
