Publishers rarely become big news in Australia, university presses even less often. It was notable therefore that the departure in early 2019 of Melbourne University Publishing’s CEO, Louise Adler, and some members of the MUP board, became a matter on which so many of the nation’s political and cultural élite felt they needed to have an opinion. A strong coterie came out in her defence. This had much to do with Adler herself, who had courted their attention, published their books, and made MUP a story in its own right.

Adler also attracted opponents of her supposed turn to the commercial and popular. The critics saw seven-figure university subsidies were going in one end, with five and occasionally six-figure advances heading out the other, often on titles that they believed fell short in terms of either intellectual or commercial value. That said, Adler – on many criteria – had made a success of her role in the difficult times following the Global Financial Crisis. Kells, though not complimentary about Adler’s financial performance, remains broadly sympathetic. She had some triumphs in the early years, such as The Latham Diaries (2005), and several titles generated considerable media attention. MUP’s financial position also improved after some cost-cutting measures following a 2012 review. For all the criticism that suggested otherwise, Adler went on publishing work by academics.

The ‘walk-out’ – as Stuart Kells calls it in the title of a chapter in his centenary history of MUP – became an occasion for mutual insult, especially between journalists and academics. A few politicians-turned-authors – mainly unhampered by any understanding of academic publishing – also weighed in. The journalists and politicians did not hold back in alleging that prominent in the shadows were envious, resentful, out-of-touch inhabitants of the ivory tower. In academic circles, the phrase ‘airport trash’ was thrown around, alongside references to books by or about underworld identities, socialites, celebrities, politicians, and even the occasional politician’s spouse.