Valerie Brandes’ Journey to Building Jacaranda Books, A Black-owned Publishing Firm

BLK Brit would like to formally recognise Sareeta Domingo, former Publishing Director at Jacaranda Books, who tragically passed away on 12th September 2025 after this interview took place. Please take a moment to read Jacaranda Book’s written tribute to Sareeta here. 

If I Don’t Have You by Sareeta Domingo

“I think Jacaranda [stands] as a beacon to this industry of how things can be done with excellence always as the standard.” – is what Valerie Brandes, CEO and Founder of Jacaranda Books, tells me as she reflects on what it means to her to lead a Black-owned publisher in Britain, a country where Black writers have historically faced exclusion in mainstream publishing. The journey to this point has been both turbulent and fruitful, and as Valerie walks me through, she notes how a journey of self-discovery forged her path to building Jacaranda Books.  

Valerie’s Childhood 

The second youngest of eleven children, Valerie was raised in a strict household in Hackney. Her mum ran an organised and disciplined home, which often meant not going out with friends. Valerie’s mum would tell her that she was going to do great things in the world. Academically Valerie did well in school. She had the opportunity to attend a top-performing secondary school but instead chose to go to the school her sisters went to, a decision she still stands firm by. She told me: “That academic drive that I had, it kind of got a little bit way-laid. Whilst I wasn’t going to parties and things like that because I wasn’t allowed, I just kind of fell off my academics. I wasn’t that keen on studying anymore. But I was always reading, fully in my books all the time, like reading books [for pleasure] though, not studying.” 

Leaving secondary school with two A-Levels and a lack of direction, Valerie secured a job in the civil service as a clerical assistant in the Economic and Social Research Council. But her mum’s voice still echoed that she was destined for more. At the age of 23, she chose to study American and Commonwealth Arts at the University of Exeter. Valerie became the second Black student to have been accepted to the course in twenty years. “I had this weird fascination with America. In the 80s, for somebody like me coming from Hackney with a very modest background, with 10 siblings, there was no connection to [America]. But I remember even when I used to think about books that interested me [as a younger reader] it was never English Literature; it was always American stories.” 

Her favourite American books as a younger reader, ranged from M.E Kerr’s Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack to James Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk. A Valerie of a kind started to evolve during her studies. A Valerie that loved to read, had a good mind, and the strong backing from a mother who believed she could accomplish anything. Her exchange year from Exeter was spent at the University of California Santa Cruz completing studies within the Department of the History of Consciousness – halls where the likes of Angela Davis and Akasha Gloria Hull, then known as Gloria T. Hull, taught. Studying contemporary literature, American literature, and the theory of filmmaking, this was a defining moment that made Valerie a student who began to think critically. 

 In California she also met her husband on her first day on campus. They later got married and had children, living in San Diego, California for nearly 20 years. Here, Valerie became part of the writing community and worked as a bookseller in Barnes and Nobles as her children grew up. Yet she still remained unsure on what she really wanted to do. She missed her mum and felt her children were missing out on growing up close to their grandmother too. Valerie and her family returned to the UK where she undertook the Masters in Publishing Studies at City University St George’s. The year was 2009 and during her studies she managed to land a job as an Office Manager at Profile Books. By now she was in her late forties and knew that job was not what she wanted to do long-term. She still aspired for more, despite how much she had accomplished already. 

Credit: Abi Oshodi

Establishing Jacaranda Books 

Valerie has never been one to be in spaces that do not welcome her and instead focused on building spaces. So one day, Valerie thought “I am going to start a publishing company.” The name ‘Jacaranda’ came from the jacaranda tree - a beautiful, purple flowery tree that exists in different time zones and temperate zones across the world. “When I thought about what to name my business, [Jacaranda] really resonated because I thought I want to have a global outlook and it’s a  tree grown in Africa, India, and the Americas,” she told me.  

 Jacaranda Books was officially founded in 2012. Describing the first eight years running Jacaranda books as beautiful, Valerie also wishes that she had paid more attention to the business side of things. Valerie had always loved books, reading, and editing but she had to master a new skill – running a business. Afterall, publishing books and having a business are two completely separate skills, and running Jacaranda Books meant doing both.Nevertheless the initial years were successful. Books were getting longlisted for major international prizes. This recognition gave her the courage to continue even during the hard times. “I was picking these books based on my literary acumen and some of these titles were getting listed for great book awards very early on.” Importantly, Valerie was creating a space for Black and Brown authors who were largely ignored in the mainstream publishing world, and Jacaranda Books was making a strong case for the quality and validity of Black writing that had for so long been overlooked. 

Confronting a Lack of Black Representation in Publishing 

The underrepresentation of Black literature in publishing in Britain has been long-standing. Valerie spoke of her disappointment that while some things have changed since the 70s and 80s in the UK, “the idea that until now we as Black people are still fighting for representation within the culture and still fighting to be seen and accepted is so frustrating.” 

“We are here and we have been here so it is frustrating that we still have to feel like we are forcing ourselves into spaces,” she adds. 

Jacaranda Books stands to change that narrative. It is vital for Valerie to feel that she can make space for authors. This goes beyond just authors, for Valerie it is also about creating opportunities for Black and people of colour to pursue careers in publishing. She spoke fondly of how during team meetings she is proud to be able to look around the room and see a team of eight or nine people that look like her yet have diverse experiences and backgrounds. 

Looking to the Future 

When Valerie first started Jacaranda Books she did not want to be in the spotlight, but as the team has grown she has learnt to embrace being more public facing. Having incredible people behind her, she told me, allows her to be the face of the publisher and represent Jacaranda in the business world. 

The goal is to continue expanding Jacaranda’s team and reach. At the start of 2025, Jacaranda Books opened up a rolling internship programme to encourage more young Black people to get experience in publishing. It now stands as a feeder for talent as Jacaranda offered jobs to all of their first four interns across editorial, marketing, and sales. Excitingly, Jacaranda US is also in the works.

I asked Valerie what her ultimate aim is for Jacaranda Books, and her response touched me. She expressed that she wants Jacaranda Books to continue being a safe space for authors and publishing professionals alike. A workplace where there is respect, kindness, and fun as well as being a publisher and bookseller that can continue to contribute heavily to the development of a critical mass of Black British literature.