Greencroft Books is a small publishing house based near Newport in Pembrokeshire. The business was established in 1975 by Dr Brian John, and since then he has published more than 30 titles under the Greencroft Books and Cilgwyn Publications imprints. For the most part the publications are aimed at the local book market, comprising residents and visitors to Pembrokeshire. Landscape, environment, social history, tourist guides, walking trails, geology and folklore figure prominently in the publications list. Most of the titles over the years have been written by Brian John, but he has also collaborated with a number of other authors and has commissioned others to write certain books on crafts, local history etc.

Brian undertakes most of the typesetting and design work himself, using Apple Mac computers and Appleworks software. He also does much of his own photography and illustrative work. He always seeks to place his printing work with local printers so long as their prices are competitive. Book print runs are generally 2,000, and Brian does his own distribution to the trade. Within Pembrokeshire this is just about feasible for a one man band......

Greencroft Books also undertakes contract publishing, and work has been undertaken for the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Menter Preseli, and the Norwegian Glacier Museum.

Brian John was born in Carmarthen in 1940 and brought up in Haverfordwest, where he attended the local Grammar School before going on the Jesus College Oxford for his BA, MA and D Phil degrees. He worked in the Antarctic in 1966-67 prior to taking up a post as Lecturer in Geography in Durham University. He remained there for 11 years before moving to Newport (Pembs) with his wife Inger and sons Stephen and Martin in order to set up the publishing business. He has specialised for many years in the landscapes of the polar regions, and has written many text books and research papers on ice and glaciers. In addition to writing for Greencroft Books, he still produces work for other publishers, for example the National Trail Guide to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path (Aurum/HMSO) and a new book of Preseli Hill Walks for Menter Preseli.

Brian is heavily involved in voluntary work in the community, and in 1980 he was instrumental in the founding of the Newport and Nevern Energy Group, which became the West Wales Energy Group and then the West Wales Eco Centre. He has recently retired as Chairman of Trustees at the Eco Centre, which now employs 17 staff.

When he is not writing or trying to save the planet, Brian is very much involved in his wife Inger’s candle-making business at the Pembrokeshire Candle Centre.

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