THE University of the West Indies (UWI) Press, the premier scholarly publishing house of the Caribbean, and Jamaica’s largest book retailer, Kingston Bookshop Limited, created history earlier this month when they signed off on an exclusive distribution deal.

The deal, signed on July 16, gives Kingston Bookshop the exclusive distribution right for all books published by UWI Press.

“This partnership is part of a new strategic initiative of the Press, where we are changing several distribution arrangements to better serve the global needs of our customers,” said Linda Speth, general manager of UWI Press, in a release to the Sunday Observer. “The Press’ new arrangements will make our books more competitive and accessible in the global marketplace.”

The bookshop, which has been in business for more than 30 years and with eight outlets across Jamaica, will begin distributing the UWI Press books on October 1, this year.

Steadman Fuller, CEO of Kingston Bookshop, said the UWI Press books are a welcome addition to their range of books from other publishing houses.