Natalie Williams

University of Wales Press

Natalie is Director of University of Wales Press (UWP), where she leads a mission-driven scholarly publisher with an international reach. Her role brings together strategic, commercial, and editorial leadership, with responsibility for ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Press while advancing its contribution to research, culture, and public engagement.

Since her appointment in 2017, Natalie has led a strategic development programme to strengthen UWP’s position in a rapidly changing publishing landscape. This has included launching a new non-fiction imprint, Calon Books, in 2022, which has grown quickly to 35 titles in print and was shortlisted for The Bookseller Start-Up of the Year in 2025. Publications have also received major recognition, including winning Wales Book of the Year (non-fiction) and being shortlisted for a Sky Arts Award. Alongside this, Natalie continues to focus on building a more commercially resilient and internationally engaged Press, while maintaining a clear commitment to its University Press and cultural mission.

A key part of this work has been improving financial sustainability. As a university press, UWP operates within a mixed funding model, and Natalie has successfully secured a 53% increase in external funding, stabilising UWP’s institutional subsidy while protecting revenue income from external shocks. In parallel, Natalie has led the team to strengthen its Open Access publishing, particularly in Wales Studies, ensuring that outputs remain accessible and relevant to both academic and public audiences.

Natalie brings significant governance and sector experience through her role as Chair of Publishing Wales, supporting collaboration and strategic development across the Welsh publishing sector. She is also co-founder and Director of the organisation. Natalie is on the Board of the Learned Society of Wales, Wales Studies Network and works closely with the University of Wales Press Advisory Board as Director of the organisation. These roles have deepened her understanding of effective governance, including the importance of balancing strategic oversight with constructive challenge, and of supporting organisations to operate with clarity, accountability, and purpose.

Natalie’s work is shaped by a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and cultural representation. UWP plays a distinctive role in supporting a minority language and culture, prioritising publishing that reflects a wide range of voices and perspectives. This includes the development of an Open Access portfolio in Wales Studies, launching the Race, Ethnicity: Wales and the World series, and supporting a growing body of LGBTQ+ publications. Natalie has demonstrable commitment to ensuring that publishing continues to expand access and representation, both within the UK and internationally.

Natalie is motivated to stand for election to the ALPSP Board in recognition of the organisation’s vital role in supporting the scholarly publishing community through a period of significant transformation. Natalie would bring a crucial university press

perspective to the Board, alongside experience of working within a smaller nation and language context, offering a distinctive and valuable viewpoint. Natalie is particularly interested in contributing to discussions around sustainable publishing models, Open Access, and the role of publishing in supporting culture and knowledge exchange.

More broadly, Natalie recognises this as an opportunity to contribute to a sector that she is deeply committed to, promising to bring strategic insight, collaborative working, and a willingness to offer thoughtful and constructive challenge in support of ALPSP’s continued development and impact.