People often ask me where I find the books I read. The answer is simple: indie publishers. When I first started posting about books on social media, my taste was heavily influenced by whatever book was ‘trending’ at the time. This often led to me feeling pretty disappointed in my reading material, as though I didn’t quite get something that everyone else was enjoying. Then, I discovered the world of small, independent publishers and finally found my people.
Below is a list of nine independent publishers with incredible back catalogues for you to sift through. I’m UK-based, as are most of my subscribers, so I’ve reflected that in this list to ensure the books are easy to source and as affordable as possible. As such, this list is by no means exhaustive. For example, I absolutely love the NYRB Classics, but they’re not readily available or affordable in the UK. Equally, I’d be amiss not to mention the wonderful Fly on the Wall Press who are publishing one of my short stories in an anthology later this year, but I worry about reeking of nepotism. I’ve also chosen to focus solely on fiction, simply to avoid the list spiraling wildly out of control. In short, this list is merely a scratch on the surface; a small scale A to Z (or A to V) to get you started on your indie/small press journey.
And Other Stories
Dubbed ‘inspired’ by Ali Smith and ‘publisher…of the decade’ by Max Porter, And Other Stories are going from strength to strength at the moment. They publish some cult classic British writers like Deborah Levy and Ann Quin, as well as bringing their readers a wealth of new translations from all over the world. They’re an ethical, not-for-profit organisation and do a lot of work for community groups and charities. As a socially conscious publisher, I’m really pleased that they are bringing out The Book of Disappearance by Ibtisam Azem (‘an unforgettable glimpse into contemporary Palestine’) later this year.
Cipher Press
Independent queer publisher Cipher Press aim to ‘amplify queer voices and to champion LGBTQIA+ writers in the UK and beyond.’ Responsible for the work of authors like Alison Rumfitt and Brontez Purnell, they’re constantly experimenting and pushing boundaries, bringing new and exciting ideas to their readers. I love the transcendental transness of H Gareth Gavin’s Never Was, and I’m really looking forward to reading Dryland by Sara Jaffe, which comes highly recommended.
Charco Press
There’s very little I can say about Charco Press which hasn’t been said already. They focus on ‘finding outstanding contemporary Latin American literature and bringing it to new readers in the English-speaking world.’ and they do it brilliantly. This year, they were shortlisted for the International Booker Prize with Selva Almada’s Not a River, and I can see them getting more recognition and acclaim as they grow. It’s hard for me to pick a favourite Charco title, but I’d have to go for Brickmakers, also by Selva Almada. I’ve worked my way through the vast majority of their output, but The Rooftop by Fernanda Trías is next on my list.
Daunt Books
There are two arms to Daunt Books Publishing: their reissues of lost classics from newly renowned authors like Celia Dale and Barbara Comyns, and their ‘originals’ -freshly published contemporary works. Their reissues have brought books like Lord Jim At Home by Dinah Brooke and Bear by Marian Engel to my attention, for which I will be forever grateful. From their original works, I love Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel, The Opposite of A Person by Lieke Marsman and everything by Elisa Shua Dusapin.
Dead Ink Books
For anyone not familiar with Dead Ink’s output, I’d point in the direction of Lucie McKnight Hardy, who’s short story collection Dead Relatives and novella Water Shall Refuse Them are among the books that made me fall in love with indie presses in the first place. Dead Ink are also responsible - or partially responsible - for a number of very cool imprints including New Ruins, a literary horror collaboration with Influx Press and the elusive Eden Book Society, which I’ll let you discover for yourself, because to explain it spoils the fun.
Influx Press
I am forever in debt to Influx for introducing me to the work of Joel Lane. Worthy of an entire post to himself (it’s already in the works), Lane was a master of the weird and eerie, whose work is finally gaining the attention it deserves after being reissued by Influx. They’ve published a great deal of his work and are continuing to do so, but a great starting point is The Witnesses Are Gone, a disquieting novella about a man who discovers a disturbing video tape and seeks out to find its director. Beyond Joel Lane, I’d recommend The Country Will Bring Us No Peace by Matthieu Simard and the recently published Supplication by Nour Abi-Nakhoul for a dose of darkness.
Lolli Editions
Lolli Editions ‘publish radical and formally innovative fiction that challenges existing ideas and breathes new life into the novel form.’ They primarily publish works from Scandanavia, but also from a plethora of other places. Particularly, I would recommend Strega by Johanne Lykke Holm for its narcotic, dreamlike quality and the work of Tine Høeg - both Memorial, 29 June and New Passengers are bleakly humorous meditations on the complexities of modern life. I’m very excited for the publication of A Leopard-Skin Hat by Anne Serre, which is coming out later this month.
Peninsula Press
Peninsula Press first came onto my radar with their reissues of Lynne Tillman, and I’ve been following them closely eve since. I love the experimental, original work they produce which defies genre or categorisation. This is best exemplified by two recent releases: The Hearing Test by Eliza Barry Callahan and Lovebug by by Daisy Lafarge. Both these works blend traditional genres and forms to create something new. In Callahan’s case, a kind of lyrical autofiction. In Lafarge’s, a heady blend of scientific essay, memoir and prose so beautiful it’s essentially poetry.
Verso Books
Last but by no means least, Verso are best known for their weighty backlist of left wing non-fiction, but also have an increasingly impressive fiction output. They’ve had a book on the International Booker longlist for the last two years, and are continuing to push boundaries - both geographical and literary. I would be amiss to mention Verso without extolling my love for Jenny Hval, and especially for her novel Paradise Rot, which still haunts both my softest dreams and darkest nightmares to this day. If Only, the latest work by by Vigdis Hjorth, is out in September and will definitely be near the top of my autumn TBR pile.