Folder Rules & General Discussion

[Areeb]

What all did you get? I am tempted to place an order myself.

[David]

I haven’t placed the order yet, but I have three books sitting in the checkout basket: A Land Like You, Seasons in Hippoland, and Hawa Hawa.

[Areeb]

Hawa Hawa is preorder no? I had my eye on that and Herbert.

[David]

Hawa Hawa is a preorder. Herbert looks delightful too. Since I am in the US, I would need to purchase Herbert through New Directions.

[WndyJW]

No thanks to the devil’s minions David and Areeb I have ordered A Land Like You and Seasons in Hippoland. That sale is really hard to resist.

[Areeb]

Hahaha, I will place my order tomorrow. I am getting Herbert; Cargo Hold of Stars: Coolitude; Come, Take a Gentle Stab; and Season of the Shadow (this I will buy separately as I want the hardcover and the Seagull site only has the paperback). I might also add An Infusion of Violets at the last moment, let's see.

[WndyJW]

Season of the Shadow sounds good, tragic, but good.

[Areeb]

I went back and ordered four more books from Seagull! It is a very irresistible sale. An Infusion of Violets by Nancy Naomi Carlson, As Long as Trees Take Root in Earth by Alain Mabanckou (tr. French, Nancy Naomi Carlson), Ever Since I Did Not Die by Ramy Al-Asheq (tr. Arabic, Isis Nusair), and Within the Sweet Noise of Life by Sandro Penna (tr. Italian, Alexander Booth). My overall purchases have definitely been poetry heavy.

[WndyJW]

I started A Land Like You and finally have an entire evening to myself to read. I like it very much so far.

[Marc]

Seagull Press has some fantastic cover designs!

[David]

How is it so far, Wendy?

[WndyJW]

Exactly the kind of novel I enjoy! Rich in culture, great characters, magic realism.

[David]

Last day for Seagull’s 50% off sale.

[Alwynne]

There are also a number of advance review copies of forthcoming Seagull titles on Edelweiss at the moment, on the US site.

[Louise]

What subscriptions are you getting for 2022?

I am sticking to my favorites:

Charco Press
Peirene Press
Nordisk Books
Fitzcarraldo Editions
NYRB Classics

I'm also continuing Fum d’Estampa Press although I have not had time to read any of their 2021 books but they all look so interesting and I really do plan to get to them at some point.

I am dropping Tilted Axis, and adding Hajar Press because I am a sucker for color coordinated books...

Share your subscription plans.

[WndyJW]

Happy holidays, Louise.

Galley Beggar
Fitzcarraldo
nyrb classics because I love them.
Two Lines
Open Letter because they’re US presses I want to support
RofC Book club because they pick exceptional books.

I love Peirene Press, but I have to preorder from Blackwells because the shipping is free, ordering from Peirene Press is too much.
Charco I could buy bundles because they have reasonable shipping, I should say reasonable for me, I wouldn’t blame them for raising the costs of shipping since prices for everything has gone up.

I’m not renewing Asymptote even though I like the books they choose, but they don’t let us know ahead of time what they’ll be sending.

[Paul]

For me:

RoC Book Club (my favourite)
Galley Beggar
Peirene
Les Fugitives
Charco Press
Fitzcarraldo (blue books)
Nordisk Books (who don't seem to actually produce that much)
Weatherglass

I may add Tilted Axis - their 2022 sub isn't available yet, I think because they published one less book that they expected in 2021 and so, to be fair to subscribers, are treating their first 2022 books as part of 2021 sub.

@Louise - why did you drop Tilted Axis?

Influx last year had a pre-order X books of your choice type of subscription (which I really like) - haven't seen them re-open that so far for 2022.

And I used to "subscribe" to Istros by pre-ordering every book - that won't be happening I'm afraid in 2022.

I probably should subscribe to some US presses. Two Lines 2022 line-up doesn't grab me as much as in some other years, Open Letter always look fascinating although 10 books is a bit much and some others simply don't post outside US/Canada. But those feel like excuses rather than reasons!

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

Charco and Galley Beggar only

[Louise]

Paul wrote: "@Louise - why did you drop Tilted Axis?."

I just don't seem to be as drawn to their books as I am to other presses. I have their entire collection so far and of those 26 books I have only read 5 so far and of those 5 there is only one I have really liked. Their epub subscription is not expensive so that is what I took for 2021 but I still haven't read any so I need to cut my losses at some point.

[Louise]

Paul wrote: "Nordisk Books (who don't seem to actually produce that much)."

Nordisk Books is a one man show that produces quality over quantity. An easy press to stay subscribed to because the books are far and few between. I gobble them up as soon as I get one and I have loved every one. Havoc is the only one I have not read because it's a tome and I have lost the desire (and focus?) for long books.

[Paul]

Yes and their subscription model is great as you get billed only when a new book comes out.

[Paul]

And thanks re Titled Axis. I dropped them as their subscriber offering wasn’t great (got a bit wound up by signed copies inn Waterstones and having to chase for my copy) but that was a few years back so wanted to check if there were still issues.I have ended up reading 3 of their books this year they did appeal so a subscription may make sense.

[David]

I may have overcommitted but here’s my lineup for 2022:

ROC
Open Letter
Fitzcarraldo blue
Peirene Press
Tilted Axis
Charco

May add Transit after February when the last of Fosse is released (I already have it from Fitzcarraldo).

There are others like New Directions, Two Lines, and Peepal Tree that I’ll track but they have too many books that just don’t match my interests.

[Paul]

Transit and N Directions are both ones that only do US subs so I tend to have the same 'track' approach

Peepal I don't think do subscriptions do they?

[David]

No they don’t, I was lumping them in with the presses I track.

[Paul]

Tracking wise, several others for me, such as And Other Stories (who do have subs but tend not to include the books I want), the various US presses, CB Editions, Tramp Press and others.

[WndyJW]

Weatherglass is another subscription I forgot to mention.

Does ND offer subscriptions? They publish a lot of books, so does Europa, so a subscription doesn’t make sense for me, I’d rather choose my own. I actually feel that way about nyrb, but they offered 50% off sub so I jumped.

If I’m honest I’m not thrilled with Two Lines choices, but I feel bad withdrawing support of a small publisher who I know hopes to depend on current subscribers for next year’s budget. I do like some of their titles and they really do treat subscribers well.

Dead Ink on the other hand…I supported Test Signal through a Kickstarter campaign. I never got my copy and have been emailing them since August and have yet to receive my copy.

[Paul]

Yes ND now do subscriptions.

[WndyJW]

Good to know, but I still would rather choose my own.

[WndyJW]

https://gallimaufrybookstudio.com/ind...

a couple of books from US indie presses read by US book bloggers.

[WndyJW]

Another duplicate. I received Body Kintsugi from Asymptote today. I have a subscription to Peirene.

[Stacia]

Here's a list/description of small presses in the UK.

https://contemporarysmallpress.com/press

[Alwynne]

Not a favourite press but recently read an ARC from The Unnamed Press who are the American publisher for Jessican Zhan Mei Yu's But the Girl which is shortlisted for a major award in Australia and getting a lot of positive reviews in the UK. I hadn't come across The Unnamed Press before, and don't think I've seen it mentioned here before? It's an indie publisher based in LA, and their list looks promising,

https://www.unnamedpress.com/books

[Paul]

Interesting news

Karen Sullivan, Publisher of Orenda Books, is delighted to announce that Christopher MacLehose will be leading Orenda’s first-ever imprint.

MacLehose, whose Mountain Leopard Press list was sold by Welbeck to Hachette in December 2022, will now publish Open Borders Press as an associate list of Orenda Books. Orenda and the new imprint have much in common, sharing a culture and approach, and MacLehose says that Open Borders Press is grateful to be able to take advantage of Orenda’s dynamic and responsive operation.

Having commissioned translations from thirty-seven languages during his years as a publisher, MacLehose will continue to look for authors of exceptional quality from all over the world.

The list will endeavour to match the success of the Harvill Press and MacLehose Press models in publishing the best literary fiction and non-fiction, much of it in translation, as well as crime fiction (exclusively in translation) written by outstanding storytellers. The quality of the translations and of every aspect of the design of the books will be paramount.

Koukla MacLehose, who founded the celebrated scouting agency that bore her name, will work with the Press.

The first title under the new imprint, Andrey Kurkov’s Our Daily War, a sequel to the international bestselling Diary of an Invasion – a deeply personal account of the continuing war in Ukraine – will be published in the summer.

Karen Sullivan says, ‘I have long admired Christopher, both for the energy and ingenuity he brings to the industry, but also for his unerring eye, his profound and purposeful support of literature in translation, and his uncanny ability to seek out literary gems. It is an honour and a joy to work closely with him, and his publishing vision for Open Borders Press very much reflects Orenda’s ethos and complements our output.

‘As we approach our tenth anniversary, it feels like the right time to embrace this opportunity, and we are looking forward to what is bound to be an indomitable partnership. OBP’s first published title, Andrey Kurkov’s Our Daily War, is a powerful, insightful and unexpectedly humorous book, and being involved in publishing Ukraine’s finest writer is an absolute privilege.’