Salt Publishing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Salt Publishing is an independent publisher whose origins date back to 1990 when poet John Kinsella launched Salt Magazine in Western Australia. The journal rapidly developed an international reputation as a leading publisher of new poetry and poetics. Over the next decade, Kinsella, together with Tracy Ryan, went on to develop Folio(Salt), publishing and co-publishing books and chapbooks focused on a pluralist vision of contemporary poetry which extended across national boundaries and a wide range of poetic practices.

In 1999 John Kinsella, Clive Newman and Chris Hamilton-Emery formed a partnership to develop Salt Publishing. When Newman left in 2002 and the original partnership was dissolved, Jen Hamilton-Emery, a senior manager in the National Health Service, joined Chris Hamilton-Emery to take over the ownership of Salt, relaunching the business in the UK. Since that time Salt has rapidly expanded its size and the range of its publishing programme. In November 2004, Salt was incorporated in the UK and Linda Bennett (ex-Waterstone's) joined as a Director. In July 2005 John Skelton joined as a Director. In March 2007 Janna Rademacher (ex-Graywolf Press) joined as US Sales and Marketing Director.

Chris Hamilton-Emery was given an editor's award for excellence in literature in the 2006 American Book Awards.

In 2007 Salt was shortlisted for an innovation award in the inaugural UK Independent Publshing Awards.

From its offices in Great Wilbraham near Cambridge, Salt now publishes over 40 books a year, covering poetry, drama, fiction, biography, literary criticism and scholarly works by authors from the US, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Caribbean and mainland Europe. The press has developed several strands of poetry publishing some associated with the British Poetry Revival and the Language poets. A Native American writing series, Earthworks edited by Janet McAdams, began in 2005, winning the business the 2006 Publisher of the Year award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. A new series of short stories was launched in 2007, as was the Salt Companions series of author-specific companions.

The list includes a wide range of internationally-acclaimed authors, including works by a British poets Melanie Challenger, Ian Gregson, Tobias Hill, Jane Holland, John James (poet), Tony Lopez, Peter Robinson , John Wilkinson and Tamar Yoseloff. Landmark titles by American poets Charles Bernstein, Maxine Chernoff, Rachel Blau DuPlessis, Forrest Gander, Peter Gizzi, Diane Glancy, Michael Heller, Brian Henry, Paul Hoover, LeAnne Howe, Kimberley Blaeser, John Matthias, Carter Revard, Ron Silliman, Gerald Vizenor and Susan Wheeler. New work by prize-winning Australian authors Pam Brown, Jill Jones (poet), Kate Lilley, Peter Minter, Peter Rose (poet), Tom Shapcott and John Tranter are some other literary highlights.