Verso Books
 | |
| Parent company | New Left Review |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1970 (as New Left Books) |
| Headquarters location |
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| Distribution | Penguin Random House (U.S.) Marston Book Services (UK) Bloomsbury Publishing (Australia) |
| Publication types | Books |
| Official website | www |
Verso Books (formerly New Left Books) is a left-wing publishing house based in London and New York City, founded in 1970 by the staff of New Left Review.
Renaming, new brand and logo
Verso Books was originally known as New Left Books. The name "Verso" refers to the technical term for the left-hand page in a book (see recto and verso), and is a play on words regarding its political outlook and also reminds of the vice versa - "the other way around".
History and details
In 1970, Verso Books began as a paperbook imprint. It established itself as a publisher of nonfiction works on international politics, focusing on authors such as Tariq Ali. However, Verso Books has also published some fiction over the years as well.[1] The publisher gained early recognition for translations of books by European thinkers, especially those from the Frankfurt School. Verso Books' best-selling title is the autobiography of Rigoberta Menchú, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992.[2]
Verso Books titles are distributed in the United States by Random House.
The publishing house is known to host many events in the United States and Europe, focusing on radical politics and history.[3]
On April 8, 2014 Verso began bundling DRM-free e-books with print purchases made through its website. Verso's managing director Jacob Stevens stated that he expected the new offer on the Verso website to contribute £200,000 to the publisher's revenue in its first year helping to "shake up how publishers relate to their readership, and help to support independent publishing".[4]
In 2019, Verso Books launched its fiction imprint. The fiction editor, Cian McCourt, said, "We want to publish bold, intelligent writing that’s politically astute, but not dogmatic or charmless."[1]
By 2020, Verso Books had published over 1,800 titles.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Verso Books launches 'bold' fiction imprint | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ Verso Books, About Verso
- ^ "Verso". www.versobooks.com. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- ^ "E-book/print bundling venture from Verso". thebookseller.com.
- ^ Barron, Michael (3 July 2020). "Verso, Feminist Press Turn 50". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
External links
| International | |
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| National | |
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- Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom
- Book publishing companies based in New York (state)
- Political book publishing companies
- Publishing companies established in 1970
- 1970 establishments in New York (state)
- 1970 establishments in England
- American companies established in 1970
- Verso Books books
- Publishing company stubs