The Year in Fine Press 2024

A rolling roster of fine press releases for 2024. The lists are alphabetical by press and title. The Released list includes books actually released in 2024. The Forthcoming list includes those which are announced or available for pre-order in 2024.

Released

Areté Editions
· The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Arion Press
· Pooh
Conversation Tree Press
· Peter Pan
Corvus Works
· A Type Specimen: Schneidler Mediaeval
Fine Press Poetry
· Birds & Flowers
Fleece Press
· All Around the Block
Foolscap Press
· Thomas Paine
Gaspereau Press
· Stilt Jack
Heavy Duty Press
· Understanding This Book
Incline Press
· Baskerville's PREFACE
· Singing Aloud
No Reply Press
· Death
· The Death of Ivan Ilyich
· The Story of an Hour
Plain Wrapper Press Redux
· Uncle Umberto’s Orchard
Reading Room Press
· Ha'nacker Mill
St Brigid Press
· In Spring ~ Emily Dickinson
· The Work of Thinking: The Value of Uncertainty
St James Park Press
· Animal Farm
Suntup Editions
· The Amityville Horror
· Boy’s Life
· The Godfather
· The Last Unicorn
· Life of Pi
· The Yellow Wall-Paper
Sutton Hoo Press
· Ecclesiastes
Thornwillow Press
· The Gift of the Magi
· Ulysses
· Winterreise
TOC Berlin
· Everything Is Illuminated

Forthcoming

Amaranthine Books
· 2001: A Space Odyssey
· Catch-22
Ampersand Book Studio
· Master and Commander
Angel Bomb
· The Things
Areté Editions
· Frozen Hell
Arion Press
· Aesop’s Fables
· Kindred
Ascensius Press
· Areopagitica
Barbarian Press
· Bordering on the Sublime
· Pastoral Elegies
Consensus Press
· Sinuhe †
Conversation Tree Press
· Flowers for Algernon
· Foundation
· The House on the Borderland & Others
· Treasure Island
Cordes Press
· The Bamboo Cutter and The Princess Moonlight
Corvus Works
· Certain of Ovid’s Elegies
· Duncan Glen: poet, typographer, publisher and educationalist
Curious King
· Before They Are Hanged
· The Fifth Season
· Hyperion
Factotum Pers
· Dickninge
First Bite Press
· Victoria: A Bedside Table Tale
Gaspereau Press
· Sorts Bountiful
Hand & Eye
· The Woman in White
Heavenly Monkey
· The Dunwich Horror
Lyra’s Classics
· The Wizard of Oz
Nawakum
· A Bonsai-Shaped Mind & Postures of the Heart
Nomad Letterpress
· Moving
No Reply Press
· The Ethics of Ambiguity
· The Tell-Tale Heart
· The Waste Land
· Words / Palabras
Old School Press
· Plates for a Herbal
Prelo Prints
· The Lyfe of Saynt Margarete
Reading Room Press
· A Parliament of Owls
Salvage Press
· Carbon
St James Park Press
· The Beauty of Byrne
Suntup Editions
· Born of Man and Woman
· Good and Joyful Things
· Hell House
· Rebecca
· Winterset Hollow
· (to-be-announced May 2024 title)
· (to-be-announced June 2024 title)
Thornwillow Press
· Charlotte's Web
· A Journalist at War
· The Red One
· The Infamous Bengal Ming
Tudor Black Press
· James Guthrie & The Pear Tree Press
· Prometheus the Firegiver
Two Ponds Press
· CAKE
· Gold Trees

† private issue book not for general public sale

Ha, wow, I dropped the ball here! Starting to fill in the list now, please send further entries, thanks!

Looks like The Wizard of Oz from Lyra’s Classics line sometime this spring, based on recent facebook posts.

Areté's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button should also be out by summer.

Suntup Godfather numbered edition is in the process of shipping now.

Amaranthine Books

- Catch-22 (shipping later this year)

Thornwillow Press

- Ulysses (remaining versions)

Tudor Black Press

- James Guthrie & The Pear Tree Press

Jessica Traynor’s ‘Carbon’ from The Salvage Press is another one due out this year, plus two Chestnut Press editions (one being co-published with No Reply Press)

Sorry to nitpick, but the 2023 listed stated 'The list is alphabetical by press and title, and includes only books actually released in 2023, not those announced or available for pre-order in the year'. I hope all the titles you list above will be released this year but at the moment it's purely conjecture, and we're mixing preorders with actual releases.

Thanks everyone for the updates, I'll get the list revised soon.

>8 Levin40: Yes, I thought about that. I was thinking of putting "coming in 2024" titles in italics instead, but would it be better to do it like 2023 and only put those actually released? I want this to be a useful resource, so whichever approach is preferred is the one I'll take.

An artist's book from the Heavy Duty Press, "Understanding This Book" was completed in 2023 but made available in 2024. It is difficult to summarize. Multiple sizes of handset Franklin Gothic Vandercook-printed on various Hahnemuhle papers in an edition of 18. Michael Koppa, the printer and proprietor of Heavy Duty Press, has a detailed description of the origins of the project on his website: https://heavydutypress.com/understanding-this-book/

>10 DenimDan: Wild! Definitely one for the list, thanks.

Then there is also Peter Pan by Conversation Tree Press (officially a 2023 publication but only finished early this year), and Curious King's The Fifth Season, which should be shipping out in April-May.

Foolscap is releasing their 'Thomas Paine'

First Bite Press, a CODEX discovery and whose first book I hope to review soon on TWBE, will be releasing Victoria: a Bedside Table Tale in the fall of 2024

>14 jveezer: Interesting stuff. Was The Canon of Aphrodisia and the related chapbooks published last year? If so, I'll add them to that list as well.

>10 DenimDan: Captivating stuff. Thanks for pointing to it. Do you already something from the press?

>15 Shadekeep: Yes! Her first book, The Canon of Aphrodisia was published last(this?) year. i didn't pay enough attention to the title page to notice the pub date. She had copies at CODEX and has been fulfilling orders and binding deluxes in batches.

>17 jveezer: Groovy, thanks! I'll get it added to the 2023 list.

The set is dang tempting, let us know when your review is up, I may plump for it myself.

>18 Shadekeep: I know. I'm definitely in for the on-going chapbook series. I REALLY want those books too...

>16 SebRinelli: I have a few of his books. A slightly more traditional one is "Typesetting on a Winter's Afternoon," which reprints a story originally published in "Parenthesis" 3 (1999). It's a wonderful meditation on setting type, life's quiet moments, the value of our time. It is definitely an artist's book, but one that also appeals to those who prefer a story in their books! I highly recommend it.

I also have some cool, weird ones: "Alchemy" in which Koppa handsets all of the Sparta that he has on hand before putting it in the hellbox. It is wild. I own his "8TBags" (8 tea-bags, 80 bags), which seems like a curiosity at first but reveals itself to be an imaginative type-specimen, with commentary on environmental issues as well.

>19 jveezer: Just a side note, I'd like to say how the two author bios under The Canon of Aphrodisia show off one of the reasons I favor women authors. Hers is pithy, humorous, and has just enough background to give her authorial heft. His is so jammed with résumé details that I wonder if he has a terminal case of imposter syndrome. I guess I find it more interesting to read an author whose personal synopsis is "I have lived and considered things" rather than "I have done things".

>21 Shadekeep: Yes!!!

>1 Shadekeep: Please consider adding "Pastoral Elegies" from Barbarian Press.

>23 vadim_ca: Happy to do so, thanks! I've also added their title Bordering on the Sublime, which they are going to try to bring out this year. Wish I could justify that one, I do love ornaments.

Nawakum should be releasing “A Bonsai-Shaped Mind & Postures of the Heart” this year.

https://heavenlymonkeybooks.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-dunwich-horror.html?m=1

Scheduled for fall.

>9 Shadekeep: Yes, I would certainly recommend to at least distinguish titles that have actually been released, and preferably have separate lists. I thought the 2023 list was clear and useful: this one less so, as it includes pre-order titles and titles which have not even reached pre-order yet (e.g. The Wizard of Oz). Knowing what I do about the fine press world I'd be willing to bet that a fair number of the titles you list will not be released in 2024.

Anyway, a few more titles which are on the way but not yet released:
- No Reply Press: the 'big three''
- St James Park Press: The Beauty of Byrne
- Curious King: Hyperion, Before They Are Hanged
- Consensus Press: Sinuhe (??)

>27 Levin40: I like the list as it currently is - a single reference for things to look out for, both upcoming and in print. I recommend a sort in December into Levin40's two lists. The previous thread had the advantage of starting late in the year, so wasn't as forward looking.

Edit: Just saw the edit to the first post following Levin40's recommendation. The split works for me too.

>27 Levin40: >28 Chemren: Ah, well, I've just split the list into two, Released and Forthcoming. Let's run a quick poll and see what folks prefer, I'm happy to oblige.

>29 Shadekeep: Thank you. I think it's perfect like that.

A few more forthcoming just came to mind:
- Ampersand Studios: Master and Commander (should be summer)
- Hand and Eye: The Woman in White (late this year maybe)
- Tudor Black Press: Prometheus the Firegiver

I question including Consensus Press' Sinuhe as that item, when finished, will not be available to the public at large, it being a members-only publication. OTOH, if the goal is to catalogue ALL forthcoming fine press publications, public or private, then including it is apropos.

>31 Glacierman: Yes, I like the list to be as inclusive as possible. Helps capture how vibrant and active the fine press world remains.

>27 Levin40: St. James Park Press is also currently in the process of shipping “Animal Farm”…was mentioned in the SJPP thread, but I don’t know if anyone has actually taken delivery of their copy yet.

Thank you very much for this list.

Added Ecclesiastes from Sutton Hoo Press to the forthcoming list. Chad tells me that printing is complete and he's trying to secure a binder.

Also, Heavenly Monkey has an update on The Dunwich Horror coming soon.

>35 Shadekeep: Those two books are pretty much guaranteed to be top-tier productions, as both Chad and Rollin do exceptional work.

>36 ChestnutPress: Agreed, and what I've been hearing about both certainly affirms that expectation.

Can we add “Born of a Man and Woman” by Suntup?

>38 CenSur: Certainly, added now. I'd like to get this one myself, but suspect it will be a challenge.

>39 Shadekeep: And Books Illustrated today announced Interview with the Vampire.

>40 A.Nobody: Added, thanks!

>40 A.Nobody: >41 Shadekeep: Going on what they have done with The Starless Sea I don't think any of the editions will be letterpress...

>42 Dr.Fiddy: I think they've stated they plan to revisit letterpress printing with future editions. In my opinion, that makes the decision to do The Starless Sea offset with different tiers that will be forever mismatched even more bizarre.

>43 NathanOv: I hope they will get back to letterpress. However, I noticed that the pricing of the Vampire editions all match the pricing of the Starless Sea editions. So, I guess letterpress is further into the future...

>44 Dr.Fiddy: Ah, thanks. If this isn't letterpress, off it comes!

I've added placeholders for Suntup's forthcoming announcements of their May and June titles, both of which they've stated as being letterpress in all editions. Given their production cycle it's possible one or both may not be released this year, but for now we'll track them here.

A couple titles have moved into the Released list, both of which are shipping now.

Corvus Works
· A Type Specimen: Schneidler Mediaeval
No Reply Press
· The Death of Ivan Ilyich

Added two titles from Two Ponds Press that are on the slate for this year.

Added Areopagitica from Ascensius Press to the forthcoming list.

Prospectus is up for Nawakum's next book. The middle tier (Deluxe Edition) ticks the boxes for me.

https://www.nawakumpress.com/book-collection/a-bonsaid-shaped-mind

>50 LBShoreBook: An interesting and exciting detail hidden in the prospectus: The book contains a four-color letterpress printed centerspread by Rebecca Chamlee, of Pie in The Sky Press, who created another incredible book on trees, "Giant: A Deity With Leaves."

>50 LBShoreBook: The deluxe does look very nice. However, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I think the landscape format puts me off.

>50 LBShoreBook: The Deluxe certainly feels the most harmonious given the content. How long do we think this publication will take to sell out?

>53 Nightcrawl: I am not sure, he indicated maybe 90 days before he begins shipping, currently at binder. He is exhibiting at the NY book fair next week and that may generate interest. I am guessing the price point will result in sales over a few months versus days but I put in a deposit to make sure I got one.

>53 Nightcrawl: >54 LBShoreBook: This one's at a much higher price point and the limitations are different, but I believe the deluxe of Descent Into The Maelstrom sold out within a couple weeks, while I did not notice the standard had sold until browsing the site just recently.

I would not be surprised if they hang on to copies of this one, particularly the engraver's edition, for a couple years.

>55 NathanOv: There are also quite a few copies of the engraver edition. I’m surprised they made that many (22, 25, 30 for the Engraver, Deluxe and Standard), but I don’t have a reference point for the Cascadia numbers.

>50 LBShoreBook: The deluxe edition ticks all boxes for me too. The price is a bit of a stretch for me, but since it is rare for books to fit so squarely into my collecting interest (books about Japan, books about nature, engravings by Richard Wagener) I put down the deposit for it. Now it's just being patient for it to arrive...

>56 What_What: David Pascoe is a smart operator. Nawakum has a healthy number of institutional clients (SMU- Bridwell, Morgan Library, U of Texas - Ransom Center, etc.) that will most likely have already committed to the Engraver. I wouldn't be surprised if that edition quickly sells out.

On a related note, for anyone in the Seattle-Tacoma area, if you haven't visited the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, WA, you should do so. You will quickly spot some of the trees featured in the prospectus. The challenge is finding a sunny day in the Spring to visit!

>58 Sport1963: Cool, thanks for sharing.

A Parliament of Owls from Reading Room Press added to Forthcoming.

>60 Shadekeep: That’s great news! I thought Miles had said that things were winding down and so assumed Ha’nacker Mill might be the last output from him

>61 DMulvee: Indeed, one I'm looking forward to as well.

Also adding a new one mentioned by Geert today, forthcoming from his Factotum Pers - Dickninge.

New work forthcoming from St Brigid Press - The Work of Thinking: The Value of Uncertainty.

Added Incline Press's new release, Singing Aloud, and moved Foolscap Press's Thomas Paine into the Released section, as folks are reporting receipt of copies.

Nomad Letterpress is working on a new book with Hilary Paynter, Moving. It's slated for publication in June 2024. More info and pics: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5p9Np1iym8/

>65 Shadekeep: Wow! The engravings look brilliant.

>66 GardenOfForkingPaths: Agreed, I love Hilary's work. I've written to Pat to ask if reservations are open yet for the book.

UPDATE: Heard back from Pat, prospectuses are going out in May and general public release in June. The plan is for three editions of the book - full-leather, half-leather, and regular.

>67 Shadekeep: thanks for the update.

Birds & Flowers available now from Fine Press Poetry.

The forthcoming Nawakum/Mixolydian Bonsai book won the 2024 FPBA Collector's Prize.

https://www.nawakumpress.com/book-collection/a-bonsai-shaped-mind

>70 LBShoreBook: That’s awesome! Much deserved I’m sure. Just as a frame of reference, what are some books that have won that award in previous years?

>71 Nightcrawl: Link includes a list for 2020-2023

https://fpba.com/opportunities/fpba-book-fairs/manhattan-book-fair/

>72 LBShoreBook: Thanks! I haven’t heard of any of those past winners, but the fact that St. James Park Press 1984 was only a runner up last year says a lot.

Incidentally, I just received my copy of SJPP Animal Farm yesterday and couldn’t be happier with it, so I know a major production like 1984 has to be award worthy.

>73 Nightcrawl:

"I haven't heard of any of those past winners, but the fact that St. James Park Press '1984' was only a runner-up last year says a lot."

It says more about the judges than the aesthetic merit of these books. The same can be said of the judges and judging for the Alcuin Awards in Canada.

>74 dlphcoracl: Agree. I'm very grateful to own a copy of 1984. It is an extraordinary accomplishment.

Ecclesiastes is out now from Sutton Hoo, available in two editions with a possible third forthcoming.

>76 Shadekeep: Announcement coming, with Coupon Code. . . .

>77 SuttonHooPress: looking good! Is that Cave paper binding in the manner of the one on the Taller Martín Pescador 2014 green knight, if you're familiar with that?

>78 abysswalker: The library binding is done in original Cave paper from Bridget O'Malley, the founder of Cave paper, who I knew at Iowa. I have just posted a longer winded announcement in the group.

The new St Brigid Press book is out, The Work of Thinking: The Value of Uncertainty. Another attractive work from Emily, and this first in a planned series.

Has Arete's Benjamin Button actually been released now then?

I think you could add House on the Borderland and Foundation to Conversation Tree Press.

>81 Levin40: People elsewhere on the forum reported on copies, so I believe so, unless they were describing versions they saw at a book event.

Thanks for the CTP reminder, I'll get them added.

Added the two Arion Press 2024 subscription titles to the list - Kindred and Aesop’s Fables - as discussed here and announced here.

Just saw a posting where Bonnefant Press has a new title in the works, but it's not slated for completion until 2025. No other details yet, apart from the plan to print it 14pt Dante.

Not fine press, but Centipede Press is releasing Ghost Story soon. In a macabre-but-appropriate touch, the books are posthumously signed by Peter Straub. I believe Jerad had signed sheets on hand in planning for this book, which for whatever reason didn't make it out while Straub was alive.

Sales were open to newsletter subscribers first and all 500 copies sold out in the first day, so this never reached a broader public offering.