Swan Isle Press is an independent, not-for-profit, literary publisher. We are dedicated to publishing exceptional works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that will inspire and educate our readers, while enhancing their appreciation of literature, art and culture.
World literature in translation builds bridges between people and cultures. In the US, less than 3% of the books available to us are works in translation and, more surprisingly, less than 1% of the books in translation are literature and poetry. Perhaps this is because for profit publishers expect a return on investment and publishing an unfamiliar author or a work of poetry is a risky investment when your mission is to reward shareholders. Not-for-profit, independent publishers look to the public, in part, to help them fulfill a vitally important cultural mission.
Swan Isle Press set off on our mission in 2000 with a special interest in publishing books related to Spanish and Latin American literature. Since then we have published nearly 25 books in Spanish, Catalan and French, and as we grow with your support, we look forward to expanding the book list with translations from other languages.
Our books are marketed and distributed worldwide by The University of Chicago Press. Some of these books are issued in bilingual editions, in the original language with English translation. These bilingual editions as well as our single-language English translations make contemporary and classic texts more accessible to a diverse population. We are proud that many of our books are highly valued by educators who adopt them within the courses they teach at universities, colleges and schools.
Swan Isle Press has been recognized among the leading publishers of works in translation. In 2016, our book, THE SCHOOL OF SOLITUDE | COLLECTED POEMS, by Luis Hernández, translated and with an introduction by Anthony Geist (University of Washington), was honored as a finalist on the shortlist for PEN America’s Poetry in Translation Award. Luis Hernández (1941-1977) is a legendary poet in Peru and throughout South America, yet Swan Isle Press's publication is the first edition of his work in the US.
In
fulfillment of our mission to publish exceptional works of literature, Swan
Isle Press publishes diverse authors and translators.
Several of our authors are deeply connected to the African Diaspora, such as Peruvian author Lucía Charún-Illescas and her novel, MALAMBO, Cuban author Inés María Martiatu's brave collection of short stories, OVER THE WAVES AND OTHER STORIES, and Equatorial Guinean author Donato Ndongo's acclaimed novel, SHADOWS OF YOUR BLACK MEMORY. Indeed, Shadows of Your Black Memory is considered the first fiction book of fiction from an Equatorial Guinean author to have been translated and published in English. All three books are now well on their way to becoming classics in their own right.
Swan Isle Press's book list includes a majority representation of women authors and translators because Swan Isle Press is focused on publishing literary works of excellence based on merit open to the world community of artists. While there are some in the literary community who despair that “translated fiction by women must stop being a minority in a minority,” there is no glass ceiling at Swan Isle Press.
Our authors represent works from Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, France, Mexico, Peru, Spain, and Uruguay, as well as the United States, with English translations from the original Spanish, Catalan and French. Our French translation book is authored by Victor Hugo, GOD AND THE END OF SATAN | DIEU AND LA FIN DE SATAN. Yes, not even this great classic Victor Hugo work had been published in as extensive translation until Swan Isle Press took on the project, leading the highly respected translators E. H. Blackmore and A. M. Blackmore to state: "The most serious gap in English translations of Hugo has now been filled." Our focus on publishing classic and contemporary works in translation continue to bring life and lives to books that otherwise would not have been accessible to many readers.
Swan Isle Press needs your financial support to continue our literary and academic mission. We are very grateful for the generous support we have received from universities, foundations, international organizations and the significant contributions of individual donors. We are thankful to our exceptional authors and translators for introducing us to new worlds and for the support of our readers, librarians, and educators who have been taking this journey with us. We hope you will join us by reading our books (all of our titles may be found HERE) and contributing at any level.
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