Meet our Grantee-Partner: Alice James Books
One of the first poetry-dedicated publishing houses in the United States, Alice James Books focuses on supporting artists whose voices have been marginalized or who offer overlooked perspectives.
A poet speaks with a reader at an Alice James Books event. Photo courtesy of Alice James Books.
Mission: The mission of Alice James Books is to seek out, publish, distribute, and promote the best contemporary poetry by established and emerging literary artists of excellence with an emphasis on supporting artists whose voices have been marginalized or who offer overlooked perspectives. The press is committed to forming collaborative partnerships with literary artists, partnering in the production process, and to helping writers achieve meaningful engagement with their communities and audiences.
One of the first poetry-dedicated publishing houses in the United States, Alice James Books (AJB) was founded in 1973 in Boston, Massachusetts, by seven poets: Patricia Cumming, Marjorie Fletcher, Jean Pedrick, Lee Rudolph, Ron Schreiber, Betsy Sholl, and Cornelia Veenendaal. The press is named after diarist Alice James, sister of novelist Henry James and philosopher and psychologist William James. Alice James’s challenges in getting published inspired the press’ founding poets to focus on uplifting the voices of women and otherwise marginalized poets.
Poet Candace Williams reading at an event hosted by AJB. Photo courtesy of Alice James Books.
Five decades in, AJB continues to serve a broad and diverse community of poets and readers. Much of the poetry AJB publishes contributes to conversations about urgent social and cultural issues, like PTSD, veteran issues, colonialism, and gender transition. Additionally, AJB aims to lower the barrier of entry to poetry for younger and nontraditional readers and encourage engagement from new audiences like healthcare students and those involved in community-based support groups.
Poets published by AJB, from left: Major Jackson, Katie Farris, and Brian Turner. Photo courtesy of Alice James Books.
AJB publishes, promotes, and distributes at least eight new works of poetry a year by established and emerging poets while maintaining a backlist of nearly 300 titles. The press is committed to supporting its poets beyond publication by helping them connect to their readers through arranging publicity efforts and hosting events.
Receiving a Poetry Programs, Partnerships, and Innovation grant from the Poetry Foundation has enabled AJB to grow its team and the services it can provide to poets. The press welcomed two new staff members who assist in locating, pitching, and booking author events, and provide extensive, tailored publicity assistance to ensure each poet has the ability to connect with the broadest audience possible in a way that is authentic to them.
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