APRIL 2026

Every month, we spotlight five books that have received extra attention lately. Don't miss our April picks, all from independent literary publishers:

Green of All Heads by Aracelis Girmay (Boa Editions | 9781960145710)—a poetry collection that “examines the entangled temporalities of an aging parent and newly born children”—is the winner of the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry Collection. Order now.

A Perfect Turmoil: Walter E. Fernald and the Struggle to Care for America’s Disabled by Alex Green (Bellevue Literary Press | 9781954276420)—“the story of a doctor, educator, and policymaker who was unafraid to reverse course when convinced by the evidence”—is the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography. Order now.

She Who Remains by Rene Karabash, translated from the Bulgarian by Izidora Angel (Sandorf Passage | 9789533515748)—a novel that explores “what it means to be a woman in a world defined by the violence of ancient patriarchal traditions”—is shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026. Order now.

Sad Tiger by Neige Sinno, translated from the French by Natasha Lehrer (Seven Stories Press | 9781644214671)—which “explores the different facets of memory—her own, her mother’s, as well as her abusive stepfather’s; and of abuse itself in all its monstrosity and banality”—is the winner of the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize. Order now.

Small Scale Sinners by Mahreen Sohail (A Public Space Books | 9798985976915)—a short fiction collection that “explores the facets of women’s lives, as daughters, siblings, and mothers, in marriage, and alone”—is a finalist for the 2026 PEN/Faulkner Award. Order now.

May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, and to help you celebrate, we've put together a roundup of sixteen works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction from independent presses.

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, observed every May, with these fifteen poetry collections, novels, and short fiction collections, all from indie publishers.

Just in time for Earth Day, this roundup features fifteen works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction exploring topics of climate change, nature, and the environment.

Don't miss Chiagoziem Jideofor’s debut poetry collection, local remedies, forthcoming on April 14 from Host Publications, winner of the 2026 Constellation Award!

According to Sarah Lubala, author of A History of Disappearance, "local remedies is a collection attentive to the inheritances we carry—in our bodies, our languages, and our histories. Moving through memory, war, migration, grief, and the intimacies of kinship, these poems ask what remains when a people survive devastation, and what must be remembered to keep surviving."

This title is distributed by Asterism Books. A launch event will take place on April 10 at Alienated Majesty Books in Austin, Texas.

Learn about the landscape of independent publishing in the Mountains & Plains region, including local presses and magazines, regional awards and festivals, and books set in the area.

In this spotlight, Laura Cesarco Eglin, founding editor and publisher of Veliz Books says, "Veliz Books helps literature travel and fosters a community of readers and writers passionate about words and language, regardless of where they may live. We are dedicated to publishing both emerging and established authors whose works are stylistically complex, even unconventional, and speak to issues in need of voice."

April is Arab American Heritage Month, and to help you celebrate, we've put together a roundup of eleven poetry collections, all from indie presses, to spotlight for the occasion and year-round.

Celebrate National Poetry Month, observed every April, with poetry! The sixteen poetry collections in this roundup were all honored with major awards in 2024 and 2025.

Discover poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published last month by independent literary publishers—including Abode Press, CavanKerry Press, Graywolf Press, Small Harbor Publishing, Tofu Ink Arts Press, Waywiser Books, and more.