SEPTEMBER 2025

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

• What of the Earth Was Saved by Leeladhar Jagoori, translated from the Hindi by Matt Reeck (World Poetry Books; 9781954218208)—a poetry collection that “reflects today's environmental and political concerns through the lens of the tumultuous end of the Indian Emergency in the late 1970s”—is a finalist for the Derek Walcott Prize. Order now.
• The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy (Feminist Press; 9781558613317)—“a tale of earth magic, power struggle, and self-invention” and “a powerful story of trans witchcraft”—is a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction. Order now.
• The Autobiography of H. Lan Thao Lam by Lana Lin (Dorothy: a publishing project; 9781948980296)—“an affecting exploration of the poetics and politics of our times” that is “situated between memoir, social criticism, and conceptual art”—is on The Millions’ Great Summer 2025 Book Preview. Order now.
• Cécé by Emmelie Prophète, translated from the French by Aidan Rooney (Archipelago Books; 9781962770415)—a “beautiful rendering of Port-au-Prince from the point of view of a bright young woman archiving it all”—is on The Millions’ Great Summer 2025 Book Preview. Order now.
• North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther by Ethan Rutherford (Deep Vellum/A Strange Object; 9781646053582)—a novel “with one foot firmly planted in the traditional sea-voyage narrative, and another in a blazing mythos of its own”—is longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Order now.

To help bookstores and libraries reach our youngest readers, we’ve put together this roundup of 11 picture books from indie presses.

Don't miss our roundup of 10 poetry collections to spotlight in celebration of Filipino American History Month in October!

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

In celebration of National Translation Month, we’ve put together this roundup of 12 books in translation—six poetry collections and six novels—to spotlight all September and year-round.

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15 through October 15, and we’ve collected these 12 books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction to feature in celebration.

We spoke with Michelle Dotter, publisher and editor-in-chief of Dzanc Books, in our latest spotlight on an indie press. She says, "Being a nonprofit gives us the freedom to publish books that match our ideals, that speak in a voice we haven’t heard often enough, that challenge our conceptions of what constitutes a story."

Discover poetry, fiction, and nonfiction published last month by independent literary publishers—including Black Heron Press, Orison Books, Santa Fe Writers Project, Sheila-Na-Gig Editions, Tupelo Press, and more.

Lambda Literary has announced the finalists for the 2025 Lambda Literary Awards. Publishers Weekly reports that The National Endowment for the Arts has cancelled its 2026 Creative Writing Fellowships program. The National Endowment for the Humanities has announced “an agency-wide reorganization to consolidate its grantmaking programs and divisions.” The Guardian reports on a new study that finds reading for pleasure has dropped by forty percent in the United States. Literary Hub reports on the future of small presses in the aftermath of the NEA grant terminations. Publishers Weekly reports on how cuts to library budgets may impact independent publishers. PEN America reports that school districts in nine Florida counties, fearing legal action by the state, have removed hundreds of books from libraries ahead of the new school year.