Smith|Doorstop Books

Smith|Doorstop Books is the publishing imprint of The Poetry Business, a UK writer development agency and independent press established in 1986. The imprint publishes books, pamphlets, audio and eBooks, and is closely associated with The North, a twice-yearly literary magazine also produced by The Poetry Business. Smith|Doorstop also incorporates Small|Donkey, an imprint for children's poetry, and the New Poets List, which showcases poets aged 17–24. The Poetry Business, and by extension Smith|Doorstop, has become an integral part of the British poetry landscape. Its poets have won, been shortlisted for, or highly commended in almost every major poetry prize, including the Forward Prize, the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, and the National Poetry Competition. In both 2012 and 2017, The Poetry Business won the Michael Marks Award for Pamphlet Publishers. The imprint's back catalogue includes work by many of the UK's most well-known poets, and it continues to pursue engaging and ambitious publishing projects showcasing contemporary poetry from the UK and beyond. Smith|Doorstop is led by co-directors Ann Sansom and Peter Sansom, who are also editors of the imprint and of The North. Ann Sansom is a poet, playwright and tutor, while Peter Sansom has published Writing Poems (Bloodaxe) and five collections with Carcanet. The Poetry Business runs poetry workshops across the UK, intensive residential courses, and an advanced Writing School for published poets. Since early 2020, it has developed digital poetry workshops guest-tutored by 32 well-known British poets, typically attracting around 1,500 writers annually. The imprint's International Book & Pamphlet Competition is an important date in the literary calendar, discovering and promoting countless now-established poets. Income from the competition helps fund other books and pamphlets, which are represented and promoted nationally by Inpress. In 2015, The Poetry Business developed The New Poets Prize, an annual pamphlet prize creating publishing and mentoring opportunities for poets aged 17–24. Smith|Doorstop's publications can be ordered through its online shop, with payments processed via Stripe; however, due to EU VAT rules, it has not sold directly to EU countries since 1 July 2021.

Smith|Doorstop Books is the publishing imprint of The Poetry Business, which was established in the early 1980s and formally founded in 1986. The Poetry Business has over three decades of experience in nurturing writing and developing the careers of hundreds of poets, and its teaching, mentoring and editorial work is widely regarded as the benchmark in writer development provision in the UK. The Poetry Business publishes books, pamphlets and The North, a twice-yearly literary magazine, and teaches poetry workshops across the UK. It also runs intensive residential courses and an advanced Writing School for published poets. The organisation has become an integral part of the British poetry landscape since its establishment in 1986, and has been described by Sir Andrew Motion as 'one of the most vital and vitalising literary organisations in the country'. Smith|Doorstop's International Book & Pamphlet Competition is an important date in the literary calendar, having discovered and promoted countless numbers of now-established poets. In 2015, The Poetry Business developed The New Poets Prize, an annual pamphlet prize that creates new publishing and mentoring opportunities for poets between the ages of 17 and 24. The imprint's publishing has expanded in recent years to incorporate Small|Donkey, an imprint for children's poetry, and the New Poets List, which showcases poets aged 17–24. Smith|Doorstop's poets have won, been shortlisted for or highly commended in almost every major poetry prize, including the Forward Prize, the T.S. Eliot Prize, the Fenton Aldeburgh First Collection Prize, and the National Poetry Competition. In both 2012 and 2017, The Poetry Business won the Michael Marks Award for Pamphlet Publishers. The imprint's publications include work by some of the UK's most well-known poets, and it continues to pursue engaging and ambitious publishing projects showcasing contemporary poetry from the UK and beyond. Since early 2020, The Poetry Business has developed various programmes of digital poetry workshops, guest-tutored each year by 32 of the best-known poets in Britain and typically attracting around 1,500 writers to take part. Income from the International Book & Pamphlet Competition helps fund other books and pamphlets, which are represented and promoted nationally by Inpress. Due to new EU VAT rules, as of 1 July 2021, Smith|Doorstop no longer sells directly to EU countries; customers there are advised to order through local bookshops or Amazon.

• 2021

  Due to EU VAT rules, Smith|Doorstop stops selling directly to EU countries from 1 July.

• 2020

  The Poetry Business develops digital poetry workshop programmes.

• 2017

  The Poetry Business wins the Michael Marks Award for Pamphlet Publishers for a second time.

• 2015

  The New Poets Prize is developed, an annual pamphlet prize for poets aged 17–24.

• 2012

  The Poetry Business wins the Michael Marks Award for Pamphlet Publishers.

• 1986

  The Poetry Business, parent of Smith|Doorstop, is established.

A small but enterprising independent poetry publisher known for talent-spotting and excellence, integrated with a leading writer development agency.

• Poetry books

  Full-length poetry collections published under the Smith|Doorstop imprint.

• Poetry pamphlets

  Short-form poetry publications, a core part of the imprint's output.

• The North

  A twice-yearly literary magazine published by The Poetry Business.

• Small|Donkey

  An imprint for children's poetry.

• New Poets List

  Showcases poets aged 17–24.

1. 1About Smith|Doorstop - The Poetry Businesspoetrybusiness.co.uk
2. 2History - The Poetry Businesspoetrybusiness.co.uk
3. 3About - The Poetry Businesspoetrybusiness.co.uk
4. 4Our Team - The Poetry Businesspoetrybusiness.co.uk
5. 5Smith/Doorstop Books - Wikidatawikidata.org