Two Lines Press
Two Lines Press is a San Francisco independent publisher devoted exclusively to literature in translation.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Two Lines Press is an independent American publishing house based in San Francisco, California, whose program is dedicated entirely to literature translated into English. It operates as the publishing arm of the Center for the Art of Translation, a nonprofit organization established to promote international literature, literary translation, and the cultural work performed by translators. The press is closely connected to the literary journal Two Lines, which has published international writing in translation since 1993. The journal was founded by translator Olivia Sears, while the press itself was established in 2013 after the Center for the Art of Translation had already been active for more than a decade. The imprint was created in response to the relatively limited place occupied by translated literature in the United States. Its publishing model seeks to bring significant international writers to English-language readers while giving translators a visible and substantive role in the development of each book. Rather than concentrating on one national literature or language, Two Lines Press has built a multilingual catalog that includes works translated from Arabic, Czech, Finnish, Korean, Macedonian, Portuguese, Swahili, Thai, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, and other languages. The list spans novels, novellas, essays, memoir, poetry, hybrid literary forms, and collections of short or thematically connected writing. The press generally publishes approximately eight titles per year. By 2023, its catalog reportedly contained 52 titles. Distribution is handled by Publishers Group West. As part of a nonprofit organization, Two Lines Press operates through a combination of book sales, grants, and donations rather than through the conventional commercial structure of a large publishing conglomerate. This structure supports a selective list focused on literary quality, cultural range, and works that might otherwise have difficulty reaching the American market. In 2020, Two Lines Press introduced the Calico Series, a themed series of translated writing designed to present a concentrated view of contemporary literature. The series publishes two books annually and has included volumes focused on subjects such as speculative Chinese-language fiction and queer Brazilian literature. The series editor has characterized it as a way of capturing writing in translation that engages with the present moment. Two Lines Press has developed a reputation for publishing formally adventurous and internationally significant writers. Its books have appeared on major award lists, including National Book Award longlists and finalist lists, and several titles have received translation-specific recognition. Notable publications include Jazmina Barrera's On Lighthouses and The Queen of Swords, Mohamed Kheir's Slipping and Sleep Phase, Maria Judite de Carvalho's Empty Wardrobes, Kim Sagwa's Mina, Wolfgang Hilbig's The Sleep of the Righteous, Marie NDiaye's Self-Portrait in Green, Astrid Roemer's On a Woman's Madness, and Layla Martínez's Woodworm. The press has also published works such as Beyond Babylon by Igiaba Scego, which received Best Translated Book Award attention. Its broader cultural role is to expand the range of literature available to English-language readers and to support the translators who make that exchange possible. Critics and literary organizations have recognized Two Lines Press for introducing underrepresented authors and languages, including groundbreaking works such as the first novel by a Thai woman to be translated into English. The press also co-administers the Stevns Translation Prize with the United Kingdom's Peirene Press, reinforcing its role in the international translation ecosystem.
History
Two Lines Press emerged from San Francisco's Center for the Art of Translation and its literary journal, Two Lines. The journal began publishing international literature in translation in 1993 under the founding leadership of translator Olivia Sears. The Center for the Art of Translation subsequently developed as a nonprofit institution focused on advancing translation as both a literary practice and a means of cultural exchange. Two Lines Press was established in 2013 as the Center's book-publishing imprint. The press was founded at a time when translated literature occupied a relatively narrow position in the American publishing market. Although some translated authors achieved broad attention, many important writers and literary traditions remained difficult for English-language readers to access. Two Lines Press was designed to address that gap through a selective list of international fiction and nonfiction, with translation treated as a central editorial and artistic component rather than as a secondary production detail. Its catalog has expanded across numerous languages and literary traditions, including Arabic, Czech, Finnish, Korean, Macedonian, Portuguese, Swahili, Thai, Spanish, French, German, and Dutch. The list includes novels, novellas, essays, memoirs, poetry, hybrid works, and collections. The press has been particularly associated with challenging or formally distinctive books by writers who may be unfamiliar to English-language audiences. Its publishing program has also been noted for supporting literary translators and for bringing attention to the relationship between translation, cultural plurality, and bibliodiversity. Two Lines Press publishes roughly eight books annually and is distributed by Publishers Group West. By 2023, it had published 52 titles. Its nonprofit affiliation means that the press's operating resources come from a mixture of book revenue, grants, and donations. This model allows the imprint to pursue literary and cultural objectives that are not limited to conventional commercial expectations. In 2020, the press created the Calico Series. Each installment gathers translated writing around a unifying theme, providing a curated view of contemporary international literature. Earlier volumes have addressed speculative Chinese-language fiction and queer Brazilian literature. The series has been planned at two books per year and extends the press's commitment to presenting translation as a way of mapping current literary and social concerns. Two Lines Press has earned recognition through awards, reviews, and bookseller and literary-organization profiles. Its publications have appeared on National Book Award lists and have been nominated for the Best Translated Book Award. Books such as On Lighthouses, Empty Wardrobes, Mina, The Sleep of the Righteous, and Self-Portrait in Green have been identified among its bestselling titles. The press has also published award-recognized works including Slipping, which won the Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation, and On a Woman's Madness, a National Book Award finalist. Through its catalog and its collaboration on the Stevns Translation Prize with Peirene Press, Two Lines Press has become a visible participant in the international literary-translation field.
- 2023
Catalog reaches 52 titles
[1]The press was reported to have published 52 titles by this point.
- 2020
Calico Series launches
[1]The press launched a thematic series of translated writing, with two new books planned each year.
- 2018
Stevns Translation Prize is established
[1]Two Lines Press began co-administering the annual translation prize with Peirene Press.
- 2013
Two Lines Press is established
[1]The Center for the Art of Translation established Two Lines Press as its book-publishing imprint.
- 2000
Center for the Art of Translation begins operating
[1]The nonprofit organization that later became the press's parent institution began its work promoting translation and international literature.
- 1993
Two Lines literary journal is founded
[1]Translator Olivia Sears founded the Two Lines journal, which focused on international literature in translation.
Products and positioning
A nonprofit-affiliated, translator-centered independent press that brings ambitious and culturally diverse international literature to English-language readers.
Thematic translated-literature series · 2020
Calico Series
Launched in 2020, the Calico Series presents collections of translated writing organized around a shared theme. Its subjects have included speculative Chinese-language fiction and queer Brazilian literature. The series is intended to offer a concentrated, contemporary snapshot of international writing and is planned at approximately two new books per year.
Translated literary nonfiction
On Lighthouses
Jazmina Barrera's On Lighthouses, translated from Spanish by Christina MacSweeney, is one of Two Lines Press's identified bestselling titles. It exemplifies the press's interest in literary works that combine cultural observation, personal reflection, and formally flexible nonfiction.
Translated fiction
Slipping
Mohamed Kheir's Slipping was translated from Arabic by Robin Moger and received the Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation. The book represents the press's role in bringing contemporary Arabic literature to English-language readers.
Translated fiction
The Queen of Swords
Jazmina Barrera's The Queen of Swords, translated from Spanish by Christina MacSweeney, was reported as a longlisted title for the 2025 National Book Award.
Translated fiction
Woodworm
Layla Martínez's Woodworm was translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott. The title was reported as a longlisted work for the 2024 National Book Award.
Translated fiction
On a Woman's Madness
Astrid Roemer's On a Woman's Madness, translated from Dutch by Lucy Scott, was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award and was also identified as a finalist for the 2025 Inside Prize.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Calico Series
United States · English-language literary market
A continuing editorial publishing initiative built around themed collections of international writing in translation.
Outcome. The series expanded the press's platform for presenting contemporary translated literature through focused thematic groupings.
Brand decisions
2020
Launch the Calico SeriesProduct launchBackground
The press sought a format for presenting multiple translated works through coherent themes connected to contemporary literary and social concerns.
Action taken
Two Lines Press introduced a series of themed collections, including projects centered on speculative Chinese-language fiction and queer Brazilian literature.
Aftermath
The series became a recurring part of the publishing program, with two new books planned per year.
2013
Create a dedicated translated-literature book imprintStrategyBackground
The Center for the Art of Translation sought to extend its journal and nonprofit cultural work into book publishing at a time when the United States market offered limited access to many translated authors.
Action taken
It established Two Lines Press as an independent publishing house focused exclusively on literature in translation.
Aftermath
The press developed a multilingual catalog, published approximately eight books annually, and gained recognition for supporting international authors and literary translators.
Recent events
- 2025
Two Lines Press titles appear on 2025 National Book Award longlist[1]
Other
The Queen of Swords by Jazmina Barrera and Sleep Phase by Mohamed Kheir were reported as 2025 National Book Award longlist titles.
- 2024
Woodworm reaches the 2024 National Book Award longlist[1]
Other
Layla Martínez's Woodworm, translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott, was longlisted for the National Book Award.
- 2023
On a Woman's Madness receives major literary recognition[1]
Other
Astrid Roemer's On a Woman's Madness, translated from Dutch by Lucy Scott, was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award.
- 2020
Two Lines Press launches the Calico Series[1]
Product launch
The press introduced the Calico Series, a themed program of translated writing planned at two new books per year.
Slipping wins the Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation[1]
Other
Mohamed Kheir's Slipping, translated from Arabic by Robin Moger, won the Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation.
Sources2 sources
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