Coffee House Press

Coffee House Press

Company type	Nonprofit
Industry	Publishing
Founded	1984
Founder	Allan Kornblum
Headquarters	Minneapolis , United States
Products	Literary fiction, nonfiction, poetry
Website	coffeehousepress.org

Coffee House Press is an independent nonprofit publisher based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Established in 1984 by Allan Kornblum, the press dedicates itself to producing works that emphasize creativity, literary innovation, and a broad spectrum of American voices. It is regarded as one of the leading five independent publishers in the United States, offering a catalog that includes literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

History

The origins of Coffee House Press trace back to Toothpaste, a mimeographed magazine initiated by Allan Kornblum in Iowa in 1970. Following his study of typography under Harry Duncan at the University of Iowa, Kornblum evolved Toothpaste into Toothpaste Press, which focused on poetry pamphlets and letterpress editions. In 1984, he moved to Minneapolis, where he restructured the operation as a nonprofit trade publisher and adopted the name Coffee House Press to better represent its dedication to authors and readers alike.

During the early 1990s, the press achieved national prominence with publications such as Frank Chin’s Donald Duk and Karen Tei Yamashita’s Through the Arc of the Rainforest, which was honored with the 1991 American Book Award. Coffee House Press has gained recognition for elevating writers of color as prominent figures in contemporary literature, strengthening its position within the publishing sector.

In July 2011, following a change in leadership, Kornblum transitioned from publisher to senior editor. Chris Fischbach, who joined as an intern in 1994, took over as publisher. The press introduced its first imprint, Emily Books, in 2015 through a collaboration with Emily Gould and Ruth Curry. Anitra Budd assumed the roles of publisher and executive director in August 2021.

Having released over 300 titles—with more than 250 remaining available—Coffee House Press publishes between 15 and 20 new books each year. The organization is distinguished by its enduring support for authors and operates out of the historic Grain Belt Bottling House located in Northeast Minneapolis.

Books and authors

Among Coffee House Press’s acclaimed titles is the bestselling Firmin: Adventures of a Metropolitan Lowlife by Sam Savage, alongside National Book Award finalists such as Patricia Smith’s 2008 Blood Dazzler and Karen Tei Yamashita’s 2010 I Hotel. The press’s award-winning roster also includes American Book Award recipients like Matthew Shenoda’s Somewhere Else (2006) and Yuko Taniguchi’s The Ocean in the Closet (2008), as well as Norah Labiner’s ALA Notable Book Miniatures and ALA Best First Novels selection Our Sometime Sister. In 2011, Coffee House published Ben Lerner’s critically praised novel Leaving the Atocha Station, which significantly boosted the press’s visibility. Other prominent authors associated with Coffee House include Ron Padgett, Anne Waldman, Frank Chin, Kao Kalia Yang, David Hilton, Laird Hunt, and Brian Evenson.

Awards

In recognition of its creative achievements and meaningful impact on the American literary landscape, Coffee House Press was honored with the 2017 AWP Small Press Publisher Award by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs.

External links

• Official Coffee House Press Website
• Guidelines for Submissions
• Profile on Poets & Writers
• Consortium Book Sales & Distribution Website
• Coffee House Press Records Manuscript Register, Special Collections, University of Iowa Libraries.