Ecco Press
| Company type | Imprint |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1971 |
| Founder | Daniel Halpern |
| Fate | Acquired by HarperCollins in 1999 |
| Headquarters | New York , United States |
| Parent | HarperCollins |
Ecco operates as a publishing imprint based in New York under the umbrella of HarperCollins. Established in 1971 by entrepreneur Daniel Halpern as an independent entity, it earned recognition from Publishers Weekly as "among the most prominent literary publishers in America." In 1999, HarperCollins acquired Ecco while Halpern continued to lead the imprint. Since the year 2000, Ecco has been responsible for releasing the yearly anthology The Best American Science Writing, with Jesse Cohen serving as editor. The imprint expanded in 2011 by introducing two specialized publishing lines overseen by chef-author Anthony Bourdain and novelist Dennis Lehane.
History
Ecco Press was founded by Halpern in 1971 with the initial purpose of publishing the literary magazine Antaeus, which ceased publication in 1994. The name "Ecco" was suggested by early investor and ketchup heiress Drue Heinz. The company’s early catalog concentrated on reprinting and issuing paperbacks of previously released works, featuring authors such as Paul Bowles, Cormac McCarthy, Charles Bukowski, and John Fante. Among its notable publications were Czeslaw Milosz’s poetry collection Bells in Winter (1978) and Madhur Jaffrey’s culinary book An Invitation to Indian Cooking. Ownership of Ecco was fully transferred to Halpern in 1991. Although remaining independent, Ecco collaborated with Viking Press and W.W. Norton & Company for sales and distribution until its 1999 acquisition by HarperCollins.
Following the acquisition, Ecco published key titles including the paperback edition of Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly and Patti Smith’s memoir Just Kids. Presently, Ecco publishes between 35 and 40 books annually, combining literary fiction, biographies, memoirs, and culinary works from authors like Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Ford, Amy Tan, and Margaret Atwood, alongside chefs such as Mario Batali and Daniel Boulud.
In September 2011, Ecco introduced an imprint curated by Anthony Bourdain, designed to acquire three to five titles each year that mirror his diverse interests—highlighting compelling voices with expertise in food and other fields. Bourdain underscored a dedication to cross-genre narratives and dynamic storytelling.
A month later, in October 2011, novelist Dennis Lehane launched a namesake imprint within Ecco concentrating on literary fiction with a gritty urban atmosphere; one of its initial publications was Ivy Pochoda’s Visitation Street.
In 2020, Daniel Halpern stepped into the role of editor-at-large; then in 2021, commemorating fifty years since founding Ecco, he joined Alfred A. Knopf as executive editor.
Selected Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Author |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | National Book Award | Nonfiction | South to America | Imani Perry |
| 2020 | Pulitzer Prize | Biography | Sontag: Her Life and Work | Benjamin Moser |
| 2017 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize | Mystery | A Book of American Martyrs | Joyce Carol Oates |
| 2015 | Los Angeles Times Book Prize | Poetry | From the New World: Poems 1976–2014 | Jorie Graham |
| 2010 | National Book Award | Nonfiction | Just Kids | Patti Smith |
| 2008 | Pulitzer Prize | Poetry | Time and Materials | Robert Hass |
| 2008 | PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize | First Novel | The Septembers of Shiraz | Dalia Sofer |
| 2006 | National Book Critics Circle Award | General Nonfiction | Rough Crossings | Simon Schama |
| 1996 | Pulitzer Prize | Poetry | 'The Dream of the Unified Field' | Jorie Graham |
| 1994 | National Book Award | Poetry | 'Worshipful Company of Fletchers' | James Tate |
| 1993 | Pulitzer Prize | Poetry | 'The Wild Iris' | Louise Glück |