U.K. Indie Bitter Lemon Press Launches New ‘International’ Imprint

In News by Andrew Albanese5 Comments

François von Hurter, publisher and co-founder of Bitter Lemon Press, said the new imprint will focus on “international fiction you enter at your own risk, that gets under your skin before it lets you go.”

By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief

The U.K.-based Bitter Lemon Press has announced the launch of Labyrinth Press, a new imprint for “ambitious international literary fiction, largely but not exclusively in translation,” with the first titles set to appear in early 2027.

In a release, Bitter Lemon reps cited the publisher’s “international reputation” for publishing acclaimed crime fiction and thrillers and for “introducing English-language readers to some of the world’s most compelling contemporary authors.” Labyrinth is “the next stage in that journey,” a release states: “a dedicated home for literary fiction, away from the crime and thriller genre:

“The labyrinth has always been a powerful literary symbol,” said publisher and co-founder of Bitter Lemon Press, François von Hurter. “It represents both the pleasure of becoming immersed in a story and the excitement of discovering unexpected paths. That’s the tradition we’re claiming with this list: international fiction you enter at your own risk, that gets under your skin before it lets you go.”

Labyrinth Press’s first title, Ósmann, Ferryman of the North by Joachim B. Schmidt, is currently set to publish in February 2027. Reps called the book a work of historical fiction from an author already known to English-language readers for Kalmann and Kalmann and the Sleeping Mountain, published by Bitter Lemon Press. The new book will be translated by Jamie Lee Searle and will be published in February 2027 in the U.K., and in the U.S. in March. World English rights were acquired from Swiss publisher Diogenes Verlag.

In 2028, Labyrinth Press will also publish Une forêt by art critic and essayist Jean-Yves Jouannais, billed as a “novella in the tradition of Franz Kafka and Thomas Bernhard” and published to critical acclaim in France this year. World English rights were acquired from French publisher Albin Michel, and the book will be translated into English by veteran translator Sam Taylor.

About the Author

Andrew Albanese

Andrew Richard Albanese is the editor-in-chief of 'Publishing Perspectives' and founder and editor of 'Words & Money,' a media site that centers the role of libraries in the 21st Century publishing business. A veteran library and publishing industry reporter, he has previously worked for 'Publishers Weekly' and 'Library Journal,' where he was widely known for his in-depth coverage of the Google Books and Apple E-book price-fixing cases, developments in the digital library market, book bans and freedom to read issues, the open access movement, and copyright issues. He is a former associate editor at Oxford University Press, and the author of 'The Battle of $9.99: How Apple, Amazon, and the Big Six Publishers Changed the E-Book Business Overnight.'

Comments

  1. Reply

    I found this publishing news interesting because new international imprints can give different authors and stories opportunities to reach wider audiences. I always enjoy seeing how independent publishers grow and bring new voices and books into the literary world. https://www.wyalusing-wes.com/

  5. Reply

    After a long time I revisted your letter. I am translating one of my Pujabi Novel in English. As soon as I complete it I will send for comments etc. My novel is based on persons of varios nationalities working on Project in a gulf country. Thanks everybody

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