Supporting the Establishment of Taproot Press
UPDATE:
Our 2021 titles have officially been announced! These are:
THE OTHER SIDE OF STONE by Linda Cracknell (March 2021)
OPEN SECRET: HONG KONG SINCE THE UMBRELLA MOVEMENT edited by Tammy Lai-Ming Ho and Dexter Yim (June 2021)
HARD ROADS AN CAULD HAIRST WINDS: LI BAI AN DU FU IN SCOTS owreset bi Brian Holton (Autumn 2021)
If you would like to support the publication of any of these titles then you can donate by clicking on the button to the right. Every penny we make from this fundraiser will go directly into producing books of the highest quality. If you would like to learn more about Taproot Press then continue reading below. Thank you.
What is Taproot Press?
Taproot Press is a new, Edinburgh-based publishing house which seeks to publish challenging, contemporary literature from Scotland and around the world. It was started by two students at The University of Edinburgh, Dani and Patrick, with a helping hand from poets Robert Alan Jamieson and Miranda Pearson, and editor Jennie Renton. This new venture was established remotely during the Covid-19 pandemic, transcending the distance imposed by national lockdown, connecting those involved across Scotland, Portugal and British Columbia. Taproot has grown under unlikely circumstances, and it could not have been possible without the collaborative efforts of those involved; its first title – Plague Clothes, to be released in August – was only made possible by the generous help of its author, Robert Alan Jamieson, who has kindly covered all costs associated with the book’s production. Now, with your help, we want Taproot to continue to grow.
What is Taproot’s mission?
A taproot grows from the radicle of the seed and is the primary root from which other roots sprout. It is the link between the underground and the over-ground; between the visible and invisible. Culturally, it is that which connects the local with the global, the micro with the macro. For Scotland, a nation whose culture has long extended beyond its borders, the image of the taproot holds particular significance, and it is in this spirit that Taproot Press will operate, publishing contemporary, radical voices emerging from both Scotland and around the world. Innovative, student-led publishing has been fundamental to the development of modern Scottish literature, from Kenneth White’s Jargon Group of the 1960s to the Edinburgh Review/Polygon collaboration of the 1980s and 1990s. Taproot Press will aim to continue that tradition of innovation, publishing new poetry, fiction and non-fiction tuned in to the most fundamental issues of current society. Most importantly, it will offer a platform for otherwise marginalised voices to be heard. Scotland is a country that has long been shaped by the multiplicity of its people - Taproot Press will be too.
Where does your money go?
By donating to Taproot Press you are directly supporting the establishment of a new independent publishing house, and your donations will help the press grow by funding its future publications. Work is already underway on a collection of writing, photography and artwork by those directly involved in the on-going pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, as well as a collection of Scots translations of poems by Li Bai and Du Fu. Making books is an intricate process and involves many (paid!) steps. Every bit of money donated will go straight to the press, helping to fund a multitude of printing costs, author and translator fees, and publication rights for future titles. With your money we hope to publish challenging, high-quality literature from Scotland and around the world. Scotland’s small press publishing scene has been thriving for generations; with your help, we too can spread the words.
Thank you,
Patrick and Dani
