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| Wave Books | |
|---|---|
| Name | Wave Books |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | None listed |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters | Seattle, Washington |
| Distribution | Independent/Small press |
| Publications | Poetry, essays, translations |
Wave Books is an independent American literary press. It is based in Seattle and publishes contemporary poetry, translations, and experimental prose, engaging with a range of poets, translators, and literary institutions across North America and Europe.
Wave Books emerged in the early 21st century amid a vibrant small-press ecosystem that included Graywolf Press, Faber and Faber, Copper Canyon Press, New Directions Publishing, and City Lights Booksellers & Publishers. Its founding paralleled initiatives by organizations such as the Academy of American Poets, the Library of Congress, and regional entities like the Seattle Public Library and Shifted Spaces. The press developed alongside contemporary movements represented by figures associated with Language poetry, The New York Review of Books, and anthologies from HarperCollins-era editors. Early activities intersected with festivals such as the PEN America Literary Gala, the Brooklyn Book Festival, and the National Book Festival. Collaborations and distribution relationships have involved partners like Small Press Distribution, University of Chicago Press, and independent bookstores such as Powell's Books and Strand Bookstore.
The press emphasizes contemporary and experimental poetics, engaging with poets, translators, and editors linked to institutions like the University of Washington, Columbia University, University of Iowa Writers' Workshop, Brown University, and University of Michigan. Editorial priorities align with the aesthetics found in journals such as The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, The Paris Review, Poetry Magazine, and Boston Review. The editorial board has worked with contributors and advisers connected to awards administered by the National Endowment for the Arts, the PEN/Voelcker Award, and the Pulitzer Prize committees. Translation projects reflect networks tied to the Modern Language Association, the American Comparative Literature Association, and the Princeton University Press translation series.
The press's catalog features poets and translators whose careers intersect with institutions and publications such as The New York Times Book Review, New York University, Yale University Press, Harvard University Press, and the University of California Press. Authors associated through readings, fellowships, or previous publications include figures connected to the MacArthur Fellows Program, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, the National Book Award, and residencies at MacDowell, Yaddo, and Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Works published have been reviewed in outlets like The Guardian, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Review of Books, Salon, and The Atlantic. The press's translators and poets have translated or been translated in collaboration with houses such as Seagull Books, Archipelago Books, and New Directions.
Titles from the press have been finalists and winners in competitions administered by organizations like the National Book Critics Circle, the Poetry Society of America, the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards, and the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Recipients and nominees include poets whose earlier or later works received honors from the Pulitzer Prize, the T. S. Eliot Prize, the Griffin Poetry Prize, and fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The press has been acknowledged in year-end lists from publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, and NPR, and has placed poets into academic positions at University of California, Berkeley, New York University, Princeton University, and University of Texas at Austin.
Distribution channels have included collaborations with Small Press Distribution, independent booksellers like Powell's Books and Politics and Prose, university bookstores at University of Washington and Columbia University, and online retailers that feature press titles alongside offerings from Amazon (company), Barnes & Noble, and academic distributors such as Ingram Content Group. Sales and reach are bolstered by features in media outlets including The New York Times Book Review, NPR Books, The Guardian, and literary blogs hosted by The Millions and LitHub. The press maintains relationships with grant-making bodies such as the National Endowment for the Arts and regional arts councils tied to Seattle Arts Commission and Washington State Arts Commission.
Programming includes readings, panels, and workshops staged at venues like The New School, Seattle Central Library, Town Hall Seattle, Barnes & Noble Union Square, and festival stages at the Brooklyn Book Festival and the Seattle International Film Festival (for interdisciplinary events). Community engagement has involved partnerships with organizations such as PEN America, GrubStreet, 826 Seattle, Jack Straw Cultural Center, and university writing centers at University of Washington and Cornell University. The press’s authors and editors have participated in panels hosted by Poets & Writers, the Association of Writers & Writing Programs, and public radio series on NPR and KEXP.
Category:American poetry publishers