London’s Little Presses

During the three decades following World War II, a number of small-sized presses were formed in England whose primary intention was the publishing of literary work (particularly poetry) that they believed was not being published by mainstream trade publishers. The books were mostly designed and produced in-house by the publishers themselves. Scholars refer to these presses interchangeably as ‘small presses’ or ‘little presses’. This chapter highlights the publishing practice of four prominent London-based presses over a thirty-five-year period (1945–1979): Stuart Montgomery’s Fulcrum Press, Stefan and Franciszka Themerson’s Gaberbocchus Press, Asa Benveniste’s Trigram Press, and Bob Cobbing’s Writers Forum. It draws upon a variety of sources, including interviews with many closely associated with the presses and archival material. It describes how the culture and environment of the city – London, in this instance – led to an incredible creative impetus that was realised through the form of ‘happenings’, books and peripatetic publications, and which impacted upon the nature of mainstream publishing at the time.