It was a crazy thing to say to Karen but I made a promise to sort out the TBR for a tour at the beginning of #ReadIndies Month. The Indies aren’t separated from the rest. They cohabit peacefully with the their buddies from the conglomerates on the shelves, or more likely in unruly, unpresentable bookpiles on the floor because I don’t have enough shelfspace. A quick look at the shelves will tell you they are full … mostly with my favourite indies as it happens!

The presentable part of the library featuring Melville House Press, Pushkin Press and Seagull Books

Most of my shelf space is filled with the Folio Society books I have been collecting for over 20 years. The intention was to read them during retirement. But since I have been blogging for a while – 14 years next Sunday – there are now so many other temptations. My reading chair is parked in German Lit corner, where you will find books from Melville House Publishing (Heinrich Böll collection pictured) and a flock of Seagull Books within arms reach. Books from Peirene Press live just above these. Pushkin Press corner is located to my left.

The idea was to clear some space on these shelves for other indies in the TBR. Yet none of the shelved were for moving, funnily enough. My only option was to clear the Edinburgh Book Festival smorgasbord (still mostly unread from last July 🥴) and restock with indies. I wondered just how many indies I could find. Well, if you’ve looked at the lists I published earlier, you’ll know that there is plenty of choice. My gut feeling was that I’d find books from between 30-40 different publishers.

Well, double that! I haven’t specifically sought to collect indies. I think this is the result of attending literary festivals (where indies are highlighted, more so than in bookshops) and the influence of blogger recommendations. There are 77 indies represented on the table, and that’s exclusive of university presses. I’ll talk you through them, shall I? I jest. I’ll just highlight a few that are calling loudest to me right now.

The #ReadIndies Table with highlights

Bottom left: Corsario Books started publishing late last year. Their mission is to publish books which bridge genres – in subject matter, format and content. Mosaics of Spain: The World of Max Camara is a companion guide, an introduction and a taster for future novels in Jason Webster’s Max Camara crime series.

Bottom middle: Books from the publishing imprints of independent bookshops: Fox, Finch and Tepper (Mr B’s Emporium of Reading Delights), Daunts Books Publishing (Daunts Books), Propolis Books (The Book Hive)

Bottom right: Graphic novels, anyone? My edition of Irmina is published by German independent, Reprodukt. It has been translated into English and published by SelfMadeHero, as is The Summer of Her Life.

So now you know, if you didn’t before, why my #ReadIndies project actually started last month when I reviewed books published by Bitter Lemon Press, Europa Editions, Little Toller Books and Seagull Books. Looking at the above, I could easily turn #ReadIndies into a yearlong lifelong project.