Third World Press

Third World Press (TWP) is the largest independent black-owned press in the United States.[2] Since the 1960s the company has focused on publishing culturally progressive and political books of fiction and non-fiction, poetry, and cross-genre work.

Third World Press
Founded1967
FounderHaki R. Madhubuti, Carolyn Rodgers, and Johari Amini
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationChicago
Publication typesBooks
ImprintsIngram Publisher Services[1]
Official websitethirdworldpressfoundation.com

History

In December 1967, Haki R. Madhubuti met with poet and activist Carolyn Rodgers[3] and Johari Amini in the basement of a South Side apartment in Chicago to found Third World Press as an outlet for African-American literature. By 2007, the company continued to thrive in a multimillion-dollar facility. Over the years, Third World Press has published works by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gwendolyn Brooks, as well as by Sonia Sanchez, Sterling Plumpp and Pearl Cleage.[4] The list of authors published by Third World Press also includes Amiri Baraka,[5] Margaret Walker, Sam Greenlee, Naomi Long Madgett, Keorapetse Kgositsile, Mari Evans,[6] Kalamu ya Salaam, Gloria Naylor, Gil Scott-Heron, Chancellor Williams,[7] George E. Kent[8] and many others. It is the stated mission of TWP "to always honor Black writers and artists and to celebrate artists of all cultures."[9]

In 2006, The Covenant with Black America, with an introduction by Tavis Smiley, reached No. 1 in the New York Times Bestseller list.[10]

In May 2011, Third World Press developed and launched TWPBooks.com, which replaced the former ThirdWorldPressInc.com. TWPBooks.com leverages the heritage and technological spirit for which Third World Press has come to be known. Under the direction of Madhudbuti, Third World Press has embraced social media and the prevalence of eBooks, while upgrading its internal technologies to better serve customers of Third World Press.

The poet Parneshia Jones, editorial director at Northwestern University Press, began her career in publishing as an intern at Third World Press.[11]

See also
  • African-American book publishers in the United States, 1960-1980

Notes
  1. "Publishers We Work With – Book Distribution | Ingram Content Group". Retrieved November 12, 2017.
  2. Amy Alexander, "Tavis Smiley's Covenant", The Nation, September 18, 2006.
  3. "Carolyn M. Rodgers DEAD At 69, Chicago Poet And Writer Helped Found Black Press", HuffPost, June 13, 2010.
  4. "Little Known Black History Fact: Carolyn Rodgers", blackamericaweb.com.
  5. "Third World Press Pays Tribute to Amiri Baraka", January 28, 2014.
  6. "Third World Press celebrates 40th anniversary", Ebony, December 1, 2007.
  7. Third World Press page, African American Literature Book Club (AALBC).
  8. Blackness and the Adventure of Western Culture, Third World Press, 1972 (ISBN 0-88378-026-7).
  9. "About Third World Press", official website.
  10. "'The Covenant with Black America' reaches No. 1 on New York Times Best Seller list", Jet, May 8, 2006, p. 32.
  11. Morgan, Saretta. "THE EYES HAVE IT". KWELI JOURNAL. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
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