Welcome to The New Menard Press,
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The Menard Press began in London in 1969, founded by the poet, translator and publisher Anthony Rudolf. What started as a little magazine published its first chapbook in 1971 and grew into an independent press with a remarkable literary range. Over the years, it published more than 170 titles, bringing English-language readers important work by poets including Yves Bonnefoy, Osip Mandelstam and Octavio Paz, alongside the first English-language edition of Primo Levi’s poems. Its list also embraced literary criticism, art, translation and political writing.
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In 2021, the press began a new chapter under the direction of writer and publisher Elte Rauch, who also founded the Amsterdam-based independent publishing house HetMoet. Reimagined as The New Menard Press, it carries this independent spirit into the present, while developing a list of its own.
The new press brings overlooked classics into conversation with contemporary writers, publishing fiction, poetry, essays and non-fiction that cross borders of language, identity, genre and experience. Translation and international exchange remain central to its work, alongside a commitment to voices and perspectives that deserve a wider readership.
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The continuity is not simply in the name. It lies in the belief that independent publishing makes room for literature that might otherwise be overlooked: books chosen for their intellectual curiosity, their singularity and their capacity to speak across generations.
The New Menard Press looks both backwards and forwards. It honours a history of independent literary publishing while making space for new conversations, unexpected encounters and books that challenge and connect.
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Independent Presses are in practice part of the not for profit sector. Those who dedicate their lives to the mission of encouraging and facilitating crucial partnerships with writers and translators do so in the belief that literature and reading are the fresh air of our regularly polluted and digitised society.
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Just 1 in 3 young people aged between 8 and 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025 which was a 36% decrease compared to 20 years ago. 8 to 18 year olds become 18 to 28 year olds in a decade so adult readership numbers will continue to reduce. Elte Rauch, publisher of The New Menard Press commented ‘the independent publisher sector has an important role to play in reversing this worrying trend'.
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Our books are sold in independent bookshops, across the United Kingdom and Europe. Do you own a shop or you want to order copies from overseas? Don't hesitate to contact us.
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For Retailers:
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Our books are distributed and represented by
Turnaround Publisher Services
United Kingdom
Orders:
+44 208 829 3002
Sales:
Gethyn Jordan
+44 7821 665813
gethyn.jordan@turnaround-uk.com​​