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{{short description|British independent publishing firm}}
{{Advert|date=May 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
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| country = [[United Kingdom]]
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| headquarters = [[London]]
| headquarters = [[London]]
| distribution = [[The Book Service]] (UK)
| distribution = [[The Book Service]] (UK)<br />[[Consortium Book Sales & Distribution]] (USA)
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| url = {{URL|http://serpentstail.com}}
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'''Serpent's Tail''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] independent [[publishing firm]] founded in 1986 by Pete Ayrton. It is notable for its translated works, particularly European [[crime fiction]], and is the British publisher of [[Elfriede Jelinek]] and [[Lionel Shriver]]. In January 2007 it was bought out by British publisher [[Profile Books]]. As characterised by Boyd Tonkin writing in ''The Independent'' on the imprint's 25th anniversary: "It still issues a list of fiction and non-fiction that – from hard-boiled noir to gems in translation and left-field cultural reportage – often defines the meaning of 'cool'."<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/hot-books-for-cool-readers-serpents-tail-at-25-is-still-the-publisher-with-bite-2286454.html "Hot books for cool readers: Serpent's Tail at 25 is still the publisher with bite", ''The Independent'', 20 May 2011.]</ref>
'''Serpent's Tail''' is London-based independent [[publishing firm]] founded in 1986 by Pete Ayrton. It specialises in publishing work in translation, particularly European [[crime fiction]]. In January 2007, it was bought by a British publisher [[Profile Books]].


==Publications==
The press publishes predominantly fiction, leaning towards edgy, left-of-centre writing. Its non-fiction output tends to focus on popular culture, film and music, and left-field politics. It publishes the current output of authors such as [[Nicholas Royle]] and [[Stella Duffy]] and the back catalogues of [[Derek Raymond]] and [[Kathy Acker]].
The firm publishes both fiction and non-fiction books. Boyd Tonkin, writing for [[The Independent]], has described the publisher's list: "from hard-boiled noir to gems in translation and left-field cultural reportage – often defines the meaning of 'cool'."<ref>{{cite news|last=Tonkin|first=Boyd|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/hot-books-for-cool-readers-serpents-tail-at-25-is-still-the-publisher-with-bite-2286454.html|title=Hot books for cool readers: Serpent's Tail at 25 is still the publisher with bite|work=The Independent|date=20 May 2011}}</ref>


===Noted writers===
Prizes won by its authors include the Nobel Prize for Literature ([[Kenzaburō Ōe]], [[Elfriede Jelinek]] and [[Herta Müller]]), the [[Orange Prize]] for Fiction ([[Lionel Shriver]] for ''[[We Need To Talk About Kevin]]'', in 2005) and the [[John Llewellyn Rhys Prize]] ([[Jonathan Trigell]] for ''[[Boy A]]'', in 2004).
* [[Derek Raymond]]
* [[Elfriede Jelinek]]
* [[Elizabeth Young (journalist)|Elizabeth Young]]
* [[Herta Müller]]
* [[Jonathan Trigell]]
* [[Kathy Acker]]
* [[Kenzaburō Ōe]]
* [[Lionel Shriver]]
* [[Nicholas Royle]]
* [[Stella Duffy]]


===Noted debut novels===
In 2001 Serpent's Tail published the collected journalism of the late [[Elizabeth Young (journalist)|Elizabeth Young]], having previously published her study of American "blank generation" fiction in 1992 (''Shopping in Space'').
* ''Nineteen Seventy-Four'' by [[David Peace]]

* ''[[The South (novel)|The South]]'' by [[Colm Tóibín]]
The imprint is known for publishing debuts - notables include [[Colm Toibin]]'s ''The South'', [[Michel Houellebecq]]'s ''[[Extension du domaine de la lutte|Whatever]]'' and [[David Peace]]'s ''Nineteen Seventy-Four''.
* ''Whatever'' by [[Michel Houellebecq]]


==High Risk Books==
==High Risk Books==
From 1993 to 1997, Serpent's Tail had a New York firm called [[High Risk Books]] under [[Ira Silverberg]] and Amy Scholder. The imprint specialized, as its name suggests, in risk-taking progressive and transgressive fiction (such as [[Kathy Acker]] and [[William S. Burroughs]]), poetry (including [[Jayne Cortez]]), and non-fiction (including the collected journalism of [[Cookie Mueller]]).
[[High Risk Books]] was an imprint of Serpent's Tail that existed from 1993-1997. It was founded by [[Ira Silverberg]] and Amy Scholder and aimed to publish innovative, provocative, and progressive literature (such as [[Kathy Acker]] and [[William S. Burroughs]]), poetry (including [[Jayne Cortez]]), and non-fiction (including the collected journalism of [[Cookie Mueller]]).<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/877279946|title=High Risk: An Anthology of Forbidden Writings|date=1991|publisher=Serpent's Tail|others=Ira Silverberg, Amy Scholder|isbn=1-85242-231-9|location=London|oclc=877279946}}</ref>


== References ==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<references />


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.serpentstail.com/ Official site]
*{[Official|https://www.serpentstail.com/}
*[http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/fales/highrisk.html The Fales Library Guide to the Serpent's Tail/High Risk Archives]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091120045244/http://dlib.nyu.edu/findingaids/html/fales/highrisk.html The Fales Library Guide to the Serpent's Tail/High Risk Archives]


{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Book publishing companies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1986]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1986]]
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[[Category:1986 establishments in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 04:09, 27 December 2022

Serpent's Tail
Parent companyProfile Books
Founded1986; 38 years ago (1986)
FounderPete Ayrton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Headquarters locationLondon
DistributionThe Book Service (UK)
Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (USA)
Publication typesBooks
Official websiteserpentstail.com

Serpent's Tail is London-based independent publishing firm founded in 1986 by Pete Ayrton. It specialises in publishing work in translation, particularly European crime fiction. In January 2007, it was bought by a British publisher Profile Books.

Publications[edit]

The firm publishes both fiction and non-fiction books. Boyd Tonkin, writing for The Independent, has described the publisher's list: "from hard-boiled noir to gems in translation and left-field cultural reportage – often defines the meaning of 'cool'."[1]

Noted writers[edit]

Noted debut novels[edit]

High Risk Books[edit]

High Risk Books was an imprint of Serpent's Tail that existed from 1993-1997. It was founded by Ira Silverberg and Amy Scholder and aimed to publish innovative, provocative, and progressive literature (such as Kathy Acker and William S. Burroughs), poetry (including Jayne Cortez), and non-fiction (including the collected journalism of Cookie Mueller).[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tonkin, Boyd (20 May 2011). "Hot books for cool readers: Serpent's Tail at 25 is still the publisher with bite". The Independent.
  2. ^ High Risk: An Anthology of Forbidden Writings. Ira Silverberg, Amy Scholder. London: Serpent's Tail. 1991. ISBN 1-85242-231-9. OCLC 877279946.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

External links[edit]

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