Salt Books

Salt Books WELCOME to Salt, one of the UK’s great independent publishers, established in 1999. It has compelled me to read outside the box. Salt was founded in 1999.

Over twenty-five years, we have grown into a daring literary powerhouse, winning over twenty awards around the world. ‘In a publishing world where everything seems to be about agglomeration, it’s cheering to see a company making a sustained case for the power of the small and the singular. I have been surprised and delighted by so many of Salt’s books over the years. Watching its list grow and dev

elop has been an unpredictable pleasure.’ Claire Armitstead, The Guardian

‘Salt Publishing arrived onto the UK’s vibrant independent publishing scene at the end of the 20th Century, and have embodied a pioneering spirit and boldness in keeping with the new century, while retaining a timeless adherence to editorial strength of taste and purpose. Over 20 years they’ve developed their publishing, with a sizeable backlist and prize-contending front list. It’ll be exciting to follow their story as they move into their third decade.’ Stephen Page, CEO, Faber & Faber

‘Salt is essential seasoning in the world of British books. A fine, independent list, published with great spirit.’ Robert McCrum, Associate Editor, Observer

Salt is one of UK’s foremost independent publishers, committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature. We are advocates for writers at all stages of their careers and ensure that diverse voices can be heard in an abundant, global marketplace. We believe books are key to developing an imaginative life, and that the imagination is key to being fully human. We intend to make a positive difference to readers’ lives. We also believe books cannot succeed without being discovered, so we invest heavily in finding audiences through direct engagement, through the quality of our editing, design and manufacturing, and through creative sales, communication and publicity. Good publishing is participative and inclusive, yet dependent on judgement and, of course, you, the reader. Our first publications were poetry and we rapidly developed an award-winning international list. We went on to win the Nielsen Innovation Award in the IPG’s Independent Publishing Awards in 2008 for our work in taking poetry to new audiences. Salt’s publishing soon expanded to include children’s poetry, Native American poetry, Latin American poetry in translation, poetry criticism, essays, literary companions, biography, theatre studies, writers’ guides and poetry chapbooks as well as a ground-breaking series of eBook novellas. By the end of 2010 we had published over 1,000 products and sold them internationally. In 2011, we began to focus our efforts on developing our fiction list. Since that time we have achieved considerable critical success in numerous literary awards, including winning the Polari First Book Prize (three times), the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award (twice) and the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Most notably, we have twice been nominated for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted in the Costa Book Awards. Today, Salt is considered one of UK’s leading independent publishers – a growing business that has an international impact.

Wishing you all a very merry, book-filled Christmas!🎄🧑‍🎄☃️
25/12/2025

Wishing you all a very merry, book-filled Christmas!🎄🧑‍🎄☃️

Poetry Workshop – All ChangeLed by James McDermottCourse startsJanuary 5, 2026 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm
21/12/2025

Poetry Workshop – All Change
Led by James McDermott

Course starts
January 5, 2026 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm

To mark the start of the new year, through a series of writing exercises and group discussions of poems, in this interactive writing workshop we’ll explore chan

20/12/2025

I Hear You, my collection of BBC Radio 4 short stories, is the joint winner of The McCrea Literary Award 2025. I would shout out to the other winner but they didn’t tell me who it was. Here& #…

So pleased to see this!
20/12/2025

So pleased to see this!

🕰️ With the year coming to an end, we asked a selection of our contributors to give us their favourite poetry books and pamphlets of 2025.

Next is Tim Relf's pick: Wonder by Chris Emery (Salt Publishing). Thank you, Tim!

Gift shopping? If you're a Poetry Society member, you can receive 10% off at the Poetry Book Society! Further details are in the Members' Area.

‘16 gifts mums actually want this Christmas’ —Daily MailSasha Butler’s ‘The Marriage Contract’ 🎅🦌🎄
20/12/2025

‘16 gifts mums actually want this Christmas’ —Daily Mail

Sasha Butler’s ‘The Marriage Contract’ 🎅🦌🎄

As a 37-year-old mother of two, I definitely fall into the 'mum' category, but I'm always surprised when I see the range of gifts that are supposedly aimed at me.

Everything Is Better With Dragons – reviews The Cat Bride.
19/12/2025

Everything Is Better With Dragons – reviews The Cat Bride.

PUBLICATION DATE: 7 APRIL 2025 | SALT PUBLISHING | £10.99 | PAPERBACK ORIGINAL The heatwave of 1995. Sixteen years since an infamous tiger-lynx hybrid escaped a small moorland zoo and killed a man.…

Mike Farren reviews Wonder by Chris Emery“There’s plenty of thought, much of it masquerading as homespun or conversation...
14/12/2025

Mike Farren reviews Wonder by Chris Emery

“There’s plenty of thought, much of it masquerading as homespun or conversational, behind the whimsy and absurdism. And above all, there is that titular ‘wonder’, hard won or recovered from the mundane. ‘Wonder’ is as multifaceted a collection as it is a concept – amusing and baffling; banal and awe-inspiring; shallow as chit-chat and deep as philosophy – and all the while, through the veins of these poems, “The smart blood sings, / Make haste, it sings, Bring us wonder, bring rain.” (‘It’s Here Again’)”

Posts about Reviews written by The High Window Review

We are on Instagram as . Do come and join us!
10/12/2025

We are on Instagram as . Do come and join us!

13K Followers, 7,069 Following, 1,166 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Salt Books • Independent Publisher ()

We are delighted to announce Louis de Bernières is joining the Salt list for 2026.
04/12/2025

We are delighted to announce Louis de Bernières is joining the Salt list for 2026.

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01/12/2025

The Maternal Element by Kate Nicholls is 'a richly imagined portrait of motherhood and female strength' set in 19th-century Siberia — new in Bookbrunch

Why I Wrote ‘The Maternal Element’by Kate NichollsRead now in House Magazine.
01/12/2025

Why I Wrote ‘The Maternal Element’
by Kate Nicholls

Read now in House Magazine.

by Kate Nicholls Four years ago, I had never heard of Maria Mendeleeva, Dmitry Mendeleev’s mother. Wanting to bring a class on the Periodic Table to life, I searched for stories about Mendeleev’s childhood and stumbled upon a short article about his mother written by the Australian chemist Alf L...

We’ve just launched a new page on the Salt site all about our design and typography – the quiet craft behind every book ...
30/11/2025

We’ve just launched a new page on the Salt site all about our design and typography – the quiet craft behind every book we make. From buses to the British Council to Cromer by the sea, it’s been quite a journey in information design. And yes, those old bus timetables I designed really are collectables now … apparently there’s a gricer for everything.

Have a read:
https://www.saltpublishing.com/pages/design-and-typography-at-salt

Chris Hamilton-EmeryDesigner, Salt Design as the Soul of Salt Design has always been at the heart of Salt’s publishing identity. From the outset, we’ve always understood typography to be both form and function (something every designer knows) – a way of shaping how readers experience literatur...

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12 Norwich Road
Cromer
NR270AX

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Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm

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‘Salt is essential seasoning in the world of British books. A fine, independent list, published with great spirit.’ —Robert McCrum, Associate Editor, Observer Salt is one of UK’s foremost independent publishers, committed to the discovery and publication of contemporary British literature. We are advocates for writers at all stages of their careers and ensure that diverse voices can be heard in an abundant, global marketplace. We believe books are key to developing an imaginative life, and that the imagination is key to being fully human. We intend to make a positive difference to readers’ lives. We also believe books cannot succeed without being discovered and we invest heavily in finding audiences through direct engagement, through the quality of our editing, design and manufacturing, and through creative sales, communication and publicity. Good publishing is participative and inclusive, yet dependent on judgement and, of course, on you the reader. Salt was founded in Cambridge in 1999. Our first publications were poetry and we rapidly developed an award-winning international list. We went on to win the Nielsen Innovation Award in the IPG’s Independent Publishing Awards in 2008 for our work in taking poetry to new audiences. Salt’s publishing soon expanded to include children’s poetry, Native American poetry, Latin American poetry in translation, poetry criticism, essays, literary companions, biography, theatre studies, writers’ guides and poetry chapbooks as well as a ground-breaking series of eBook novellas. By the end of 2010 we had published over 1,000 products and sold them internationally. In 2011, we began to focus our efforts on developing our fiction and short story lists, gradually moving away from publishing in other genres. Since that time we have achieved considerable critical success in numerous literary awards, including winning the Polari First Book Prize (three times), the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Award (twice) and the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. Most notably, we have been nominated twice for the Man Booker Prize. Today, Salt is considered one of UK’s leading independent publishers – a growing business that has an international impact.