About Us
'One of the most vital and vitalising literary organisations in the country'
– Andrew Motion
– Ian McMillan reading 'The Man Who Answers the Door at the Poetry Business' (from Kaleidoscope, 16.11.1990)
The Poetry Business was founded in 1986 in Huddersfield, and became a limited company in 1991. Now based in Sheffield (map), the directors and editors are Peter & Ann Sansom.
The Poetry Business publishes books, pamphlets and audio under the Smith/Doorstop imprint, and publishes literary magazine The North. It also runs Writing Days, the Writing School, residential courses and the original Book & Pamphlet Competition.
Priorities
- The spreading of interest in contemporary poetry
- The encouragement of new writers
- The publishing of work of new and established writers
- The setting of high artistic standards
Activities
- We publish books, pamphlets and audio under the Smith/Doorstop imprint
- We publish a literary magazine, The North, two issues a year
- We run an annual Book and Pamphlet Competition
- We run monthly Writing Days
- We run a residential course each year
