Not strictly a genre announcement, but Night Shade Books writes to tell us they’re launching a new imprint named Pugilist Press. Publicist John Joseph Adams tells us the new imprint “will focus exclusively on contemporary literary fiction with an edge. Night Shade founder Jason Williams will act as publisher and acclaimed editor Juliet Ulman will serve as editor-in-chief.”
Williams talked about the new imprint. “Over the past twelve years, Night Shade Books has established itself as one of the leading publishers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, with a stable of authors who have been critically hailed for breaking new ground in their genre. We’re ready now to bring that ground-breaking vision into the mainstream; with Juliet on board, we hope to become the preeminent home for literary fiction that packs a punch.”
Ulman, is currently a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Editor (Long Form). She has been an editor at Bantam Dell for 11 years. While there, she “acquired books that were notable both for their unusual, genre-defying narratives and their critical reception,” according to Adams. Books Ulman acquired won or were nominated for the Hugo Award, the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the World Fantasy Award, the British Science Fiction Association Award, the British Fantasy Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, the Nebula Award, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award, the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, and the Mythopoeic Award, and were honored as Best of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The Village Voice, Amazon.com, Powells.com, SFSite.com, and as New York Times Notable Books.
Talking about her new imprint, Ulman said “What we’re looking for is tough literary fiction with a certain honesty and texture to it. Think Cormac McCarthy, Harry Crewes, Gustav Hasford, Lionel Shriver, Dennis Lehane, Ernest Hemingway. Writers whose stories are extremely well-crafted, but who deal in a narrative style and subject matter that is direct, gritty, and often painful. Those are the voices that Pugilist hopes to bring to market.”
Pugilist Press will launch in Fall 2011, and will publish 14-16 books a year in trade paperback—one original title per month, and 2-4 reprints of classic titles per year.