The North West boasts some of the most vibrant, diverse and important independent presses in the country, ranging from internationally distributed poetry and photography publishers, to innovative local magazines, graphic novel houses and key players in the regional and national literary scene.

Literature North West is a promotional tool for the region's independent presses and literature organisations. If you are a reader, writer, publisher, events organiser or venue our site is crammed with lots of invaluable information to help you navigate your way around North West's literature scene.

Through Literature North West you can:

• explore our database of books, magazines, publishers and writers based in the North West
• discover the writers that come from or live where you live
• keep up to date with who is writing about where
• buy fiction, short fiction, poetry and magazines produced by North West publishers who are keeping the independent spirit of the written word alive - and all at specially reduced rates

Literature North West is the public interface of the Index Network, an organisation which attempts to bring the rich and disparate elements of the region's independent publishers together in a single celebration. Index's aim is to foster and develop excellence in the region's creative independent publishers and to help connect these publishers' writers, and their work, with readers both inside and outside the region.

Index does this by:

• Offering joint marketing and promotional opportunities to North West's independent creative publishers, through an informal membership or network, whether that promotion is to trade, readers, libraries or the media.
• Organising a programme of professional development training seminars and networking opportunities.
• Acting as a referral point and information service for the North West's authors, artists and readers with regard to publishing opportunities, literary events and title releases.

Contact us on for queries, or if you would like to add details of events or news items to the website.

Index members include Commonword/Crocus, Carcanet, Clinamen, Comma, Countyvise, Dewi Lewis, Deva Comics, Driftwood, Engine Comics, Flux, Headland, Impress, L.U.P., Millrace, M.U.P., Orbis, Panshine, The Reader, Raindog, Stand, Smoke & Ugly Tree. For a full breakdown of publishing in the region click on Publishing above.

Index and Literature North West is supported by Arts Council England North West and , The Creative Industry Development Service.

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