gnat micro press

gnat micro press (Hebrew: ברחש, transliterated Barhash) is a small, non-commercial Israeli publishing house based in Tel Aviv. It was founded in 2016 by the poets Eran Hadas and Daniel Oz, who serve as founding editors, together with the comics artist Keren Katz, who developed the press's comics department and serves as its general manager. The press describes itself as a "micropress" dedicated to publishing alternative and experimental literary art forms, with a particular emphasis on poetry, comics, visual literature and artist books, issued in both Hebrew and English. Since its founding, gnat micro press has released dozens of books and zines. Its catalogue spans alternative and non-lyrical poetry, alternative comics, graphic novels, visual literature and art books. Notable authors and artists published by the press include Eran Hadas, Van Nuyn, Larisa Miller, Noam Dovdev, Noa Shaham, Zali Gurevitch, Tino Mushkovitz, Merhav Yeshurun, Ella Novak, Tami Asulin, Savyon Shenhar and Amit Ben-Ami. The press is also home to the Amdram comics group, whose participants have included illustrators Omer Hoffman, Hadar Reuven, Keren Katz, Dan Alon, Hila Noam and Ovadia Banisho. The press operates as a non-profit and works in collaboration with the Tel Aviv bookstore Sipur Pashut ("Simple Story"), through which its books are sold and distributed across Israel. Its editorial board is broad and participatory, and its production and distribution are supported by an active community of members. Hadar Reuven serves as art director and head of artist books, Omer Hoffman heads the comics department, and Maya Marom and Dor Cohen handle graphic design. gnat micro press has received recognition in the Israeli and international comics and poetry scenes. Several of its comics titles were nominated for the alternative comics prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival in 2018 and 2022. In 2022, Eran Hadas's poetry book "Cells" (תאים) won the Golden Duck (Bruvaz HaZahav) award for alternative poetry. In 2023, Ron Levin's graphic novel "95.94% Shlomo" won the Nevon Prize for Israeli comics at the Animix festival. In 2025, the comics anthologies "Third City" and "Irreversible" received an honorable mention in the anthology category of the Arye Nevon Prize for comics. The press's output is characterized by experimentation and cross-disciplinary collaboration. For example, "Tell Me Your Story" (2021) was produced through a virtual correspondence between ten pairs of Turkish and Israeli illustrators, each exchanging a childhood memory and a visual interpretation, published in English with the support of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul and in collaboration with Paper Street Co. This project exemplifies the press's interest in illustration as a medium of encounter and in cross-cultural dialogue. As of the mid-2020s, gnat micro press continues to publish new titles, including works dated 2024 and 2025, and maintains an active online storefront through its website and its partnership with Sipur Pashut. It remains a non-profit, independent micropress with a focus on alternative and experimental literary art forms.

gnat micro press (ברחש) was founded in 2016 in Tel Aviv by the poets Eran Hadas and Daniel Oz, who serve as founding editors. The press was established as a non-profit micropress with the aim of publishing new and excellent work, primarily poetry and comics. The comics artist Keren Katz joined and developed the comics department, later becoming the press's general manager. The press's name, ברחש, is a Hebrew word meaning "gnat" or "mosquito," and the press describes itself as "tiny, buzzing and swarming." From its early years, the press focused on alternative and experimental literary art forms, publishing poetry that is alternative and non-lyrical, as well as alternative comics, visual literature and artist books, in both Hebrew and English. It has released dozens of books and zines since its founding. The press operates with a broad editorial board and an active community of members who contribute to production and distribution. It collaborates with the Tel Aviv bookstore Sipur Pashut ("Simple Story"), through which its books are sold and shipped across Israel. Among the poets published by the press are Eran Hadas, Van Nuyn, Larisa Miller, Noam Dovdev, Noa Shaham, Zali Gurevitch, Tino Mushkovitz, Merhav Yeshurun, Ella Novak, Tami Asulin, Savyon Shenhar and Amit Ben-Ami. The press is home to the Amdram comics group, whose participants have included illustrators Omer Hoffman, Hadar Reuven, Keren Katz, Dan Alon, Hila Noam and Ovadia Banisho. Notable publications include Noam Dovdev's poetry books "The Blow of a Word" (2020) and "When It Darkened" (2022), which are the only palindromic poetry books in Hebrew as of 2025. The press has received awards and recognition. In 2018 and 2022, several comics titles published by gnat micro press were nominated for the alternative comics prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. In 2022, Eran Hadas's poetry book "Cells" (תאים) won the Golden Duck (Bruvaz HaZahav) award for alternative poetry, named after Dudu Geva. In 2023, Ron Levin's graphic novel "95.94% Shlomo" won the Nevon Prize for Israeli comics at the Animix festival. In 2025, the comics anthologies "Third City" and "Irreversible" received an honorable mention in the anthology category of the Arye Nevon Prize for comics. The press has also engaged in international collaborations. "Tell Me Your Story" (2021) was a project involving ten pairs of Turkish and Israeli illustrators who exchanged childhood memories and visual interpretations, published in English with the support of the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul and in collaboration with Paper Street Co. The press continues to publish new titles, with works dated 2024 and 2025, and maintains an online storefront through its website and its partnership with Sipur Pashut.

• 2025

  Comics anthologies "Third City" and "Irreversible" receive an honorable mention in the anthology category of the Arye Nevon Prize for comics.

• 2023

  Ron Levin's graphic novel "95.94% Shlomo" wins the Nevon Prize for Israeli comics at the Animix festival.

• 2022

  Eran Hadas's poetry book "Cells" wins the Golden Duck award for alternative poetry; several comics titles are nominated at Angoulême.

• 2021

  "Tell Me Your Story," a collaborative project between Turkish and Israeli illustrators, is published in English.

• 2020

  Noam Dovdev's palindromic poetry book "The Blow of a Word" is published.

• 2018

  Several comics titles published by the press are nominated for the alternative comics prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival.

• 2016

  gnat micro press is founded in Tel Aviv by poets Eran Hadas and Daniel Oz as a non-profit micropress.

Non-profit micropress dedicated to alternative and experimental literary art forms, with a focus on poetry, comics, visual literature and artist books in Hebrew and English.

• 2021

  Tell Me Your Story

  A book resulting from a virtual correspondence between ten pairs of Turkish and Israeli illustrators, published in English with support from the Israeli Consulate in Istanbul and in collaboration with Paper Street Co.

• 2020

  The Blow of a Word

  A palindromic poetry book by Noam Dovdev, one of the only such books in Hebrew.

• 2022

  When It Darkened

  A palindromic poetry book by Noam Dovdev.

• 2021

  Cells

  A poetry book by Eran Hadas that won the Golden Duck award for alternative poetry in 2022.

• 2023

  95.94% Shlomo

  A graphic novel by Ron Levin that won the Nevon Prize for Israeli comics at the Animix festival in 2023.

• 2025

  Third City

  A comics anthology that received an honorable mention at the Arye Nevon Prize for comics in 2025.

• 2024

  Irreversible

  A comics anthology (A Misdeeds Anthology) that received an honorable mention at the Arye Nevon Prize for comics in 2025.

1. 1gnat micro press official websitebarhash.com
2. 2About gnat micro pressbarhash.com
3. 3Products gnat micro pressbarhash.com
4. 4Tell Me Your Story (2021)barhash.com
5. 5gnat on Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6ברחש (הוצאת ספרים) – Wikipedia (Hebrew)he.wikipedia.org