Hesperus Press

Hesperus Press is an independent publishing house based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 2001, it developed a catalogue centered on bringing literary works, especially overlooked or less readily available titles, to new readers. Its motto, “Et Remotissima Prope,” translates approximately as “Bringing near what is far,” expressing the publisher’s emphasis on literary rediscovery and accessibility. The company’s publishing programme has included works by major canonical authors such as Dante, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Kafka, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Annie Dillard, and Aldous Huxley. Rather than operating only as a conventional contemporary trade publisher, Hesperus has organized its list through a number of themed series. These have included Hesperus Classics, Hesperus Nova, Hesperus Minor, Brief Lives, Poetic Lives, ON, Modern Voices, and Hesperus Worldwide. The range indicates a strategy combining established literary names, rediscovered works, short-form biographies, poetry-related books, contemporary writing, and literature from outside the United Kingdom. Hesperus gained wider public attention through its UK publication of Jonas Jonasson’s Swedish novel The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. The Hesperus edition was released in July 2012 and became associated with the book’s success in the British market. The title’s performance gave the small independent publisher an unusually visible commercial achievement, but it was later followed by a legal dispute over royalty payments. In 2015, the High Court ordered Hesperus to stop selling its edition after finding that royalties to the author had not been paid for three years. The publisher has also been associated with public efforts to identify books that readers would like to see returned to print, reflecting its broader interest in literary preservation and republication. Its catalogue and public profile have been discussed in British and international newspaper coverage, including reports about its founders, its classic-literature programme, and authors connected with its publications. Available company information indicates that Hesperus Press had no employees according to its 2023 accounts. The available reference material does not establish the company’s current ownership, leadership, financial position, or operating status. Its website remains the identified official web presence, but a current catalogue, staffing structure, and detailed corporate information cannot be confirmed from the supplied sources.

Hesperus Press was established in London in 2001 as an independent publishing house. Its stated motto, “Et Remotissima Prope,” conveys the idea of bringing distant or hard-to-find literature closer to readers. This principle is reflected in a list that combines recognized classics with works that have been neglected, forgotten, newly translated, or otherwise in need of renewed attention. The publisher’s catalogue has drawn on a broad literary range. It has issued or been associated with works by authors including Dante, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Kafka, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, Annie Dillard, and Aldous Huxley. The list has not been limited to a single period or national tradition. Instead, Hesperus has used multiple series to separate or frame different kinds of literary publishing, including Hesperus Classics, Hesperus Nova, Hesperus Minor, Brief Lives, Poetic Lives, ON, Modern Voices, and Hesperus Worldwide. These series suggest a publishing model built around curation and discoverability. Classic works could be presented alongside lesser-known titles, while biographical and poetry-oriented series provided additional ways to introduce readers to writers and literary subjects. Hesperus also participated in conversations about republication and out-of-print books, including an initiative inviting readers to nominate a novel for possible republication. Such activity was consistent with the company’s identity as a small literary house seeking to recover or circulate material that might otherwise remain unavailable. A major turning point came in 2012, when Hesperus published the UK edition of Swedish author Jonas Jonasson’s The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. The edition, released in July, connected the independent publisher with an international bestseller and brought it substantially greater public attention than its specialist literary profile alone might have generated. The commercial success was followed by a serious legal and contractual dispute. In 2015, the High Court ordered Hesperus to stop selling its edition after a case concerning royalties owed to Jonasson. The available reference states that royalties had not been paid to the author for three years. This episode is the most prominently documented controversy in the publisher’s history and marked a difficult moment following the visibility gained from the novel. Later available information is limited. Hesperus Press’s 2023 accounts reportedly showed no employees, but the supplied material does not clarify whether the business had shifted to an outsourced or dormant structure, whether its catalogue remained actively managed, or whether its corporate status had changed. The official website is available as the publisher’s web address, while current ownership, executive leadership, revenue, employee structure, and definitive present operating status remain unconfirmed.

• 2023

  Accounts report no employees

  [1]Hesperus Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The publisher’s 2023 accounts reportedly indicate that it has no employees.

• 2015

  Court-ordered withdrawal of the Jonasson edition

  [1]Hesperus Pressen.wikipedia.org

  The High Court orders Hesperus to stop selling its edition of Jonasson’s novel in a royalty dispute.

• 2012

  UK publication of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

  [1]Hesperus Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Hesperus releases the UK edition of Jonas Jonasson’s Swedish bestseller in July.

• 2001

  Hesperus Press is founded

  [1]Hesperus Pressen.wikipedia.org

  Hesperus Press is established as an independent publishing house based in London.

An independent literary publisher focused on making canonical, neglected, rediscovered, contemporary, and international writing accessible to modern readers.

• Classic literature series

  Hesperus Classics

  A series devoted to established works from the literary canon. The wider Hesperus list associated with this programme includes authors such as Dante, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Gustave Flaubert, Franz Kafka, Leo Tolstoy, Virginia Woolf, and Aldous Huxley.

• Literary fiction series

  Hesperus Nova

  One of Hesperus Press’s named publishing series. The available reference identifies the series but does not provide a complete description of its editorial scope or current publication status.

• Literary series

  Hesperus Minor

  A Hesperus imprint or series included in the publisher’s catalogue structure. Detailed information about its selection criteria and individual titles is not established by the supplied sources.

• Biography series

  Brief Lives

  A series centered on concise biographical treatments, consistent with Hesperus Press’s broader interest in making literary and cultural subjects approachable in compact formats.

• Poetry and biography series

  Poetic Lives

  A named Hesperus series combining a poetry-related focus with the publisher’s interest in literary lives and accessible introductions. The supplied material does not specify its full catalogue.

• Literary series

  ON

  One of the series used by Hesperus Press. The available reference confirms the name but does not describe its editorial remit in sufficient detail.

• Contemporary literature series

  Modern Voices

  A series associated with contemporary or modern literary writing within Hesperus Press’s broader programme of classic, contemporary, and international works.

• International literature series

  Hesperus Worldwide

  A series reflecting Hesperus Press’s international publishing orientation. The name indicates a focus beyond the British literary market, although the supplied material does not provide a complete list of countries or languages represented.

• Translated contemporary fiction · 2012

  The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

  Hesperus Press’s UK edition of Jonas Jonasson’s Swedish bestseller, published in July 2012. The title became the publisher’s most publicly visible commercial release, although its sale was later halted by court order in connection with a royalty dispute.

• 2015

  Royalty dispute over The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

  The High Court ordered Hesperus Press to stop selling its UK edition of Jonas Jonasson’s novel after a dispute in which royalties had reportedly not been paid to the author for three years.

  Source

Read more

• Reader nominations for republication

  United Kingdom

  Hesperus Press invited members of the public to nominate an out-of-print book they would like to see republished. The initiative aligned with the house’s focus on literary rediscovery and the recovery of neglected works.

  Source

• 2015

  Comply with the court-ordered stop on salesOther

  Background

  The High Court found grounds to order the withdrawal of Hesperus’s edition after the royalty dispute involving Jonas Jonasson.

  Action taken

  Hesperus was ordered to stop selling its edition of the novel.

  Aftermath

  The decision restricted distribution of the publisher’s edition and became the most prominent legal controversy associated with Hesperus Press.

  Source

• 2012

  Publish the UK edition of a Swedish international bestsellerProduct launch

  Background

  Hesperus expanded beyond its specialist profile in classic and rediscovered literature by taking on the UK edition of Jonas Jonasson’s Swedish novel.

  Action taken

  The publisher released The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared in July 2012.

  Aftermath

  The book brought substantial visibility to the independent house, but sales of Hesperus’s edition were later stopped by court order in a royalty dispute.

  Source

1. 1Hesperus Pressen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Hesperus Press official websitehesperuspress.com