Ignition Press

Ignition Press is an award-winning poetry pamphlet press based at the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre, part of Oxford Brookes University in Oxford, England. Established in 2017, the press publishes original, arresting poetry from emerging poets and has an explicitly international outlook. It operates as a small, curated imprint rather than a commercial trade publisher, releasing short pamphlet collections that showcase new voices. The press has built a strong reputation within UK poetry circles. Pamphlets it has published have received six Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice selections, for works including A Hurry of English by Mary Jean Chan, Hinge by Alycia Pirmohamed, Ripe by Isabelle Baafi, Sargam / Swargam by Fathima Zahra, When the Flies Come by Fahad Al-Amoudi, and Sometimes Real Love Comes Quick & Easy by Janine Bradbury. Five of its pamphlets have been shortlisted for the Michael Marks Poetry Award: Hinge, When the Flies Come, Radical Pairings by Clementine E Burnley, Whetstone by Eira Murphy, and Exposure by Eric Yip. In 2021 the press itself won the Michael Marks Publishers' Award, recognising its contribution to poetry publishing. Ignition Press sells its pamphlets directly, with older titles priced at £4 and newer ones at £7, and bundle offers such as three older pamphlets for £10 or three newer ones for £14. Recent pamphlets include work by AV Bridgwood and Meredith MacLeod Davidson. The press maintains a presence through the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre's Facebook and Instagram accounts and a YouTube channel featuring pamphlet launches. It periodically opens for submissions, with a stated window from 7 April to 5 May 2026. Its managing editor has included Les Robinson, who discussed the press's approach in an interview with the Friday Poem website. As an imprint of a public university, Ignition Press is not a standalone commercial company but a cultural and educational publishing initiative. Its mission aligns with Oxford Brookes University's broader commitment to education and research, and it serves as a platform for emerging poets to reach readers in the UK and internationally.

Ignition Press was established in 2017 as an imprint of the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre at Oxford Brookes University. Oxford Brookes University itself traces its origins to the Oxford School of Art, founded in 1865, and became a university in 1992. The poetry centre provided a natural home for a press dedicated to contemporary poetry. From its founding, Ignition Press adopted an international outlook, seeking out emerging poets and publishing their work in pamphlet form. The press quickly gained recognition. Its pamphlets have received six Poetry Book Society Pamphlet Choice selections: A Hurry of English by Mary Jean Chan, Hinge by Alycia Pirmohamed, Ripe by Isabelle Baafi, Sargam / Swargam by Fathima Zahra, When the Flies Come by Fahad Al-Amoudi, and Sometimes Real Love Comes Quick & Easy by Janine Bradbury. Five pamphlets have been shortlisted for the Michael Marks Poetry Award: Hinge, When the Flies Come, Radical Pairings by Clementine E Burnley, Whetstone by Eira Murphy, and Exposure by Eric Yip. In 2021, the press won the Michael Marks Publishers' Award, a significant honour that recognised its contribution to poetry publishing. The same year, it produced a short video for the awards. Les Robinson, who served as Managing Editor, discussed the press's work in an interview with the Friday Poem website. The press continues to publish new pamphlets, with recent titles by AV Bridgwood and Meredith MacLeod Davidson. It maintains an active online presence through the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre's social media channels and a YouTube channel where pamphlet launches are shared. Submissions are periodically opened; a window was announced for 7 April to 5 May 2026. The press sells its pamphlets directly, with older titles at £4 and newer at £7, and offers bundle deals. As part of a public university, Ignition Press operates as a not-for-profit cultural initiative rather than a commercial trade publisher.

• 2026

  Submissions window open from 7 April to 5 May 2026.

• 2021

  Won the Michael Marks Publishers' Award.

• 2017

  Ignition Press established at the Oxford Brookes Poetry Centre.

Award-winning university-based poetry pamphlet press focused on emerging poets with an international outlook.

• A Hurry of English

• Hinge

• Ripe

• Sargam / Swargam

• When the Flies Come

• Sometimes Real Love Comes Quick & Easy

• Radical Pairings

• Whetstone

• Exposure

1. 1ignitionpress - Oxford Brookes Universitybrookes.ac.uk
2. 2Our history - Oxford Brookes Universitybrookes.ac.uk
3. 3Professional services - Oxford Brookes Universitybrookes.ac.uk
4. 4About Oxford Brookes - Oxford Brookes Universitybrookes.ac.uk
5. 5Ignition Press - Wikidatawikidata.org