The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses 2025 Shortlist
We are beyond pleased to finally share the 5 books comprising this year’s RofC shortlist. They are listed below in no particular order.
To read the full shortlist announcement, (as well as consistent small press news + general musings) visit our Substack.
The winner event will be held at foyles, charing cross road on april 1st, 2025.
Thank you to every press that made a submission and to our brilliant judges, Jude Cook, Alice Jolly & Houman Barekat
Les Fugitives
CB Editions
Peninsula Press
Rough Trade
Prototype
Holland House
Divided Press
Bullaun
Scotland Street Press
Splice
Les Fugitives CB Editions Peninsula Press Rough Trade Prototype Holland House Divided Press Bullaun Scotland Street Press Splice
Invisible Dogs b
y Charles Boyle
CB Editions
Our judges said: “An offbeat, elegantly written tale about two authors marooned an exchange programme in an unnamed totalitarian country. The narrative voice is great company, by turns droll, plaintive and ruminative. It’s whimsical but controlled, and surprisingly compulsive for a largely plotless novel.
There’s A Monster Behind the Door by Gaëlle Bélem, translated by Karen Fleetwood & Laëtitia Saint-Loubert
Bullaun
Our judges said: “A rollicking, sardonic picaresque set on the French outpost of La Réunion in the. 1980s. The novel has important things to say about colonialism and society, but it’s also tremendous fun — darkly funny, acerbic, energetic. There’s scarcely a dull moment on the page, and the translation is remarkably slick.”
Mother Naked by Glen James Brown
Peninsula Press
Our judges said: “Set in the fifth century and narrated by an irrepressible bard called Mother Naked, this novel is bawdy, funny and tragic. The voice of Mother Naked is entirely authentic. Both an entertaining read and a serious work of historical fiction.”
Célina by Catherine Axelrad, translated by Philip Terry
Les Fugitives
Our judges said: "Celina is a quiet book, written with great integrity. It tells the story of a young woman, born into poverty, who works as a maid in the household of Victor Hugo. In restrained and unsentimental prose it illuminates lives forgotten by history.”
How to Leave the World by Marouane Bakhti, translated by Lara Vergnaud
Divided Publishing
Our judges said: “An urgent, bleakly funny, fragmentary account of displacement, queer desire, and finding a place in the world. Using a collage technique, Bakhti has produced an outstanding novel about identity and endurance.”
Each short listed press will receive a further £1000, to be split 70% press / 30% writer (and translator). The winner, as always, gets the glory.