Graywolf Press celebrates 50 years and plans for 50 more

When Carmen Giménez became Graywolf Press' director and publisher last August, plans were shaping up to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. As she explored the organization's past, present and future, she learned a lot about what makes it an industry leader.

Giménez, whose collection of poetry "Be Recorder" was published by the independent nonprofit in 2019, had been a longtime reader of its books. But the more she explored, the more she realized what makes Graywolf, Graywolf. She went back to the beginnings, when Scott Walker founded the press in Washington in 1974 (it moved to Minnesota in 1985).

"I took a deep dive into the backlist and books that were coming out, just talking to everyone from our staff to our board members and national council. I think the front part, like any organization, is the books and authors and even editors," said Giménez, 52. "But there's also all this back stuff that shapes it, almost like the bottom of the iceberg."

Graywolf will uncover that iceberg throughout 2024, beginning with the Jan. 23 publication of "Raised by Wolves," a compilation of 50 Graywolf-published poems that were selected by 50 of the press' poets. From Feb.19-May 17, the University of Minnesota will host an exhibition, "Graywolf at 50: First Drafts and Next Pages."

We talked with Giménez about her favorite Graywolf titles, the influence of BookTok, how she decides what to read and her love of horror. The conversation has been edited for concision and clarity.

Q: The publishing industry, and Graywolf, have changed so much. Are there constants?
A: Yes. I'd still point back to the staff who really love books, love working with authors, love digging deep throughout the process. That's definitely an ingredient of the success. Being a nonprofit gives us some editorial freedom, which has been very fruitful. We're able to take risks because our donors — individuals and foundations — believe the work is important. And we have editors who are widely read, who are looking around the world.

Q: Can you recommend a couple of your favorite Graywolf titles?
A: The most recent books I'm really excited about, in the last year, are "Company" by Shannon Sanders and I loved "Predator," by Ander Monson. And I love a book that's coming out [in May] by Catherine Barnett, "Solutions for the Problems of Bodies in Space."

Q: So social media will be an emphasis?
A: We're just starting to figure out that who has influence is mediated primarily online. It's going to be influencers who are not necessarily the book reviewers we're used to. They're BookTok-ers and people who are talking about books on X. That's all I can tell you right now. We're asking those questions.

Q: What will change with regard to translations?
A: We're interested in really encouraging the work of new BIPOC translators and we're going to start publishing contemporary translations. That's a new initiative for us. Poetry translation hasn't been a major focus for Graywolf, so we're going to do at least one poetry translation a year and we're also looking to see books from countries or languages that aren't traditionally or commonly translated. We're publishing a couple translations from Peru, for instance.

Q: What are some hallmarks of Graywolf's 50 years of success?
A: Graywolf was at the cutting edge of really important culture and essay writing with folks like Eula Biss and Maggie Nelson and Leslie Jamison. Claudia Rankine kind of infused the tradition of the essay for the last 20 years. And Percival Everett — you know, "American Fiction" [a film of Everett's novel, published by Graywolf] is out now. Graywolf has been a longtime publisher of his and believed in the work all this time.

Q: Speaking of Everett, is it a bummer for Graywolf that he's shifted to one of the big publishers (Doubleday) for his buzzy new novel, "James"
A: We're thrilled he's getting the attention he always deserved and, being an independent press, we are grateful for the time we have. We work to continue relationships as long as we can but, obviously, this is the way it goes.

Q: Have you read "James," which re-tells "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" from the vantage point of Jim?
A: It's so fantastic. It's very much in keeping with what he does, and the idea of adapting a story and giving it the charge "James" has is really exciting and unique.

Q: Are there any traits that stand out in prospective books that make you think, "This should be a Graywolf book"?
A: One thing you could probably say across the board is that there's an awareness that every word has to count. I think you can scope that out. "This is something I haven't seen before," or "This is something I can't stop thinking about," or "Even if it takes risks that haven't paid off, I am compelled and intrigued."

Q: You are confident that people are still reading?
A: Absolutely. People love to read. They love entering new worlds and learning about those worlds through other people. Books are still really the only way you can do it in a comprehensive, immersive way.