Alice James Books

Alice James Books Alice James Books is committed to collaborating with literary artists of excellence to publish books that matter.

We provide a platform from which to elevate key voices & is dedicated to helping writers achieve purposeful engagement with a broad audience. Alice James Books publishes the best contemporary poetry by both established and beginning poets. The press is an affiliate of the University of Maine at Farmington. Our office is located on the tranquil banks of Rollo Pond near Abbott Park in Farmington, Maine.

We hope to see you at our offsite in LA this year! AJB will be partnering with our friends at , , & to bring you an ...
03/08/2025

We hope to see you at our offsite in LA this year! AJB will be partnering with our friends at , , & to bring you an incredible evening of poetry on Friday 3/29 at , starting at 6pm! AJB readers will include Matthew Nienow, Esther Lin, Mary Helen Callier, and Mia Ayumi Malhotra 🌟🌴 See you there!

At long last, we are elated to announce the winners of the 2025 ! This year's winner is Malvika Jolly for her collectio...
03/03/2025

At long last, we are elated to announce the winners of the 2025 ! This year's winner is Malvika Jolly for her collection VISITING HOURS OF THE WORLD, and our Editor's Choice is zakia henderson-brown for her collection THE BODY LOSING ITS BORDERS. Jolly's collection will be published in March 2027 and henderson-brown's will be published in January 2027. Full announcement at the link in our bio!

We're grateful to everyone who submitted a manuscript to the 2025 award. The 2026 award is now open to submissions through October 17th, 2025. Visit https://bit.ly/26AJAfor (LINK IN BIO) more info!

With March just around the corner, we're ready for spring, and spring 2025 books! This May, AJB is looking forward to pu...
02/27/2025

With March just around the corner, we're ready for spring, and spring 2025 books! This May, AJB is looking forward to publishing MOTHERSALT by Mia Ayumi Malhotra, whose debut, ISAKO ISAKO won the 2017 . This newest book explores the intimacies and bewilderment of early motherhood and is available for preorder now at https://bit.ly/Mothersalt!

If you can't wait for May, here are a few AJB backlist selections you might enjoy in the meantime! Happy reading 💛📚

We’re thrilled to announce that four AJB books are featured in Library Journal's 2025 pre-pub preview! 🎉 It's an honor t...
02/21/2025

We’re thrilled to announce that four AJB books are featured in Library Journal's 2025 pre-pub preview! 🎉 It's an honor to see these works getting the spotlight they deserve. We can’t wait to share them with you soon! Stay tuned for more updates 💛 Read the full preview at https://tinyurl.com/23zc6cf7

We're excited and honored to announce that poet Malena Mörling is joining AJB ❣️ The author of two previous books of poe...
02/20/2025

We're excited and honored to announce that poet Malena Mörling is joining AJB ❣️ The author of two previous books of poetry, Mörling will publish her third collection, LUMINA STATION, with Alice James Books in November 2026. Welcome welcome, Malena!

To learn more, read our full announcement at https://buff.ly/41aRe6K

It’s wonderful to hear from some of the incredible women and nonbinary editors and publishers currently shaping our lite...
02/20/2025

It’s wonderful to hear from some of the incredible women and nonbinary editors and publishers currently shaping our literary landscape ❣ Sophia Stewart’s article for Publishers Weekly highlights a few of these trailblazers in indie publishing, including AJB’s very own Executive Director and Publisher, Carey Salerno! Read more at https://tinyurl.com/3shu4dkb

02/04/2025

✨ We're excited to share the final cover art for Mia Ayumi Malhotra’s much-anticipated second poetry collection, MOTHERSALT, forthcoming this May from Alice James ✨ 🐚 🦋

These dreamy poems explore the intimacies and bewilderment of early motherhood, illuminating the myriad ways in which the self, reconstituted through birth, can emerge into powerful, lyrical new forms of existence. MOTHERSALT asserts a powerful new narrative of what is possible, not only in the birthing room, but in all forms of human relation.

Preorder now at https://bit.ly/Mothersalt for 20% off! 🌟

We’re thrilled to welcome Alexander Schneider to AJB’s Board of Directors! With years of experience working with direct ...
01/31/2025

We’re thrilled to welcome Alexander Schneider to AJB’s Board of Directors! With years of experience working with direct service nonprofits, Schneider brings a deep commitment to community, equity, and access—values that align seamlessly with AJB’s mission to elevate diverse voices in poetry.

As we enter this exciting new chapter, we invite you to celebrate Alexander by making a donation to the press in his honor. Your support allows us to continue creating spaces where poetry can inspire, challenge, and connect 🌟

Learn more and get involved: https://donorbox.org/donate-ajb

Excuse us for interrupting your scrolling to share a bit of amazing news! AJB's Sarah Ghazal Ali is a finalist for this ...
01/24/2025

Excuse us for interrupting your scrolling to share a bit of amazing news! AJB's Sarah Ghazal Ali is a finalist for this year's Kate Tufts Discovery Award for THEOPHANIES, alongside poets like Ariana Benson, Alisha Dietzman, Elisa Gonzalez, & Alison Thumel. Gratitude to the judges and warm congratulations to all of this year's finalists! ❣️

More info at https://tinyurl.com/9w6457a9

Matthew Nienow will read from his newly released collection IF NOTHING on Feb 3rd at Village Books in Bellingham, WA! Jo...
01/16/2025

Matthew Nienow will read from his newly released collection IF NOTHING on Feb 3rd at Village Books in Bellingham, WA! Join Nienow and Cori A. Winrock, a previous winner of the Alice James Award - Editor's Choice, for an insightful discussion of addiction, the pressures of masculinity, and the power of family.

RSVP: https://tinyurl.com/2p9svthx
Order IF NOTHING: https://bit.ly/If-Nothing

Alice James is thrilled to announce it is the recipient of a $45,000 from 💜 These vital grant funds will aid the pres...
01/14/2025

Alice James is thrilled to announce it is the recipient of a $45,000 from 💜 These vital grant funds will aid the press significantly in publishing and promoting our amazing roster of 2025 poets, including Matthew Nienow, Esther Lin, Mary Helen Callier, Mia Ayumi Malhotra, Leigh Sugar, Michael M. Weinstein, Iain Haley Po***ck, Cecily Parks, & Ally Ang. We’re excited for the work ahead and grateful as ever for the consistent support of the NEA. Read the full announcement at the link in our bio! https://tinyurl.com/NEAarts25 🙌

We can't wait to launch Mia Ayumi Malhotra's MOTHERSALT in May! If you're excited too, we think you might like these AJB...
01/08/2025

We can't wait to launch Mia Ayumi Malhotra's MOTHERSALT in May! If you're excited too, we think you might like these AJB backlist titles by Nicole Cooley, Lia Purpura, and Laura Kasischke 💖We also recommend you check out Malhotra's debut, ISAKO ISAKO, which won the 2017 Alice James Award 📚

As we begin the new year, we’re excited for the March 2025 release of Esther Lin’s COLD THIEF PLACE, winner of the 2023 ...
01/03/2025

As we begin the new year, we’re excited for the March 2025 release of Esther Lin’s COLD THIEF PLACE, winner of the 2023 Alice James Award. If you’re also looking forward to this collection, you might enjoy these selections from our backlist! 📚❣️

Gratitude to David Starkey/California Review of Books for spotlighting 3 AJB collections in the 2024 best-of roundup, “3...
12/31/2024

Gratitude to David Starkey/California Review of Books for spotlighting 3 AJB collections in the 2024 best-of roundup, “31 Outstanding Poetry Books from 2024 – Alcalá to Zarin.” More at https://tinyurl.com/4s55nmzr 🥰

What a year 2024 was for the press! We're delighted and honored to take this time to celebrate the highlights with the r...
12/28/2024

What a year 2024 was for the press! We're delighted and honored to take this time to celebrate the highlights with the readers and supporters who make it all possible. We can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in 2025 💛🥳🪩

Visit donorbox.org/donate-ajb to contribute to our end-of-year fundraiser 💖 Thank you for your continued support!

IF NOTHING launches next month!! If you, like us, are having the hardest time waiting, here are a few recommendations fr...
12/27/2024

IF NOTHING launches next month!! If you, like us, are having the hardest time waiting, here are a few recommendations from our backlist to hold you over 🥰 We hope you read and enjoy!

“...Unflinching and tender, this volume affirms Nienow’s distinctive poetic gifts.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED review for...
12/24/2024

“...Unflinching and tender, this volume affirms Nienow’s distinctive poetic gifts.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED review for Matthew Nienow’s forthcoming IF NOTHING 🌟 full review at https://tinyurl.com/y24586dm

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60 Pineland Drive, Auburn Hall, Suite 206
New Gloucester, ME
04260

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Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

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Let's pretend this is how fast we can package mailings 😅 Introducing a new AJB series, "The Mail Room," Today our Senior Press Associate, Emily, is taking AJB readers along for a behind-the-scenes look at the daily goings-on at our Pineland office. Let's pack this press mailing and yap 🥰 COLD THIEF PLACE is available everywhere on Tuesday, March 11th ❣️ SHOP NOW: https://bit.ly/cold-thief-place (LINK IN BIO)

We're excited to share the cover art for Leigh Sugar's FREELAND, forthcoming June 10th, 2025 from Alice James Books! Here, Leigh will read from "Freeland: An Erasure," an erasure of letters received from a friend and incarcerated writer between 2014-2017. FREELAND hits the shelves this June and is available for preorder now at bit.ly/FREEL4ND (LINK IN BIO) 💓

✨ We're excited to share the final cover art for Mia Ayumi Malhotra’s much-anticipated second poetry collection, MOTHERSALT, forthcoming this May from Alice James ✨ 🐚 🦋 These dreamy poems explore the intimacies and bewilderment of early motherhood, illuminating the myriad ways in which the self, reconstituted through birth, can emerge into powerful, lyrical new forms of existence. MOTHERSALT asserts a powerful new narrative of what is possible, not only in the birthing room, but in all forms of human relation. Preorder now at https://bit.ly/Mothersalt for 20% off! 🌟

Join us in unveiling the cover art for Mary Helen Callier's forthcoming collection, WHEN THE HORSES, the 2023 Alice James Award - Editor's Choice, forthcoming from AJB in April 2025. Sound on to listen to the poet read the book's opening poem, "To Have Caused the Quake, to Have Torn It Open" 🎧 🦋 Preorder for 20% off through AJB: https://bit.ly/when-the-horses (link in bio) 💙

Watch us unveil the cover for Esther Lin's COLD THIEF PLACE, winner of the 2023 Alice James Award and forthcoming from AJB in March 2025. Sound on to listen to Lin read a few poems from the book🎧🌼✨ Preorder for 20% off through AJB: https://bit.ly/cold-thief-place 💛

We are super grateful to Catalina Ouyang for granting us permission to use this piece on the cover of Duy Đoàn's ZOMBIE VOMIT MAD LIBS, forthcoming November 2024 🧟‍♂️🖤 This title is available for preorder now at the link in our bio! Sound on to hear Duy share a little bit about why Catalina's work speaks to him and how he sees this piece representing his collection.

Watch us unveil the cover of Ayokunle Falomo's forthcoming collection, AUTOBIOMYTHOGRAPHY OF, featuring art by Granville Carroll. This beautiful book will be published by AJB this September. Preorder at https://bit.ly/autoBio 🔊 Sound on to hear Ayo read an excerpt of the title poem 💛

I Don't Want to Be Understood by Joshua Jennifer Espinoza (Cover Reveal)
I Don't Want to Be Understood by Joshua Jennifer Espinoza (Cover Reveal)

Drumroll, please! 🥁 We're excited to unveil the cover of Joshua Jennifer Espinoza's I DON'T WANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD w/art by Sara Regal. This title is forthcoming on 8/6/2024 and is available for preorder at https://bit.ly/jjespinoza Keep watching for the big reveal 🩷 🖤

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Alice James Books publishes the best contemporary poetry by both established and emerging writers. The press is an affiliate of the University of Maine at Farmington.