3: Partus Press

Based between Reykjavik, Iceland and Manchester, England, Partus Press is an independent publisher that specialises in fostering and promoting the work of emerging writers, chiefly poets. Under the guidance of founding director Valgerður Thorodds, the press publishes small editions in Icelandic and English.



a Partus poet helping to bind books

LUKE ALLAN: I first came across Partus in 2015 at a poetry event in London where you were reading. By then the press had been going for a few years in Reykjavik. Can you tell me where the press came from, how it got going, and what those early stages were like? I’m interested to hear about any early publishing models too.

VALGEROUR THORODDS: Partus grew out of a poetry chapbook series called Meðgönguljóð, the first book of which was published spring 2012. There were three of us in the beginning who conceived and directed the series, which was at that time published by another, very-‘micro’ publisher. The idea was to make slim, hand-sewn chapbooks that were beautifully made but could be bought relatively cheaply, for the price of a cup of coffee, in fact. The name Meðgönguljóð is a play on words: meðganga literally means ‘pregnancy’ but also, if you break it apart, ‘take away’. A bit ridiculous, but it helpfully suggested both those ideas of nurture and portability. We were looking to disrupt the somewhat formal attitude people had at the time ...