At this year’s International Booker Prize ceremony held at London’s Tate Modern, independent publisher And Other Stories made history by securing the award for the second consecutive year. The press’s win was announced for Taiwan Travelogue, a novel by Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi, translated into English by Lin King. This milestone marks the first time any publisher has achieved back-to-back victories since the prize’s inception.
And Other Stories had previously won in 2025 with Heart Lamp, a novel by Banu Mushtaq translated by Deepa Bhasthi. The Sheffield-based independent press operates with a team of just six staff members, some part-time, and runs from a modest office space located in Sheffield Central Library. Despite its small size, the press has built a reputation for championing translated fiction and works that challenge conventional market expectations.
Taiwan Travelogue explores themes of food and colonialism through a metatextual narrative, reflecting the press’s ongoing commitment to diverse literary voices and political engagement. Tara Tobler, senior fiction editor at And Other Stories, emphasized the press’s ethos in publishing works that resist “market assumptions about how much a reader is or isn’t willing to work.” This approach aligns with the press’s broader aim to “continue to decolonise English as a literary language,” a sensibility highlighted in their previous International Booker-winning publication.
Founded 15 years ago by Stefan Tobler, a translator of Portuguese and German, And Other Stories emerged out of frustration with the scarcity of UK publishers dedicated to literary translations. Initially supported by a £24,000 Arts Council England grant, the press became a national portfolio organisation in 2015, securing regular public funding that provides financial stability to pursue editorial risks. Stefan noted that while sales constitute the majority of their income, this funding has been instrumental in sustaining their commitment to overlooked and experimental literature.
The press not only focuses on translated works but also publishes original English-language titles that often face rejection from mainstream houses. Examples include novelist Deborah Levy, whose career was revitalized after And Other Stories published her Booker-shortlisted novel Swimming Home in 2012. The press has also taken notable editorial stances, such as dedicating 2018 exclusively to works by women authors following Kamila Shamsie’s suggestion.
Choosing Sheffield as their base is a deliberate stance against the heavily London-centric ethos of UK publishing. Stefan Tobler has spoken out against the barriers created by large metropolitan hubs that limit access for emerging talent. The press’s sustainable and regional identity extends to their book production: their distinctive tactile cream covers are crafted from recycled coffee cups sourced at Tebay services in Cumbria and produced at an eco-friendly paper mill in the Lake District.
The editorial team employs a collaborative acquisition strategy that includes contributors fluent in various languages, allowing them to publish works beyond their own linguistic capabilities. Tara Tobler explained that not reading an original language can lead to a heightened focus on the translation’s qualities, opening creative possibilities in their evaluation process.
Authors published by And Other Stories range from early-career voices like Tice Cin, whose debut novel Keeping the House appeared in 2021, to established figures such as Gerald Murnane and Rosalind Belben, whose works the press is reissuing. This mix reflects the publisher’s dedication to nurturing literary talent at different stages while maintaining a global perspective.
Contributing editor and author Preti Taneja highlighted the unique role small presses like And Other Stories play in the current publishing landscape. Small presses are seen as vital for taking risks on diverse, hybrid genres and world voices, filling a creative space often ignored by larger, commercial publishers.
The recent back-to-back International Booker wins underscore the significance of And Other Stories’ mission to blend editorial ambition with social purpose, all within the framework of a small, regionally based press. Their success signals a wider recognition of the value and impact of independent publishers in diversifying the literary marketplace.