20 February 2026
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Small presses from across the Ireland are continuing to thrive with resilient growth in the face of rising costs and drops in funding, with smart author and reader relationships, niche genre offerings and award-winning books.
Cork’s Mercier Press could win
The British Book Awards (which includes “The Island of Ireland”) 2026 Small Press of the Year celebrates the independent presses dedicated to delivering books which reach beyond the traditional literary landscape.
There are 63 small presses listed across nine different regions and countries, including 12 in London, 10 in North England, eight in Scotland, seven in both Wales and South-West England, six in the Island of Ireland, five in East England and four in the Midlands and South-East England respectively.
The presses, all with a turnover of less than £5m, will compete to win their region or country first before contending for the overall prize, when The British Book Awards ceremony returns to Grosvenor House London on Monday 11th May 2026. The overall Small Press winner will also vie to be crowned Independent Publisher of the Year.
The regional and country winners of the Small Press of the Year Award will be announced on Wednesday 11th March, whilst the overall winner will be revealed during The British Book Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House London on Monday 11th May 2026.
Island of Ireland
- Banshee Press | Cork
- Bullaun Press | Sligo
- Little Island Books | Dublin
- Mercier Press | Cork
- The Irish Pages Press | Belfast
- Townhouse Publishing | Dublin