Originally published in print, September 2021.
If you have found yourself combing through bookshelves in your local bookshop and your fingers brush over authors such as Sophie White, Mona Eltahawy or Doireann Ní Ghríofa, there is a strong possibility you are already familiar with the work of Tramp Press. If you were to pull down a copy of Corpsing: My Body and Other Horror Shows by White or A Ghost in the Throat by Ní Ghríofa, you would see the Tramp Press logo printed neatly inside the title page. With their works stocked in bookshops across the country, the small independent publisher has established itself on the Irish publishing scene with both critical and commercial success.
Tramp was formed in 2014 by Lisa Coen and Sarah Davis-Goff. Coen, originally from Mayo, graduated from NUIG and Trinity College. She worked in magazine editing before founding Tramp Press with County Dublin-born Davis-Goff, who similarly had a background in publishing. Their mission statement when launching their independent press was to nurture and publish exceptional literary talent. Their specialisation is in Irish publishing with Tramp based in Dublin and Scotland, while also publishing internationally. The publishing house has garnered critical acclaim, achieving success in awards such as the An Post Irish Book Awards, the International Dublin Literary Award, the Goldsmiths Prize, and the Rooney Prize, to mention but a few. Tramp has also built a great relationship with exceptional authors such as Mona Eltahawy, Niall Bourke, Sarah Henstra, Maeve Kelly and Oona Frawley. Back in 2017, Davis-Goff revealed they received as many as three or four submissions a day. With an enviable stable of groundbreaking authors and continuing awards success, Tramp Press is seemingly ever on the rise in the Irish publishing scene.
As can be imagined, it was difficult for Tramp press to establish itself in a male-dominated industry like publishing. The women were aware of the difficulties they might face, even naming the company after John Millington Synge’s “tramp” character, who features in his work as the archetypal “bold outsider”. “We at Tramp experience sexism in lots of ways all the time, being dreaded women”, they asserted in a 2017 tweet. They have explained how they often have to deal with authors sending them manuscripts addressing them as “Dear Sirs” or cover letters proudly declaring that they do not read books written by women. In 2017, Tramp announced that they would no longer read submissions that contained any of these sexist presumptions or remarks. They noted that these sexist authors have never submitted something Tramp wished to publish. Aware of the rumblings that their discussion could provoke, they stood by their choice, stating that “sexists need not apply”.
Laura Waddell became the latest addition to the team in 2019 in the role of UK Publishing Director. With the business’ successes mounting, their aim of promoting Irish fiction is still at Tramp’s core. They themselves note that “People who love books will always want excellent writing. We want to help them get their hands on it.” When buying authors who have been published by Tramp, you are not only supporting Irish fiction but also a female-led business that is blazing a trail for women in publishing. With authors ranging from public speakers to teachers to English literature professors, the press supports a wide spectrum of people and the experience they cover within their writing. Having taken the publishing world by storm, it is exciting to see what they will be launching next.
