Red Hen Press has served both local and national communities as Southern California’s largest nonprofit literary publisher for 25 years. Our mission is to discover and publish works of literary excellence, support diversity, and foster literacy in our local schools.
The press was established in 1994 to publish talented writers whose works had been overlooked by large-scale publishing. Since then, the press has maintained five unique programs:
Publishing: The release of an average of twenty-four books of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction annually, with over 400 books released to date and distributed nationally. Includes books published through the press’s imprints and publishing series, which emphasize diverse voices.
Writing in the Schools (WITS): A literary program founded in 2003 that provides creative writing workshops and free books to underprivileged elementary through high school students in Title I and low-income charter schools.
Literary Events: Nearly thirty reading events yearly, covering the East and West coasts, and international cities such as London and Frankfurt. Events are either free or low-cost and reach upwards of 1,000 audience members annually.
The Los Angeles Review: An online journal publishing emerging authors and excellent works of poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction from throughout the country.
Literary Awards: Red Hen proudly presents ten awards (totaling $12,000) each year to emerging writers.
