Barbican Press

Barbican Press is an independent UK publisher founded in 2009 by writer and professor emeritus Martin Goodman, knowing what sort of publisher he would like to find for his own work and so creating it for others. The name ‘Barbican Press’ comes from its origins in Plymouth, for the barbican in that city, and a sense that a barbican is a strong and protective space in which writers with a fighting spirit can take shelter. Our list focuses on transgressive fiction, compelling non-fiction and inspirational poetry.

In 2023, Barbican Press expanded beyond the UK by setting up distribution channels in North America. New titles are now released globally through the support of Publisher’s Group West. In 2025, we launched a new series called ‘Barbican Firsts’, a selection of short debut fiction titles from socially and culturally diverse authors.