The Poetry Business

The Poetry Business is a poetry publisher and writer development agency.
They publish books, pamphlets, audio and eBooks under the smith|doorstop imprint; edit a literary magazine, The North; and run Writing Days, masterclasses, residential courses, and a Writing School for published poets. They also run the annual Book & Pamphlet Competition.

Their poets have won or been shortlisted for almost every major prize including The Forward Prize on 11 occasions and 10 Poetry Book Society awards, and smith|doorstop Books was awarded the 2012 Michael Marks Award. Andrew Motion described The Poetry Business as “one of the most vital and vitalising literary organisations in the country”.

Founded in 1986 on an Enterprise Allowance, the Poetry Business was based for twenty years in a Victorian Arcade in Huddersfield, with poets Peter Sansom and Janet Fisher as co-directors. After Janet’s retirement, the poet Ann Sansom took over as co-director and the business moved to its present offices in Bank Street Arts in the Cathedral Quarter of Sheffield.