{{Short description|Independent publishing house}}
{{Infobox publisher | name = Two Lines Press | image = | caption = | parent = Center for the Art of Translation | status = Active | founded = {{Start date|2013}} | founder = | country = United States | headquarters = San Francisco, California | distribution = Publishers Group West | keypeople = Michael Holtmann (President)<br/>CJ Evans (Publisher & Editor-in-Chief)<br/>Sarah Coolidge, Editor | publications = Books in translation | topics = International literature | genre = Literary fiction, poetry, non-fiction | imprints = Calico series | revenue = | numemployees = 7 | nasdaq = | url = {{URL|catranslation.org/books}} }}
Two Lines Press is an American independent publishing house based in San Francisco, California, that exclusively publishes literature in translation. Founded in 2013, the press operates as the publishing arm of the Center for the Art of Translation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting international literature and the art of translation.<ref name="lithub2021">{{cite news |title=Interview with an Indie Press: Two Lines Press |url=https://lithub.com/interview-with-an-indie-press-two-lines-press/ |work=Literary Hub |date=4 November 2021 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref>
==History==
Two Lines Press was established in 2013 as the book publishing imprint of the Center for the Art of Translation, which had been operating since 2000.<ref name="pw2023">{{cite news |title=Two Lines Press Pushes Translation's Boundaries |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/92921-two-lines-press-pushes-translation-s-boundaries.html |work=Publishers Weekly |date=7 August 2023 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref> The press grew out of the Two Lines literary journal, which had been publishing international literature in translation since its founding in 1993 by translator Olivia Sears.<ref name="pw2023"/> According to Publishers Weekly, when Two Lines Press was founded, "the U.S. market for translated literature was fairly narrow," with occasional breakout hits like Roberto Bolaño, Karl Ove Knausgård, and Elena Ferrante, while "everything else was largely ignored."<ref name="pw2023"/> The press was created to address this gap in the American literary market. Publishing Program Two Lines Press publishes approximately eight titles annually.<ref name="pw2023"/> The press's catalog includes titles translated from Arabic, Czech, Finnish, Korean, Macedonian, Portuguese, Swahili, and Thai.<ref name="pw2023"/> The press is distributed by Publishers Group West and has published 52 titles as of 2023.<ref name="pw2023"/> Two Lines Press operates as part of a nonprofit organization, derives its operating budget from donations, grants, and book sales.<ref name="pw2023"/>In 2020, Two Lines Press launched its Calico Series , which publishes collections of translated writing unified by single themes.<ref name="pw2023"/> Previous editions have focused on speculative Chinese-language fiction and queer Brazilian literature. The series publishes two new books per year and has been described by series editor Sarah Coolidge as "a snapshot of writing in translation that speaks to our current moment."<ref name="pw2023"/>
==Notable publications==
Two Lines Press has published several titles that have received significant literary recognition:
Jazmina Barrera's ''The Queen of Swords'' translated from the Spanish by Christina MacSweeney and Mohamed Kheir's ''Sleep Phase'' translated from the Arabic by Robin Moger are longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Yorker |first=The New |date=2025-09-12 |title=The 2025 National Book Awards Longlist |url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/2025-national-book-awards-longlist |access-date=2025-09-24 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}}</ref> ''Woodworm'' by Layla Martínez, translated from Spanish by Sophie Hughes and Annie McDermott, was longlisted for the 2024 National Book Award.<ref name="newyorker2024">{{cite magazine |title=The 2024 National Book Awards Longlist |url=https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/the-2024-national-book-awards-longlist |magazine=The New Yorker |date=13 September 2024 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref>
''On a Woman's Madness'' by Astrid Roemer, translated from Dutch by Lucy Scott, was a finalist for the 2023 National Book Award<ref name="nytimes2023">{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Elizabeth |title=Here Are the Finalists for the 2023 National Book Awards |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/03/books/national-book-awards-finalists-2023.html |work=The New York Times |date=3 October 2023 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref> and the 2025 Inside Prize.<ref>{{cite news |title=Freedom Reads Brings Inside Literary Prize to California Prisons |url=https://freedomreads.org/news/press-releases/freedom-reads-brings-inside-literary-prize-to-california-prisons |access-date=24 August 2025 |publisher=Freedom Reads}}</ref>
''Slipping'' by Mohamed Kheir, translated from Arabic by Robin Moger, won the Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation<ref>{{cite web |title=The 2022 Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation |url=https://www.banipaltrust.org.uk/prize/award2022 |website=Banipal Trust for Arab Literature |access-date=24 August 2025}}</ref>
==Bestselling titles==
The press's bestselling titles include:<ref name="pw2023"/>
''On Lighthouses'' by Jazmina Barrera, translated from Spanish by Christina MacSweeney
''Empty Wardrobes'' by Maria Judite de Carvalho, translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costam
''Mina'' by Kim Sagwa, translated from Korean by Bruce and Ju-Chan Fulton
''The Sleep of the Righteous'' by Wolfgang Hilbig, translated from German by Isabel Fargo Cole
''Self-Portrait in Green'' by Marie NDiaye, translated from French by Jordan Stump.
==Critical reception== Two Lines Press has received significant attention from major literary publications and critics. ''The San Francisco Chronicle'' noted that the press has "carved out a niche for itself, publishing challenging, uncompromising writers" and described its books as exemplifying "how translated literature expands the American literary world."<ref name="sfchronicle2019">{{cite news |title=Review: At age 25, Two Lines Press still expanding American literature |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/books/review-at-age-25-two-lines-press-still-expanding-american-literature |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=4 September 2019 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref> The American Booksellers Association profiled Two Lines Press in 2019, highlighting the press's commitment to publishing groundbreaking works, including "the first-ever novel by a Thai woman translated into English."<ref name="aba2019">{{cite news |title=Small Press Profile: Two Lines Press |url=https://www.bookweb.org/news/small-press-profile-two-lines-press-109612 |work=American Booksellers Association |date=30 January 2019 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref>
==Awards and recognition== Two Lines Press co-administers the Stevns Translation Prize with Peirene Press (UK), an annual award for literary translation established in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=A UK-US Translation Prize Opens the 2025 Offer: The Stevns |url=https://publishingperspectives.com/2025/01/literary-translation/ |website=Publishing Perspectives |date=30 January 2025 }}</ref> The press has been recognized by ''Poets & Writers'' as a vetted publisher for literary works.<ref name="pw2019">{{cite web |title=Two Lines Press |url=https://www.pw.org/small_presses/two_lines_press |website=Poets & Writers |date=24 October 2013 |access-date=24 July 2025}}</ref> Multiple Two Lines Press publications have been nominated for the Best Translated Book Award, including ''Beyond Babylon'' by Igiaba Scego.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Sophia |title=Two Lines Press Pushes Translation's Boundaries |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/92921-two-lines-press-pushes-translation-s-boundaries.html |publisher=Publishers Weekly |date=4 August 2023}}</ref>
==Industry impact== ''Publishers Weekly'' reported that Two Lines Press has played a role in the growth of translated literature in the American market, noting that "one of the most heartening things about translation now is there are so many translated books that do well."<ref name="pw2023"/> The press has been recognized for its efforts to introduce new international authors to English-speaking readers and for its commitment to supporting literary translators.<ref name="pw2023"/> Translator Christina MacSweeney, who has translated five books for Two Lines Press stated, “It’s always a positive sign when an editor knows your work well enough to match you with an author" and "from the very first, I was deeply impressed by the support I received throughout the process of getting the novel into print.”<ref name="pw2023"/> Author Jazmina Barrera has described the press as making "a rare and fundamental contribution to bibliodiversity."<ref name="pw2023"/>
== References ==
{{reflist}}
==External links== {{Official website|https://www.catranslation.org/books/}}
Category:Publishing companies of the United States Category:Companies based in San Francisco Category:2013 establishments in California Category:Publishing companies established in 2013