Hard Pressed is a Cultureword Project designed to map Manchester’s radical presses.

“Manchester has a rich literary heritage, but much of it is hidden and in this digital era it risks being lost forever. The independent scene used shoestring budgets to take huge publishing risks but it paid off with the bravery and brilliance it showcased. This fringe literary scene helped sustain a lively community of writers giving a platform to opinions sidelined by the mainstream. These presses and writers deserve a place in the city’s history.”

The Hard Pressed Map shows writing published by Manchester’s radical poetry and fiction presses from 1975 to 2010, as well as some of the new work it has inspired. Some of the locations and the pathways represent Manchester’s postcolonial literature and how it is characterised by displacement.