Soho Press is a New York City-based publisher that publishes literary fiction and international crime series. Its Young Adult imprint, Soho Teen, also focuses on YA mysteries and thrillers.
When Bronwen Hruska took over in 2011, she set out to rethink what made an independent publisher. She wanted to create a house that was respected by its authors and readers.
Founded by Laura Chapman Hruska
The company that would become Soho Press began as a collaboration between Laura Chapman Hruska, Alan Hruska and their friend Juris Jurjevics. They gathered together at a Soho bar in 1986 and talked about the state of publishing. They agreed that it was time for a publisher that gambled on the serious novels of lesser-known writers, the kind that other houses shied away from.
While the majority of Soho’s titles are literary fiction, it also publishes books that focus on international culture. This includes books written by the author Maria Thomas, an American who spent much of her adult life living in Africa; and memoirs by Susan Richards and Stephen Fry.
But Soho was not a mere literary house: It also had a crime imprint, one that took off so quickly that it almost became the identifying feature of the entire company. “Crime readers are rabid in the best possible way,” Bronwen says.
She also credits the success of Soho with its head of marketing at the time taking e-books seriously, something that many other publishers did not. It was a combination of these factors that led to the company’s survival during a period of financial turbulence.
In the years since Soho Press’s founding, Bronwen Hruska has managed to take over the running of the company and has brought it to new levels of success. As her mother’s daughter, she has maintained the same commitment to giving authors a voice that her mother had, and she has made Soho Press into a respected publishing house that represents all those writers who wouldn’t have been published otherwise.
The company has discovered and edited many now prominent writers, including Edwidge Danticat, Jacqueline Winspear and Dan Fesperman. It has also forged a partnership with British publisher Constable & Robinson to bring out American editions of some of Britain’s most popular crime fiction.
Soho Press is a small, independent company that gambles on the literary fiction and exotic crime stories of lesser-known writers. Its catalogues reflect the individual tastes of its editors. But Laura Chapman Hruska’s death from cancer in January 2010 has left a big hole in the industry.
Founded by Alan Hruska
Soho Press is a New York-based book publishing company that specializes in literary fiction, international crime series and young adult mysteries and thrillers. It was founded in 1986 by Laura Chapman Hruska and Alan Hruska. Soho Press continues to be a family business, with Laura's daughter, Bronwen Hruska, serving as its publisher.
As a lawyer, Alan Hruska worked with some of the most important figures in American history. He also served on the United States Supreme Court and was an eminent litigator who won more than two hundred cases.
After a successful career in the law, Hruska became a renowned author and playwright. His novels include Borrowed Time, Pardon the Ravens and It Happened at Two in the Morning, as well as several plays. He has also directed numerous films, including Nola and The Warrior Class.
Originally from New Haven, Hruska earned a bachelor's degree at Yale and a law degree at Yale Law School. He spent forty-four years as a litigator at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, winning more than two hundred high-profile cases.
He retired from the firm in 2001, deciding that the law had become a career he no longer wanted to pursue. He then set his sights on writing and directing.
Hruska had a knack for delivering stories that people could relate to, and he did that through his novels, plays and films. He had a particular interest in foreign culture and was passionate about mystery and crime fiction.
After launching the Soho Crime imprint in 1991, he was able to release more literary titles. That helped him to build the company’s reputation as a leading independent press.
Since its inception, Soho Press has published more than 60 books a year. Among them are works by Edwidge Danticat, Susan Richards, Garth Stein and Jacqueline Winspear.
The press has grown to be a respected midsized independent, with Laura Hruska’s daughter, Bronwen Hruska, now its chief executive officer and publisher. With Bronwen at the helm, Soho Press has expanded its revenue and staff more than threefold, securing the company’s reputation as a top-tier, midsized independent house.
Founded by Juris Jurjevics
Juris Jurjevics is the founder of Soho Press, a New York City-based independent publishing house. The company publishes literary fiction, memoirs, international crime and young adult mystery and thrillers. Its list includes books from writers such as Edwidge Danticat, Jacqueline Winspear and John L’Heureux.
Before founding Soho, Juris served as editor-in-chief of Dial Press. He was known for his editing expertise and discovered many acclaimed literary authors during his time at the publisher, including Edwidge Danticat, who wrote "Brother, I'm Dying" (2007).
He was also a tireless advocate for the homeless, giving them money whenever he could. In one instance, he paid for a woman named Betty who was homeless on the streets of New York to find shelter in an alcove near Soho Press. He also helped John, a Viet Nam vet who was addicted to heroin since the late '60s.
In 1986, Juris and Laura Chapman Hruska founded Soho Press with the aim of finding and supporting emerging writers. They believed there was a serious plight for literary fiction that went unpublished.
The publishing industry was suffering and major book retailers were closing down. In order to stay afloat, Soho Press made e-books a priority and tightened its belts.
Soho’s international crime imprint, Soho Crime, publishes works from renowned authors such as Cara Black, Stuart Neville, Colin Cotterill and Peter Lovesey. Their books are set in exotic countries such as Paris, Bath, Northern Ireland, Laos and South Korea.
After Juris and Laura left Soho Press, Bronwen took over the running of the company and has been able to continue their legacy. She aims to bring the same rigorous standards to the new Soho Press that they were famous for.
As a result, Soho Press is now a respected literary and crime fiction publisher that has established itself as a reliable name in the publishing industry. The publisher is known for introducing bold new voices to readers and producing award-winning literary and international crime fiction.
Bronwen's mother died in 2010, and Bronwen took over the company with the hope of giving it a fresh look while keeping it intact. But she soon realized that if Soho Press didn't keep up with the changing publishing industry, it might be a thing of the past.
Founded by Bronwen Hruska
Bronwen Hruska was a freelance journalist and screenwriter before joining Soho Press in 2008. Her first book, Accelerated, won the 2013 National Book Award for fiction. She is currently working on a new novel.
As Soho's literary editor, Bronwen focuses on books that have the potential to break new ground. She has a particular eye for novels that make strong statements about spirituality and the fractured nature of reality.
Recently, she has worked with writers like Matt Bell and Michael Shakar, both of whom have written acclaimed novels that are steeped in worlds of spirituality and mythology. When Shakar's follow-up to The Savage Girl called Luminarium was published, it caught the attention of Bronwen and her colleague Mark Doten, who was looking for a new literary voice at Soho.
The two editors met at a party in Bronwen's apartment in New York City, and the conversation soon turned to the book. Both were excited about the novel's boldness and the uniqueness of its characters.
Soho's literary division had always been known for introducing authors who weren't being represented by larger publishing houses, and this was something Bronwen had always appreciated. She'd also noticed that Soho often published titles that dealt with cultural clashes and other societal issues, which she felt was something the company should continue to do.
But she knew that she couldn't take over Soho unless she was 100% sure that she wanted it. It was a decision that she would have to live with for the rest of her life.
In the end, it wasn't so much a question of losing her own identity as it was a matter of letting the name that her mother had built inform who she was. And, in the end, that was a difficult decision to make.
But she has kept the spirit of her mother's work alive by giving a voice to those writers who wouldn't have had one elsewhere. It has become a way for her to keep her mother close, even as she lives a far away life herself. It's a decision that, in the end, has brought her closer to her mother than she ever could have imagined.