In another acquisition involving independent publishers, Catapult Books has acquired Portland Ore.-based Hawthorne Books. Under the agreement, Catapult has acquired Hawthorne’s catalog of about 50 titles and the Hawthorne trademark.
Founded in 2001 by publisher and executive editor Rhonda Hughes, Hawthorne will become Catapult’s fourth imprint, joining its flagship imprint as well as Counterpoint Press and Soft Skull Press. Hughes will stay on as contributing editor for Hawthorne Books and report to group editorial director Dan Smetanka. The first new titles acquired by Hughes are expected to be released in fall 2026.
“Having Hawthorne become an imprint alongside such esteemed publishers as Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press—and having the opportunity to work with the remarkable Catapult team—is both a joy and an honor for me and for our authors,“ said Hughes in a statement. “This new chapter has reaffirmed my deep appreciation for the art and spirit of publishing.”
Hawthorne’s backlist includes such titles as Lidia Yuknavitch’s The Chronology of Water, Poe Ballantine’s Love and Terror on the Howling Plains of Nowhere, Frank Meeink and Jody M. Roy’s Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead, and most recently Sidney Morrison’s novel Frederick Douglass.
With the acquisition, Hawthorne’s distribution will move from Publishers Group West to Catapult’s distributor, Penguin Random House.
“Hawthorne has long published writers who probe beneath the surface of experience, work that echoes Catapult’s mission to illuminate complexity and broaden perspective,“ said Catapult publisher Alyson Forbes. “Bringing our lists together strengthens our shared commitment to stories that resonate on both an emotional and reflective level and ensures readers have more opportunities to discover writing that is insightful and meaningful.”
