Over the past decade, Montez Press has established itself at the forefront of artist-led publishing, queering the canon and championing experimental, speculative and autofictional writing. We publish artists’ work in multiple forms: novels, periodicals, monographs and digital projects, underpinning this with development grants, residencies and long-term professional support.
Our programme operates at the intersection of artistic practice and queer and feminist thought. We prioritise process-driven publications and sustained creative growth, supporting overlooked and subcultural practitioners whose work challenges formal, disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Publishing, for us, is a means of resourcing artists over time.
Founded as a DIY response to the conservatism of mainstream publishing, Montez Press began as a project initiated by Goldsmiths students during an exchange at HFBK Hamburg. What started as a student-led intervention evolved into a transnational operation working across the UK, Germany and the US, maintaining a commitment to autonomy and experimentation.
The name “Montez” references a lineage of defiant cultural figures — Lola Montez, Maria Montez and Mario Montez — whose legacies of self-determination, theatricality and queer performance inform our ethos. Today, Montez Press operates across print, live performance and broadcast through our integrated public programme and partner radio platform, Montez Press Radio. By pooling resources across these strands, we direct funding and production support straight to artists and cultural producers, building cross-disciplinary infrastructure and expanding what contemporary publishing can be.