The Press was founded by
Alan Clodd in 1967. Sharing a belief with close friend
Kathleen Raine in the "sacrificial stresses which seem to be the means by which the vision of outstanding creative spirits is enhanced for the benefit of their fellow beings", Clodd had little faith in the publishing mainstream. Since its founding, Enitharmon Press has been distinguished as an independent press whose two major concerns have been the quality of its books (from paper and binding to typesetting and design) and maintaining a "wide-ranging literary culture outside the realm of agents, public relations and television tie-ins". Under
Alan Clodd's stewardship, Enitharmon published more than 150 titles. Some of the most prestigious include books by
Kathleen Raine,
David Gascoyne,
Vernon Watkins,
Samuel Beckett and
John Heath-Stubbs. In 1987, as he neared the age of 70, Clodd passed on the directorship of Enitharmon to Stephen Stuart-Smith. Alongside the poetry list, Stuart-Smith established
Enitharmon Editions, now the leading British publisher of collaborations between distinguished artists and authors. Artists include
Paula Rego,
Gilbert & George,
Henri Cartier-Bresson,
Jim Dine,
Robert Creeley,
R. B. Kitaj and
Victor Pasmore, and authors
Ted Hughes,
Thom Gunn,
Seamus Heaney and
Blake Morrison. The list of Enitharmon Press, while still specialising in poetry, diversified to include translations, memoirs, fiction and literary criticism. Most notably, translations of
Federico García Lorca,
Vladimir Mayakovsky,
Rainer Maria Rilke and
Lao Zi and critical responses to the work of
Edward Thomas and
Edward Upward. ==Notable authors and publications==