Radical publishing house Verso have issued a call for donations after their UK distributor, Marston Book Services, filed for bankruptcy in July leaving large debts unsettled. 

The company owes Verso nearly £1 million for book sales stretching back to January, with many other independent publishers impacted by the bankruptcy.

Verso have now asked people to consider donating to their fundraiser which will provide critical support for the titles they are publishing this autumn, including books on Palestine, decolonisation, climate breakdown, and much more. 

“At the time it entered administration, Marston owed Verso nearly £1 million for book sales stretching back to January,” a statement on the fundraising page reads. “Marston suspended shipping our books at the end of July, having laid off most of its staff, effectively severing Verso’s access to the UK market.”

“Though Verso invested significantly in acquiring, editing, printing, and marketing books it published in the first half of 2024, it has received virtually no revenue for these sales in the UK.” They went on to describe the collapse of Marston as a “major blow”.

“Verso has never before solicited support in a crowdfunding campaign. The precarious circumstances in which we find ourselves demand that we appeal to every source of funds to continue our work without interruption,” the statement continued.

“Verso has moved to suspend all non-essential spending, cut costs, and seek access to new working capital. But we are also asking readers to step in and offer their support for Verso, either by making an outright donation or pledging at one of the levels outlined on this page to support our publishing.” 

Donations to the fundraiser will allow Verso to continue on schedule with the printing and publication of their autumn 2024 titles, which are set to be published between September 2024 and January 2025; provide the marketing and publicity campaigns for authors and books for the rest of the year; move their book inventory to a new warehouse and restart UK distribution with a new distributor; and continue to pay staff.

You can donate to the fundraiser here