Seminary Co-op Offsets

Seminary Co-op Offsets is a partnership between Northwestern University Press and the Seminary Co-op Bookstores, which aims to showcase outstanding work in literature and the humanities, focusing on new translations, lost classics, out-of-print gems, and works highlighting the rich literary history of the South Side of Chicago. 

The partnership combines NUP’s focused editorial and design vision with the Co-op’s expansive relationships with readers and deep publishing history knowledge. The resulting eclectic range of titles will challenge and delight the serious general reader who deeply values the spirit of intellectual discovery and commitment to the cultural value of the book that defines both institutions. 

Seminary Co-op Offsets launched with a new edition of Leon Forrest’s out-of-print masterpiece Divine Days. This epic novel, originally published in 1992, unfolds over seven days in the life of Joubert Jones, an aspiring playwright living on the South Side of Chicago. This edition brings Forrest's masterpiece back into print, incorporating hundreds of editorial changes that the author had requested (but were never made) when the book was picked up by W. W. Norton after a disastrous warehouse fire destroyed most of the inventory from the original printing of the book by Another Chicago Press.

The imprint is actively soliciting submissions that bring new focus to misplaced works and is particularly interested in titles that highlight the vibrant cultural history of Chicago. Proposals can be sent to submissions@semcoop.com.