Monstrous Regiment Publishing

Monstrous Regiment Publishing is an independent micropublisher based in Edinburgh. The company was set up by Ellen Desmond and Lauren Nickodemus, two graduates of Edinburgh Napier University. It publishes texts that focus on "intersectional feminism, sexuality and gender."

Background
Desmond and Nickodemus decided to set up Monstrous Regiment Publishing after graduating from a publishing course at Edinburgh Napier University. They were motivated to establish the company because many of their peers moved to London to seek employment in creative industries, citing a lack of opportunities in Scotland. The company is financed through online crowdfunding, and Desmond and Nickodemus run it part-time alongside their jobs.

The company is named after the John Knox's text The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstruous Regiment of Women, which argued against women in government.

Monstrous Regiment’s mission statement is "decentralise and democratise the publishing industry and give voices to local and minority artists."

The company now trades under the name Leith Books.

Published works
Monstrous Regiment published The Bi-ble in 2017, "a non-fiction anthology about bisexuality," funded by a Kickstarter campaign. The book is made up of personal essays and was co-edited by Desmond. Prior to publications, authors submitted essays over a six-week period before a month-long editing process.

Nickodemus states that The Bi-ble was inspired by works such as Nasty Women, No Filter and Pride, Not Prejudice.

In the interview in April 2020, Desmond and Nickodemus stated that The Bi-ble came out of a desire to highlight issues and experiences around bisexuality. The pair shared their hope that the anthology would help readers become more compassionate and empathetic about the issues that face bisexuality, which they stated:"'inhabit[s] a liminal space between cultures, often misunderstood and criticised by both the straight community and the LGBT community alike.'"As of April 2020, Monstrous Regiment are developing another anthology named So Hormonal: Personal Stories About Hormones. They are also fundraising to create a second volume of The Bi-ble, Volume Two: New Testimonials. Desmond and Nickodemus have spoken of the importance of anthologies, stating:"'Anthologies often give a platform to writers and topics that previously weren’t given the shelf space they deserve, which is what we set out to do. They have the power to address or debunk popular narratives and assumptions by recording the truth of many individual writers’ lives and experiences.'"The company is also publishing a magazine of feminist fiction, poems, and art by Scottish contributors. Desmond and Nickodemus shared in the interview that they will be publishing their first fiction text in later 2020.

Monstrous Regiment published their first full-length work of fiction in March 2021, a coming-of-age novel called Duck Feet by Ely Percy. It went on to win Scotland’s Book Of The Year at the Saltire Society’s award ceremony in November of the same year.