Blair (incorporated as The Carolina Wren Press, Inc.) is a literary small press publisher based in Durham, North Carolina, founded in 1976 as Carolina Wren Press by Judy Hogan. The press mainly publishes poetry (both full collections, and limited-edition chapbooks), but also publishes fiction and nonfiction, biography, autobiography, literary nonfiction by and/or about people of color, women, gay/lesbian issues, health and mental health topics in children's literature.
In 2017, Carolina Wren Press acquired the name and titles of John F. Blair, a regional publisher founded in 1954 and based in Winston-Salem. Blair's published works included the works of Charles H. Whedbee. After acquiring Blair, the press changed its name to Blair Publishing.
Each year, Blair honors one writer with the Doris Bakwin Award. As a literary small-press publisher, many members of the Board of Directors, as well as many previous judges for various contests, are volunteers from across the country.Carolina Wren Press website. Archived at the Wayback Machine.
Foundation From Judy Hogan's personal essay:
John F. Blair John F. Blair was a small publisher based in Winston-Salem that primarily published regional works of fiction and poetry, centering on North Carolina. It was founded in 1954. published The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break, by Steven Sherrill, in 2000. By 2004, the Winston-Salem Journal described the novel as the publisher's most successful work, while their best selling publication of all time was Charles H. Whedbee's Legends of the Outer Banks. At that point, the press was publishing roughly 12 to 20 books a year. This figure had declined to around 6 to 8 by 2017.
Later history In 2017, Carolina Wren acquired the trademarks and back catalog of John F. Blair. The publisher began doing business as Blair effective January 1, 2018.
Contests and awards In odd-numbered years, with a postmark deadline of February 15, the publisher reads full-length poetry collections by emerging authors who haven't had more than one full-length book published.
In even-numbered years, with a postmark deadline of February 15, the publisher reads submissions to the Doris Bakwin Award for Writing by a Woman.
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