The University of Pennsylvania Press was originally incorporated with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on March 26, 1890—among the earliest such imprints in America. One of the Press’s first books, published in 1899, was a landmark, as well as an example of the Press’s close ties to its home city: The Philadelphia Negro: A Social Study by renowned reformer, scholar, and social critic W.E.B. DuBois, a book that remains on the Press’s list to this day. Beginning in the mid-1960s, Penn Press began to focus its editorial program on American and European historical and cultural studies and the social sciences, and resources for practitioners in healthcare, human rights, and public policy.
A member of the Association of University Presses, the Press today publishes more than 100 new books a year and more than 25 journals, as well as maintaining an active backlist of more than 3,000 titles.
True to its Philadelphia roots, Penn Press is well-known for its distinguished list of publications in American history and culture, including innovative work on the transnational currents that surrounded and shaped the republic from the colonial period through the present, as well as prize-winning publications in urban studies. The Press is equally renowned for its publications in European history, literature, and culture from late antiquity through the early modern period. Penn Press’s social science publications tackle contemporary political issues of concern to a broad readership of citizens and scholars, notably including a long-standing commitment to publishing path-breaking work in international human rights. Penn Press also publishes outstanding works in archaeology, economic history, business, and Jewish Studies in partnership with local institutions. You can learn more about our recent publications by browsing via the menus above, using our search feature, or viewing our seasonal catalogs.
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