The Literary Business

by Peter Finch

A personal ramble around the book world from the man who has experienced all sides of it.

A handbook, a demystification and an intimate history of the wide literary world. Written with Peter Finch's characteristic good humour, The Literary Business relates through bitingly well-observed vignettes how it is and how it was over the past six decades.

This book has something for writers, academics, critics and other enthusiasts in search of a no-holds-barred personal history; administrators wishing to navigate the obstacle course that is funding writers and writing; fans hunting data on the Poetry wars of the 70s, and fellow litterateurs who will want to check whether they have received a mention in these pages. If you're new to the game and seeking publication, or just someone who enjoys the cut and thrust of the literary world, then this book is for you.

Few others in Wales know the business and how we got here like Finch does. And few others will have been capable of reporting back in such an entertaining fashion.

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 16, 2026

About the author

Peter Finch is a full-time poet, critic, author and literary entrepreneur living in Cardiff, Wales. Until June 2011 he was Chief Executive of Literature Wales (formerly Academi), the Welsh National Literature Development Agency. As a writer he works in both traditional and experimental forms. He is best known for his declamatory poetry readings, his creative work based on his native city of Cardiff, his editing of Seren's Real series, and his knowledge of the UK poetry publishing scene.

Reviews

[Tôpher Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the early 1960’s to the present day Finch examines his literary world. He’s well known as an innovative and engaging poet, performer, editor, bookshop manager, events organiser and arts administrator. This book covers all that and so much more. If you want to know anything about literature here and now this is where you should start. It’s both a history and a handbook, how we got here and where we are going. He mixes upbeat patter with a wry cynicism that is incredibly readable, full of good sense and often hilarious. No writer, and especially no poet, should be without this fascinating and vital book.