IRON Press is a North East-based independent press which publishes poetry, fiction and drama from the region and elsewhere, with a particular focus on publishing new authors.

The press began as IRON Magazine which was established in 1973, and was funded by Northern Arts. It featured art work, reviews, short stories and poetry. The magazine ran for 26 years, ending in 1997. Across 82 editions, it published more than 1200 writers world-wide.

IRON Press published its first book in 1976, Three North-East Plays by C.P. Taylor, Tom Hadaway and Leonard Barras. The press has been funded by Northern Arts, and Arts Council England North. It seeks to publish four or five new titles annually, as well as hosting festivals and literary events in the North-East.

Newcastle University Special Collections is now home to both the IRON Press archive – which includes published and submitted works, as well as administrative, marketing, sales and publicitiy material – and the IRON Press collection, which includes a copy of every magazine and book published by the press.

Researchers can browse the contents of the collection in more depth and order items to view in the Reading Room here.