About Dryad Press

Dryad Press is an independent South African publisher that promotes and publishes South African poetry. At Dryad Press we publish poetry, which in the words of Roland Barthes searches for “the inalienable meaning of things”. Innovative and exciting poetry that approaches naturalised norms in a fresh way. Our determinant for publication is the ability of the literature to defamiliarise. Poetry that surprises, not only in form and technique, but also in its ability to enable us to reflect on our experiences in the world in a new way. Dryad Press is dedicated to unlocking South African voices that present their stories in a fresh light and, in so doing, to nurturing a new generation of South African poets.

Founded in 2016 by Michèle Betty, Dryad Press made its debut in the publishing world in 2017. Since then, Dryad Press has gone on to publish award-winning collections by accomplished writers such as Tony Ullyatt, Joan Hambidge, Fiona Zerbst, Sally Ann Murray, Beverly Rycroft, Brian Walter, Fiona Zerbst, Linda Ann Strang, Kobus Moolman, P. R. Anderson and iyra e m maharaj, amongst others. 2024 saw the publication of a collection of essays, which was Dryad’s first foray outside of poetry anthologies and which has been extremely well received.

Its poetry collections curated by Michèle Betty are frequently award winning and you will often find them in the shortlists of literary prizes such as The South African Literary Awards, the Glenna Luschei Prize for African Poetry, the Ingrid Jonker Prize and the Humanities and Social Sciences Awards.

Michèle Betty

Michèle Betty is the founder of Dryad Press. She has a BA LLB from the University of the Witwatersrand and a Masters in Art in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town. She worked previously in Johannesburg in banking and law before becoming the editor of New Contrast: South African Literary Journal (2017-2020). Her poems have been widely published in various journals and anthologies, both locally and abroad. Her first collection, Metaphysical Balm was shortlisted for the 2017 Ingrid Jonker Prize. Her second collection Dark Horse, was a finalist in the 2024 Glenna Luschei Prize for African poetry, finalist in the Humanities and Social Sciences Awards (Poetry Category) and the winner of the 2023 South African Literary Award for Poetry.

Support for Us

Dryad Press has received recognition and support from various organisations, which we gratefully acknowledge. This support is both encouraging and invaluable to our ongoing work and commitment to promoting and publishing the best of South African poetry. We thank the National Arts Council, The Khula Cape Foundation and The South African Book Development Council for their generous support.

National Arts Council

Dryad Press extends its deepest gratitude to the National Arts Council for its steadfast support and generous funding over the years. The NAC’s commitment to fostering creativity and the literary arts has been instrumental in enabling us to fulfil our mission of publishing diverse South African voices and innovative stories. Its consistent investment in our vision has allowed us to bring many manuscripts to publication, to champion emerging authors, and to reach new audiences. It is through the NAC’s support, that Dryad has been able to cultivate a vibrant community of readers and writers, making a meaningful impact on the cultural landscape. We are deeply honoured to be a recipient of your support and are inspired by your dedication to poetry and the arts. Thank you for believing in the power of storytelling and for empowering us to continue our work.

SOUTH AFRICAN BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Dryad Press is also the recipient of a subsidy awarded to it by the South African Book Development Council (SBDC) and this has enabled us to attend an invaluable series of workshops on an array of subjects including Digital Marketing, E-Book Conversion, Cover Design, the Complexities of Bookselling and others. We extend our thanks to the SBDC for the confidence they have shown in our business and for their generous advice and support.

KHULA CAPE FOUNDATION (KCF)

In May 2023, Dryad Press was delighted to be the recipient of an award from the Khula Cape Foundation, to be applied toward the publication of its forthcoming publication of October 2023, earth-circuit, by debut poet Iyra Maharaj. We thank the KCF for their support of this collection, for their generosity and for the confidence they have shown in our press.

About Dryad Press

Michèle Betty

Support for Us

National Arts Council

SOUTH AFRICAN BOOK DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

KHULA CAPE FOUNDATION (KCF)

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