In 2029, Beacon Press will celebrate 175 years of continuous book publishing. In the lead up to that milestone, the Press is drawing from its rich publishing history to reissue a selection of core titles that remain relevant to readers today. The series, “Beacon Press Classics,” will be released throughout 2025 and beyond, beginning with four titles slated for February 4. Those titles, released in celebration of Black History Month, are Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin, Young, Gifted, and Black by Theresa Perry, Yo’ Mama’s Disfunktional! by Robin D. G. Kelley, and Here I Stand by Paul Robeson.
“Selecting a handful of titles from over 170 years’ worth of books is no easy feat,” says series editor Alison Rodriguez. “Beacon has a massive catalog that has shifted and transformed across the decades, yet it has always remained unapologetically progressive. I’m looking forward to seeing the series continue to expand with new titles releasing as we head towards our 175th anniversary.”
The series will feature spot gloss details and retro palettes inspired by the colors used on the original covers. “In general, there were bold colors and classic compositions born of the time and trends of when the original books were published,” says creative director Carol Chu. “For rolling out this series, the retro palettes signal something from the past, and as a whole family, they visually convey a timelessness and liminal permanency. I really liked the idea that the spines would form a visual block on a shelf—so all the spines are in the same blue.”
The current list of Beacon Classics titles releasing in 2025 can be found here, and information about future Beacon Classics titles in the run up to 2029 will be provided at a later date.
About the Author
Mei Su Bailey is the publicity assistant at Beacon Press. She worked at various youth advocacy and literary organizations, including 826 Boston, Dear Asian Youth, and the Fir Acres Writing Workshop. She holds a degree in sociology and anthropology from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and graduated from the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford. Outside of work, you can find her playing with cats, making things with yarn, and enjoying many bowls of noodle soup with chili oil.
