What is the Thornwillow Dispatch?

The Thornwillow Dispatch is our monthly subscription of finely printed ideas and inspirations. We offer three subscription tiers for the Dispatch that are tailored for a range of collectors, from budding enthusiasts to dedicated veterans of the fine press world.

Each month, ongoing subscribers receive a new letterpress printed, limited edition publication from the Press, as well as a curated collection of engraved and letterpress printed keepsakes. For more details on tier-specific Dispatch content, click here or keep scrolling down this page. Past Dispatches have included an assortment of limited edition chapbooks, broadsides, and prints that feature editorial and artistic content, as well as finely crafted goods for your study like engraved note cards, journals, and calendar cards. Each month your Dispatch Box is sure to surprise and delight.

Through the Thornwillow Dispatch, we are uniting a global community of authors, artists, book makers, and book readers who together celebrate the written word. It is for everyone who enjoys reading and writing, and who believes that in this age of disposable and intangible communications, beautiful objects that are designed to last matter more than ever.

What Are My Options?

Thornwillow Dispatch Subscription Tiers

We offer three subscription tiers for the Dispatch that are tailored for a range of collectors, from budding enthusiasts to dedicated veterans of the fine press world.

Thornwillow Dispatch, Classic Edition - $45 per month

The Classic Edition of the Thornwillow Dispatch is the gateway into Thornwillow’s world of fine printing. Each month, subscribers at this tier will receive:

• The “Classic Edition” of each month’s Dispatch title, limited in number, letterpress printed, and bound with a letterpress printed paper wrapper, uniquely designed for each publication.

• A complimentary curated assortment of letterpress and engraved keepsakes and goods for your study.

• If you subscribe to one of our anchor publication campaigns throughout the year, you will receive a complimentary bonus add-on in thanks for your ongoing support of the Thornwillow Dispatch.

After the pre-publication subscription period closes at the end of each month, remaining copies of the limited edition Classic Dispatch, if any, will be offered on our website at full price, starting at $65 and increasing as availability decreases.

Thornwillow Dispatch, Patrons' Edition - $125 per month

The Patrons’ Edition of the Thornwillow Dispatch is a subscription level for collectors who, in addition to adding a beautiful volume to their shelves, are interested in supporting Thornwillow’s editorial and artistic mission—to support the publication of important texts in editions that will endure. Each month, subscribers at this tier will receive: 

• The “Patrons’ Edition” of each month’s Dispatch title, letterpress printed on heavy archival stock and bound in decorative paper wrappers. These wrappers are individually handmade by our craftspeople each month. The “Patrons’ Edition” is also limited, individually numbered and signed. 

• A complimentary “Classic Edition” of the month’s Dispatch title to share with others, enabling you to be an ambassador of craft and culture in your community. 

• A complimentary curated assortment of letterpress and engraved keepsakes and goods for your study.

• If you subscribe to one of our anchor publication campaigns throughout the year, you will receive a complimentary bonus add-on in thanks for your ongoing support of the Thornwillow Dispatch.

• Your name will appear on our annual “Patrons’ Register,” recognizing your part in making our work possible.

As Patron supporters of Thornwillow, subscribers at the “Patrons’ Edition” tier also directly support the Thornwillow Patrons’ Prize for Emerging Artists. This Prize is awarded in collaboration with the New York Foundation for the Arts and is aimed at catalyzing the careers of outstanding emerging artists and authors.

After the pre-publication subscription period closes at the end of each month, remaining copies of the limited edition Patrons’ Dispatch, if any, will be offered on our website at full price, starting at $165 and increasing as availability decreases.

Thornwillow Dispatch, Centaur Patrons’ Edition - $300 per month

The Centaur Patrons’ Edition of the Thornwillow Dispatch is the subscription tier for our most engaged collectors, patrons, and ambassadors. Not only do patrons at this level support Thornwillow’s Mission and the Thornwillow Patrons’ Prize, but they also receive, by way of thanks for their generous support, exclusive, Centaur-specific benefits in their Dispatch box. Each month, subscribers at this tier will receive: 

• The “Centaur Edition” of each month’s Dispatch title, letterpress printed on heavy archival stock and hardbound in cloth and handmade decorative paper boards. This hardcover edition is only available to our Centaur subscribers, and will not be available for purchase on our website after the subscription period closes. Subscribing at this tier is the only way to secure a copy of this extremely limited, individually numbered and signed edition.

• A complimentary “Classic Edition” of the month’s Dispatch title to share with others, enabling you to be an ambassador of craft and culture in your community. 

• A complimentary curated assortment of letterpress and engraved keepsakes and goods for your study.

• Behind the scenes access to the world of Thornwillow, as well as special thank you gifts along the way.

• If you subscribe to one of our anchor publication campaigns throughout the year, you will receive a complimentary bonus add-on in thanks for your support of the Thornwillow Dispatch.

• Your name will appear on our annual “Patrons’ Register,” recognizing your part in making our work possible.

Upgrade & Add-On Opportunities

• Occasionally, we create Half-Leather editions of Dispatch Titles. When we do, Centaur Patrons will be given the first chance to upgrade their Half-Cloth, Centaur Patrons’ Edition to a Half-Leather edition. This upgrade will also be offered to them at a special, Centaur-exclusive price.

• For completists and those wishing additional copies to share, Centaur Patrons’ tier subscribers will also have the opportunity to add-on Classic, Patrons’, and Half-Leather Editions at special prices. 

After the pre-publication subscription period closes at the end of each month, the Centaur Patrons’ Edition of the Dispatch will not be available on our website for purchase. This Edition is exclusive to subscribers at the Centaur Patrons’ Tier and limited to one copy per subscriber.

Please be advised that we are capping the number of subscribers at the Centaur Patrons’ Tier due to the constraints of our craftspeople. We hope to grow this capacity, but for now are bound by the limitations of our artists’ hands.

*Due to shipping costs, International subscribers will be charged an additional $20 to the subscription price.

**We cannot offer refunds on these products. Prices are subject to change.

The Thornwillow Patrons’ Prize

Aimed at catalyzing the careers of talented up-and-coming authors and artists, the Thornwillow Patrons' Prize is given in collaboration with New York Foundation for the Arts, and is supported by our Thornwillow Dispatch subscribers at the Patrons’ and Centaur Patrons’ tiers.

This prize celebrates outstanding new authors and artists with publication in fine press, limited editions, and distributes copies of these new publications to editors, critics, reviewers, and other opinion leaders in the literary and art worlds.

Thank you to every Dispatch subscriber who has made this project possible. When you subscribe to the Thornwillow Dispatch you are not only adding a beautiful volume to your shelves, but are also supporting our mission of perpetuating the arts and crafts of the written word. We are incredibly excited to be able to support the careers of such talented artists through the Thornwillow Patrons’ Prize.

Become a Thornwillow Ambassador:
Gift the Thornwillow Dispatch

The Thornwillow Dispatch is a meaningful gift for the book lovers in your life, and also for your favorite institutions that collect ideas that matter. If you would like to give The Dispatch to a person or an institution for a year, you can do so here, or you can subscribe for them on a monthly basis here. We thank you in advance for your support as an ambassador of the Press!

New subscribers interested in completing their collection of Dispatch titles can find previous works here. Past releases include: gems by Roz Chast, H.G. Wells, and James Joyce; poetry by Louise Glück and T.S. Eliot; and Thornwillow Patrons’ Prize winners Sahar Muradi and Cindy Tran.