Southbank Centre new initiative Indie Night brings independent presses and their writers to the fore

The Southbank Centre today launches Indie Night – a brand-new quarterly series celebrating the bold and vital work of independent presses and the authors they publish. Each event will showcase a hand-picked, eclectic mix of four authors – a mix of fiction and non-fiction, established names and emerging voices – united by the same independent spirit as their publishers. This series aims to spotlight the vital power of these presses and the necessary work they do in bringing works that would otherwise struggle to find space in the mainstream arena. The inaugural event takes place on Wednesday 25 February 2026, hosted by Okechukwu Nzelu, writer of The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney and Eliza Clark, author of Boy Parts.

Eliza Clark, author and host of Indie Night, says, “I’m so excited to be hosting Indie Night alongside Okechukwu. Indie publishers have proved to be an incredible launch pad for so many careers – including my own – and I’m thrilled to be a part of this wonderful new platform for indie authors and publishers.”

Max Porter, Southbank Centre Resident Artist, says: “Independent publishing is the nutrient base from which everything positive and progressive grows in UK literature. Without our indie presses we have no counter culture. If we fail to invest in and support our indies we fail the radical potential of the written word. The Southbank Centre have always understood this, in their programming, curatorial approach and outreach work. This exciting new series is a cause for celebration and confirms that the Southbank Centre is always at the beating heart of things, amplifying the voices that need hearing, supporting new and bold approaches to the printed and spoken word”’