Haymarket Books

The name of the publishing house refers to the Chicago 1886 Haymarket affair, a pro-labor and anti-police protest that ended in a bombing, gunfire by police, and the wrongful conviction of eight anarchist labor organizers for the death of an officer. Four of the falsely accused were executed by the state.

Haymarket Books was founded in 2001 by Anthony Arnove, Ahmed Shawki, and Julie Fain, all of whom had previously worked at the International Socialist Review. Its first title was The Struggle for Palestine, a collection of essays by pro-Palestinian activists including Edward Said. Fain said the press aimed "to be a socialist workplace in a capitalist world".

Both Haymarket Books and the International Socialist Review are owned by the nonprofit Center for Economic Research and Social Change and were considered the "publishing arm" of the International Socialist Organization (ISO). The ISO was a Trotskyist political party founded in 1977 and considered "the largest revolutionary socialist organization" in the US by 2017, until its eventual dissolution amid controversy in 2019. At that time, Haymarket Books issued a statement of support, signed by Arnove and Fain among others, declaring "We stand with and believe survivors," as well as confidence in the newly reconstituted board of the CERSC, after the removal of members involved in the mishandling of a 2013 rape accusation by ISO leadership.

Haymarket was cited by Publishers Weekly on its list of fast-growing independent publishers in 2017 and 2018. A 2016 Publishers Weekly profile said the press had approximately 520 titles in print and published 20 to 25 titles each season.

Haymarket Books is the publishing and distribution arm of the Center for Economic Research and Social Change (CERSC). According to ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer, the Center for Economic Research and Social Change reported $8.53 million in revenue and $17.4 million in total assets for fiscal year 2024.

Haymarket House

In 2017, Haymarket announced plans to move into a historic mansion at 800 W. Buena Avenue in Chicago's Buena Park neighborhood. The Lannan Foundation gave a grant of $2.3 million to the CERSC toward the purchase of the building. The move drew opposition from some local residents before the press received the permits needed for the property. Coverage said the building would be used for office space as well as community gatherings and public events. By 2022, Haymarket House was hosting events, and in 2024, Chicago Review of Books described Haymarket House as the press's space for political, cultural, literary, and community events.