Report on Monthly Review Press
Based in New York City, Monthly Review Press is one of the most prestigious and long-standing independent socialist and Marxist publishing houses in the United States and the world. The press was founded in 1952 as an initiative born out of the renowned Monthly Review magazine. Its launch came in response to political censorship during the Cold War and McCarthy era, specifically established to publish radical journalist I. F. Stone's "The Hidden History of the Korean War" after other commercial publishers refused to print it. Since then, the press has taken it upon itself to provide a platform for critical ideas and structural analyses that challenge dominant capitalist and imperialist narratives.
The press is distinguished by a dynamic intellectual line committed to Marxist analysis and political economy, while maintaining total independence from any political parties or organizations. Its diverse publications focus on vital areas including the critique of contemporary capitalism, studies on colonialism and imperialism, and national liberation movements in the Global South, alongside its leadership in the field of eco-socialism, which examines the relationship between the climate crisis and the global economic system. Throughout its long history, the press has successfully built a massive intellectual legacy by publishing the works of some of the world's most prominent thinkers and theorists, such as Samir Amin, Eduardo Galeano, Walter Rodney, Paul Sweezy, and John Bellamy Foster.
In terms of its organizational and operational structure, Monthly Review Press operates as a non-profit educational institution. To reach its readers, it relies on a long-term strategic partnership with NYU Press, which has handled distribution and logistical services since the late 1990s. The press is currently entering a new chapter in its editorial journey with the thinker and researcher Arun Kundnani taking over as editorial director in 2026, succeeding economist Michael Yates who led the press for nearly two decades, ensuring the institution continues its role as a cornerstone of leftist and liberation thought in the twenty-first century.
