The alder is a pioneer species that, for millennia, has enriched depleted soil and damaged ecosystems. Most plants need nitrogen to grow, and the alder, through its arrangement with a bacterium on its root nodules, releases large amounts of nitrogen in the soil for the benefit of its neighbors.
The alder, however, does more than enrich the soil. It offers food and habitat for numerous animal species: Its cones provide winter food for birds, and its catkins provide pollen and nectar to bees, butterflies, and moths. The alder’s deep roots shelter fish and otters and protect riverbanks from erosion and flooding. In Autumn, after many of the alder’s leaves have fed caterpillars and other beneficial insects, the leaves fall and decompose rapidly, providing food for water beetles and the larva of stoneflies, which in turn feed fish and birds.
Socially engaged fiction is a lot like the alder tree. It does its best work in those areas of society where there is a need. Whether it be an economical or social justice issue or the deteriorating relationship between individuals and their environment, socially engaged fiction asks the reader to step a little closer.
The job of socially engaged fiction is not to condemn. It instead uses the power of story to inspire engagement and empathy.
We are an independent book publisher that publishes high-quality, socially engaged fiction. Our books are thoughtful and emotionally powerful, with strong narratives and unique voices that have something to say about the human condition and our world. We strive to publish novels that matter, and that remain with you long after the last word has been read.
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