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Trinity University announced that its affiliated press—Trinity University Press— will be closing at the end of the 2026.
In a press release the university announced that the expense of running a small-sized, high quality publishing organization is part of an issue of sustainability that has become prohibitive.
They have given this much notice so that it can honor all its commitments to authors it is currently publishing, and to allow them to seek out other publishers.
Artist Kathy Sosa is a published author of Trinity University Press and says that losing a South Texas outlet for stories and culture may make those things dissolve and fade away rather than be told.
“I think that's absolutely right, because that was their sweet spot. You know, regional and local authors,” Sosa said. “And these are people that can't make a phone call to Random House necessarily, so somebody has to be in the business of helping local artists and local authors get their ideas published.”
“We're going to have fewer people [that] are going to know the stories that we want to tell and that, that's a very sad state of affairs,” said Sosa.
Trinity University Press was established in 1967, and they have published books on Texas history, art, and poetry, among other subjects and genres.
Sosa drew an unexpected parallel between a regional publisher and TPR.
“I kind of think that a university press is analogous to public radio. You know, these are ideas that are not necessarily going to fly off the shelf, but they're ideas that are important— and facts and stories that people need to know,” Sosa said.
Sosa noted that the stories that have the potential of being lost forever, are our stories.
“A very sad state of affairs. We need to celebrate our own history and culture, because no one else is going to if we don't do it,” she said.
Trinity University said that the 15-month sunsetting of Trinity University Press will end in December 2026 when it will cease operations.
Disclosure: Trinity University Press has published two books written or edited by current or former Texas Public Radio employees. The books are San Antonio 365: On This Day in History and Worth Repeating. Trinity University and Trinity University Press are sponsors of Texas Public Radio. We report on them as we would any other business, institution or organization.
