# Zagava

Zagava is a publishing imprint based in Düsseldorf, Germany, focusing on works in the English language within the genres of weird fiction, supernatural, and horror literature, often produced in limited editions. Most of Zagava's books are issued in numbered hardbound versions and frequently in additional special limited lettered sub-editions with special bindings or additional extras. The books are as much about their contents as about the art of fine book-production. Jonas Ploeger is the proprietor of this press. The name of Zagava comes from a story by Edward Gorey, The Osbick Bird.

## Brief history

The press began in 2013 with its first publication, Virtue in Danger by Reggie Oliver, marking the start of its publishing journey as a collaborative venture.
Jonas Ploeger’s involvement in the book trade began in 2002 with the launch of an antiquarian online bookstore - Antiquariat Bücherwelten. However, his primary profession at the time, and currently, was as camera operator and photographer.

## Publishing philosophy of Zagava

Zagava emphasizes high-quality book production, blending literary content with craftsmanship and exploring themes such as the weird, supernatural, the decadent, and the mystical. Zagava aims to offer readers unique, thought-provoking experiences and surprise them with its creativity.

## Zagava editions

Zagava offers its works in various formats, including limited-edition hardcovers and chapbooks, featuring artisanal materials and bindings. Paperbacks also make part of Zagava's publishing.
Lettered edition Lettered editions are special lettered sub-editions that come along with special bindings or additional extras. These vary on a wide range and often feature creative cover styles, such as hardcover out of copper. Zagava's lettered editions usually are issued with 24 examplars.
Numbered edition
Zagava's numbered editions usually come as an edition of 199 copies where as in the past it may have varied up to 222 copies.
Paperback edition
Paperback editions by Zagava are often unlimited and in A4 size. Furthermore, the paperback are published on high-quality paper with illustrated boards.
Chapbook edition
Infra-Noir
In 2018, a new type of edition series, named "Infra-Noir" was introduced. The Infra-Noirs are printed on finest Amalfi hand-made cotton rag paper with deckled edges and are hand-sewn.
An overview of all published Infra-Noirs :
| #0 - Craft - D.P. Watt | #16 - Corruption of Heliotrope - Louis Marvick | #32 - Goat Songs - Mark Valentine | #48 - Adrift on Memory Bliss - Arturo Calderon Huapaya |
| #1 - The Clerks of the Invisible - Mark Valentine | #17 - Four Elemental Invocations - Forrest Aguirre | #33 - The Fenland House - Derek Bainbridge | #49 - A Spectral People - Alcebíades Diniz |
| #2 - The Idyll is over - Jonathan Wood | #18 - Under Different Stars - Avalon Brantley | #34 - Our World, Like a Charnel House - Jason Rolfe | #50 - Canon for Three September Voices - Martin Ruf |
| #3 - Codex of Light - Karim Ghahwagi | #19 - A Hive of Pain - D.P. Watt | #35 - Again, The Granite - Charles Schneider | #51 - Stella C - B. Catling |
| #4 - Posterity - Mark Samuels | #20 - The Purple Thread - Martin Ruf | #36 - Reunion - Peter Bell | #52 - Blackthorn Cottage - Colin Insole |
| #5 - Ancestor Water - Rebecca Lloyd | #21 - The End of Death - Part 1 - Mark Samuels | #37 - W - John Howard | #53 - House of Silence: An Exposition - Avalon Brantley |
| #6 - Stained Medium - Mark Valentine | #22 - The End of Death - Part 2 - Mark Samuels | #38 - Death and the Bachelor - R. Ostermeier | #54 - The Emissaries - John Howard |
| #7 - The Purblind Bards - Timothy J. Jarvis | #23 - The Story of Anja Sigmundsdóttir - Part 1 - Eric Stener Carlson | #39 - The Funeral of Archimimus - O. Jamie Walsh | #55 - The Two Keisukes - Brian Howell |
| #8 - The Wet Woman - Reggie Oliver | #24 - The Story of Anja Sigmundsdóttir - Part 2 - Eric Stener Carlson | #40 - An Ideal Guest - Gaurav Monga |
| #9 A House of Treasures - R. B. Russell | #25 - The Animals That I Have Scarcely Known - Stephen J. Clark | #41 - CAW: Colossal Abandoned World - James Champagne |
| #10 - Home Comforts - Rosalie Parker | #26 - The Power That Overshadows - Alex Older | #42 - Towards Nature - Douglas Thompson |
| #11 - Rain Against a Face that isn't there - Quentin S. Crisp | #27 - Antediluvian: A Tale of Winter - Thomas Phillips | #43 - A Vision of the architecture of the Obscure - Damian Murphy |
| #12 - The Book of Unwona - Colin Insole | #28 - Whom the Gods Destroy - Douglas Thompson | #44 - A Calendar of cherries - Colin Insole |
| #13 - New Adelphi - John Howard | #29 - The Invisible Collection - Louis Marvick, Stefan Zweig | #45 - Project Excitement - Golnoosh Nour |
| #14 - The Antiquarian's Story - Thomas Strømsholt | #30 Kali Yuga: This Dark and Present Age - Avalon Brantley | #46 - Pictures of Yukio - Brian Howell |
| #15 - Reece Mews Underworld - Jeremy Reed | #31 - The Curator of Souls - Peter Bell | #47 - Officer of the Watch - Peter Bell |
Postcards
Many illustrations in Zagava's books were issued as sets of postcards as well.

## Authors

Zagava has published works of a total number of 114 authors and artists as of 2024. The following shows an overview in alphabetical order:
* Carl Abrahamsson
* Little Annie
* Derek Bainbridge
* Peter Bell
* Valeria Bianchi
* Nick Blinko
* Avalon Brantley
* Sven Brömsel
* Aurora Buzzetti
* Giulia de Canio
* Adam S. Cantwell
* Eric Stener Carlson
* B. Catling
* James Champagne
* Stephen J. Clark
* S. Cohen
* Andrew Condous
* Brendan Connell
* James Conway
* Quentin S. Crisp
* Dolorosa de la Cruz
* Chris Cummings
* Jackie Cummins
* Joseph Dawson
* Alcebíades Diniz
* Margaret Elphinstone
* Ilna Ewers-Wunderwald
* Michel Faber
* Philip Fracassi
* Richard Gavin
* Karim Ghahwagi
* Ania Goszczyńska
* Helen Grant
* Mandy Haggith
* Martin Hayes
* Brian Howell
* John Howard
* Peter Holman
* Arturo Calderon Huapaya
* Rhys Hughes
* Nigel Humphreys
* Jordan Hunt
* Michael Hutter
* Joris-Karl Huysmans
* Ibrahim Ineke
* Colin Insole
* Justin Isis
* Jane Jakeman
* Derek Jarman
* Timothy J. Jarvis
* Andrew Kerton
* Will Kirchner
* L. A. Lewis
* Andrew Liles
* Rebecca Lloyd
* Gregory Maguire
* Louis Marvick
* Dawn McCarthy
* John S. McFarland
* Chris Mikul
* Daniel Mills
* Gaurav Monga
* Damian Murphy
* Julia Nau
* Alex Neilson
* Dee Norris
* Mary Norris
* Golnoosh Nour
* Alex Older
* Reggie Oliver
* Erin K. Orr
* R. Ostermeier
* Rosalie Parker
* Fabrizio Modonese Palumbo
* Thomas Phillips
* Francesca Puopolo
* Miss Pussycat
* Quintron
* Jeremy Reed
* Colin Rhodes
* Jason Rolfe
* Martin Ruf
* R. B. Russell
* Bertram Rutz
* Jane Ruvolo
* Mark Samuels
* Charles Schneider
* Marcel Schwob
* Richard Skelton
* Michael Siefener
* Florence Sunnen
* Supervert
* Thomas Strømsholt
* Stanisław Szukalski
* Anna Taborska
* Pamela Tait
* Eugene Thacker
* Douglas Thompson
* David Tibet
* Iulia O. Toacaci
* Caroline Tyrell
* Mark Valentine
* Christina de Vos
* Anh Vu
* Cathy Ward
* D.P. Watt
* Paul Wallfisch
* O. Jamie Walsh
* Ron Weighell
* Henry Wessells
* Charles Wilkinson
* J. Kathleen White
* Tod Wodicka
* Jonathan Wood