Deep Vellum was founded in 2013 with the mission to bring the world into conversation through literature. We are the heart and soul of the literary community in Dallas.

When book lover Will Evans first moved to Dallas, he realized that Dallas literary fans and readers had few places they could go to engage in conversation about books and global literary happenings. After talking with every arts leader he could in those early months, he cooked up a Texas-sized vision: he wanted to found a nonprofit independent publishing house and literary arts center in the center of Dallas. In 2013, Will opened Deep Vellum, a nonprofit organization with the goal to bring books, writers, and translators to Dallas by publishing the world’s best and most diverse literature from around the world and to create a community space for all things literary. In our first 5 years, Deep Vellum published 90 works in translation by international writers and hosted dozens of literary events for Dallas residents. 

Fast Forward to Today

Deep Vellum has expanded its operations to encompass 5 distinct publishing imprints and to publish English-original books with a special focus on Dallas writers. You can now find fiction, poetry, nonfiction, photography, and our signature translated literature among our books. As of 2020, approximately half of our published books are international works and half are English-original material. Curious to learn about Dallas past, present, and future? We’ve got you covered. Plus, we’re hosting more events than ever before, and we’re working to reach more readers, both locally and nationally, to connect literary communities and book lovers from all backgrounds. Check out our “Virtual Event Archive” to view past events. 

Why Nonprofit? 

Deep Vellum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Instead of selecting a book for publication exclusively because of its sales potential, our nonprofit status allows us to choose books for their artistic and social value. We are dedicated to publishing socially engaged literature that fosters cross-cultural dialogue, breaks down barriers between communities, and promotes empathy. Here’s how to support Deep Vellum.

Looking for Deep Vellum Bookstore? Our sister storefront sells a variety of books, including ours. Check out their website here.

Why Deep Vellum?

“Deep Vellum” is a play on words. We’re located in the Dallas historical district Deep Ellum, adjacent to downtown, and vellum is a thick parchment used to print high-quality books. Together that makes Deep Vellum.