Tentative Press
Tentative Press is an independent publisher founded by Leah Hickey in Walsall, England.
Working from her dining room table, the project was established as a way for Hickey to self-publish her writing ‘Emotional Outbursts’. In 2025, she recieved funding from Arts Council England (ACE) to explore Tentative Press as a 'sustainable publishing model'.
Hickey is continuing Tentative Press through slow, limited releases. Her work is informed by her time at the Winterbourne Press, University of Birmingham (UoB), and the London Centre for Book Arts (LCBA).
Leah Hickey
Leah Hickey is an artist and writer struck by 'heartache', a term she uses to wade through the spectrum of grief. She translates these experiences through confessional writing, calligraphy, and heritage crafts 'at risk' of extinction, such as letterpress. Hickey's work is emotionally led and influenced by Romantic thought, Christian morality and women on film.
In 2025, Hickey was awarded Arts Council England (ACE) funding to develop Tentative Press. She was also recipient of the Sir Whitworth Wallis Fellowship (2025-26) with Birmingham Museums Trust, researching the social and material histories of Victorian-era Valentines. In 2026, Hickey is studying MA by Research in Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading.