Hanuman Books was founded by American art critic, curator, editor and publisher, Raymond Foyeand Italian painter Francesco Clementein 1986.

Clemente, in addition to suggesting books, painted the Hanuman Books logo, contributed money to pay for printing in India, and envisioned the design of the books. Clemente, for example, suggested sending black and white author photographs to be hand tinted, so Indian printers would influence the books.

Hanuman books were printed on a letter press at C.T. Nachiappan’s Kalakshetra Press in Madras (now Chennai), India. The acid-free pages were sewn together by local fishermen and others. All of the books have the same 3″ x 4″ dimensions. 

Handmade Indian paper and vegetable dyes enabled colorful covers. Titles stamped in gold and tinted author photographs appear on the dust jackets.

Nachiappan himself destroyed the first print-run of Bob Flanagan’s Fuck Journalin order to avoid prosecution under anti-obscenity laws, which applied to printers as well as publishers. He was convinced by Foye to print five hundred clandestine copies.

Very few copies remain and have proven exceedingly difficult to obtain.

The Hanuman collection here offered for sale formed part of a gift from Raymond Foye to Gerard Bellaart. All the books are in mint condition.