Influenced by American small presses publishing new and experimental writing, Rigmarole Books grew out of the small press, Rigmarole of the Hours, which operated between 1974-79. Rigmarole Books published about 30 books which 'confronted the realities of the last half of the [twentieth century] and were not afraid of ideas or of crossing the boundaries of fiction and non-fiction'. Books were published in economical formats and print runs were usually between 500 to 1000 copies. Authors published by Rigmarole Books included Gerald Lee, Jennifer Maiden, Laurie Duggan, Kris Hemensley, Anna Couani, Robert Kenny and Katherine Gallagher. Founder, Robert Kenny, finally closed Rigmarole Books in 1986 due to financial and physical constraints.