Two years ago an exciting new online journal made its appearance on the literary scene. Uniquely, the voidspace focuses on interactive arts: the website itself is an invitation to dive in and explore through a series of alluring portals. I spoke to founding editor Katy Naylor about the voidspace, her sources of creative inspiration, her poetry, and her plans to set up a new press.
Continue readingVisual poetry with teeth: An Interview with James Knight of Steel Incisors
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Described by Astra Papachristodoulou as “one of the most exciting voices in visual poetry today”, James Knight is an experimental poet, artist, performer and the founding editor of Steel Incisors Press. I’ve long been an admirer of his work, so was delighted when James agreed to an interview with me. We discussed contemporary visual poetry, the projects he’s currently working on, and what the future holds for Steel Incisors.
Continue readingAnything could happen – An Interview with Dan Power of Trickhouse Press
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Last year I had the pleasure of writing a blurb for Machinations, the brilliant exploration of Alan Turing’s life and creativity by JP Seabright and Kinneson Lalor. The book is published by Trickhouse Press, an imprint I hadn’t come across until then. Founded in 2020 by Dan Power, Trickhouse Press has an exuberant energy and sense of adventure that is reflected in the variety of its catalogue. As part of my on-going series of editor interviews, I spoke to Dan about the press and his own poetry.
Continue readingThe thingness of language – An Interview with Richard Capener of Hem Press
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Based in Birmingham, England, Hem Press is a small independent publisher with a diverse catalogue that includes visual poetry, experimental memoir, narrative verse and radical translation. As part of my on-going series of editor interviews I spoke to Richard Capener, who founded Hem Press in 2022.
– Richard, in your recent conversation with Anthony Etherin on the Penteract Podcast, you discussed the influence of the Language poets on your writing, in particular Charles Bernstein. You also acknowledged the benefits of a conservative training in poetry, in terms of metre, rhyme and form. Tell me about your creative trajectory, and what led to the founding of Hem Press last year.
Continue readingThe Seasons: Four Pascal’s Triangle Poems
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I have always been drawn to the visual poetry of mathematics: the crisp clean curves of conic sections; the graceful graphs associated with trigonometric functions; the meditative intricacies of the Mandelbrot Set; even the simple, elongated elegance of the integral sign. I still recall the thrill I experienced as a teenager when I was first introduced to the triangular array of numbers known as Pascal’s Triangle. Mathematically, the array has applications in algebra, combinatorics and probability theory, but it is also intriguing as an object in itself, on account of the many patterns embedded in its structure.
Continue reading‘Everyone is invited’ – An Interview with Anthony Etherin of Penteract Press
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Readers of formal and constrained poetry will, like me, have been saddened by Penteract Press’s recent announcement that it will cease publishing new titles after 2024. As part of my on-going series of interviews with editors of small independent presses, I spoke to Penteract’s editor Anthony Etherin about the press, its ethos, and the reasons behind the decision to close. Anthony also shares two poems from his new collection The Robots of Babylon, which will be published on the 21st of October and is now available for pre-order.
Continue readingWhat poetry do we as poets read?
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Last month Tesserae: A mosaic of poems by Zimbabwean women, was released into the world. Working on this book with Samantha Vazhure, founder and editor of Carnelian Heart Publishing, and the wonderful poets whose voices are featured within its pages, has been an immensely rewarding experience.
Continue readingDemocratising literature – an interview with Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure
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Start exploring contemporary Zimbabwean writing and you will very quickly come across books published by Carnelian Heart. The imprint was established in April 2020 and already has an impressive list of around 30 titles, including fiction, memoir, short stories, and poetry in both English and Shona. It’s a testament to the vision, energy and creative talent of Samantha Rumbidzai Vazhure, Carnelian Heart’s founder and editor. Warm and generous, with a smile that lights up the space around her, Samantha is a fierce advocate for equality and the welfare of women and children. She is passionate in her support for under-represented voices, and extremely dedicated, often still at work well after midnight.
Continue readingTriangles
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Triangles, my new poetry collection, is now available to purchase directly from Penteract Press, who ship all over the world.
Billy Mills has generously written a review, which you can read here: https://ellipticalmovements.wordpress.com/2023/10/26/recent-reading-october-2023/
You can order a copy at this link: https://penteractpress.com/store/triangles
Poem by Poem: An interview with Annick Yerem, Editor at Sídhe Press
At a time when many small poetry presses are going on indefinite hiatus or closing down altogether, it’s heartening to welcome a relative newcomer to the field. Sídhe Press published its first book in February of this year – Our Own Coordinates, an anthology of poems about dementia that is profound, tender, unflinching and courageous. This has been followed by Sarah Connor’s fine collection The Crow Gods and a second anthology, Glisk and Glimmer, on the theme of Light. Annick Yerem, the Editor-in-Chief of Sídhe Press, is a gifted poet in her own right, whose work has been widely published both online and in print. Annick’s chapbook, St Eisenberg and the Sunshine Bus, was published in 2022 by Hedgehog Press. I was delighted when she agreed to an interview with me.
Continue readingBeir Bua Press: A Valediction
I have a shelf of books with vivid, arresting covers adorned with a black swan – the logo of Beir Bua, an independent publisher of experimental poetry. Among them is my collection of essays From Fibs to Fractals: exploring mathematical forms in poetry, which was published in 2021. Working with Michelle Moloney King, the press’s founder and editor, was a joy. She fizzed with ideas, enthusiasm, and creative energy. A gifted poet in her own right, Michelle also designed all those gorgeous Beir Bua covers herself, including creating the artwork.
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