In early spring a book arrived that I had been eagerly anticipating. Atomic Masquerade by Clara Etherin did not disappoint. Witty, exuberant, layered and innovative, this visual poetry collection is full of delights, from brooding palimpsest portrayals of Dracula and Frankenstein to the vivid pair of asemic sonnets “Heaven & Hell” – written in collaboration with AI – with which the book concludes.
Each piece has a distinctive energy, generating an impression of rising out of the page into some intangible third dimension. Consider, for example, the ferocious power that is unleashed in the calligram below:
“The Legend of Gelert” (from Atomic Masquerade by Clara Etherin, published by Penteract Press)
I have read and reread Atomic Masquerade with great enjoyment; but the enjoyment has been bittersweet, for the book represents the final publication from Penteract Press.
Founded by Anthony Etherin in 2016, Penteract Press has been a leading independent publisher of innovative constrained and visual poetry for almost a decade. The press has given a platform not only to established avant-garde and experimental writers but also to new, previously unknown voices (my own among them). You can read my interview with Anthony about the press, its ethos, and the reasons behind the decision to close here.
Penteract Press books are unique: often sumptuous, always elegant, and characterised by verbal and visual delights and surprises. Moreover, like all good books their intrinsic value to the reader extends beyond the simple pleasure of reading. Diving into a Penteract book is an adventure, an exploration into the art and craft of poetry, an opportunity to investigate the possibilities of language and the space in which letter, word and image coexist.
I have learnt so much from Penteract poets. Luke Bradford’s lyrical Zoolalia, for example, has taught me the beauty of lipograms and how we can tune in to their potential for music and rhythm and energy. The magic of palindromes is revealed through Merlina Acevedo’s Mirrors. Visualising the formal structures in Shakespeare’s sonnets with BardCode by Gregory Betts has suggested new and interesting ways in which I might use rhyme and metrical patterns in my own work.
Anthony Etherin has shown that you can construct poems within poems, and find melody and meaning even within the tightest of constraints. From Teo Eve I have discovered the playful interaction of language, letters and shapes. Rachel Smith’s Small gestures of endurance has offered me fresh insights into Virginia Woolf, and into my own psyche.
And everyone who loves tennis or metaphor, or both, should possess a copy of Chris Kerr’s gloriously witty Extra Long Matches.
Beyond my sheer delight in their poetry, spending time with these and other Penteract Press books has informed my development as a poet and clarified my process and intent. It has helped me to trust in my strengths and identify my limitations.
As Matthew Stewart recently lamented, ‘So many poets out there. So few readers.’ There seem to be far more people writing poetry than reading poetry: but to write poetry well, you need to read it, and to read outside your comfort zone. You need to support other poets, and their publishers. You need to buy books.
The closure of Penteract Press will leave a gaping hole in the independent book publishing world that will not be easy to fill.
The good news is that all these books are still available to purchase from the Penteract Press store for as long as stocks last or until February 2027, when the press will close for good.
The even better news is that everything in the store is currently on sale until the end of June! Browse the store here, and use the discount code SALE2025 at checkout. Buy! Read! Enjoy!