Books / Poetry
New Bristol poetry imprint arrives
Bristol publisher, Johanna Darque, has set up Small Press to nurture the printed poetry scene in the city and beyond – and to create books as beautiful to handle as they are to read. She tells Joe Melia more about her plans
What made you want to set up a poetry imprint?
Bristol has had a long and varied relationship to print – the first edition of Wordsworth and Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads was published in Bristol, in addition to there being a rich history of industrial printing in the city, which at one point employed almost a third of Bristolians who worked in manufacturing industries.
is needed now More than ever
I want to celebrate and explore this aspect of Bristol’s history by creating beautiful printed poetry chapbooks that will explore the experience of reading and finding new and different ways to publish poetry. Bristol has a thriving spoken word and performance poetry scene (supported magnificently by the likes of Blah Blah Blah and Burning Eye Books), but print poetry has been underrepresented for a good while now: I want to create a space for all the amazing print-based poems in Bristol and beyond.
What do you hope to publish?
I’m hoping to publish the poets and poems currently overlooked by the larger publishing houses; many of which have been either scaling back or shutting down their poetry imprints over the last few years. We’re producing beautiful, handmade poetry chapbooks that sit somewhere between art books and the ephemeralness of zine and pamphlet culture; which are affordable and accessible, though not necessarily easy. I’m interested in the gaps between things – the more experimental, crafted kinds of writing that lend themselves well to print.
Small Press’ first publication, Thumping the Table of Mist by Ray Webber
You’re using letterpress and intricate binding – how important is the look and feel of what you will be publishing?
Oh it’s integral! I’m interested in exploring the interaction between form and content in print; how something is presented and the experience of reading can affect meaning and how a poem is perceived. Working with Nick and Ellen at the Letterpress Collective in Leonard’s Lane has been marvellous, and was important as a gentle nod to Bristol’s printing heritage.
It was also significant for this chapbook in particular (Thumping on the Table of Mist) because the poet Ray Webber was born less than 200yds away in the Redcliffe slums in 1923. It felt like a confluence of significant moments from very different times but all intersecting in one place.
I wanted to produce an object that was a pleasure to hold and handle, as well as to read – hopefully it’ll appeal to print lovers as well as lovers of poetry. We included some of Ray’s unique artworks as endpapers, which are printed beautifully onto delicate bible paper to add a different texture.
And to contrast with the main body of text which was printed digitally, we printed the cover by hand using traditional letterpress techniques and a beautiful old woodblock typeface. We also hand bound and stamped each copy: each chapbook is unique and bears the marks of its making. Each is also a limited edition of 200 as an acknowledgment of the short-run, ephemeral history of pamphleteering in Britain.
Which other publishers do you admire?
From afar I’ve long admired the likes of Barque Press, The Emma Press, Test Centre, Atlantic Press and Guillemot Press. Closer to home, Tangent Books, Burning Eye Books, No Bindings, Pirrip Press and Hesterglock Press are all doing wonderful things for publishing in Bristol.
Thumping the Table of Mist illustrations
What do you hope Small Press will achieve?
I’d love for Small Press to play a part in reigniting the print poetry scene in Bristol! There is a wealth of brilliant poetry in our city that needs space and a stage on which to be heard. I think it’s also important that publishing becomes more inclusive and diverse, as well as becoming less centralised around London – it’s my hope that Small Press will give a platform to voices that wouldn’t necessarily be heard elsewhere.
Have you any plans for events and performances?
We’re launching our first chapbook Thumping the Table of Mist by Ray Webber this month! We’re still ironing out the last details so keep in touch on Twitter or Instagram for details.
Longer term, I’d love to set up a kind of poetry salon, or lecture series to delve a little deeper into themes and ideas in the work of different poets. Even longer term I’m hoping to set up the Bristol poetry library and run events and performances to support poets and poetry readers in Bristol and further afield.
For more information on Small Press, visit twitter.com/smallpressbooks
Read more: Interview with Bristol publisher Burning Eye Books
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