From the House of Literature

A very successful launch of the 2008 series of Rack Press poets took place on Friday at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea, also known as Ty Len or House of Literature in Welsh. The three poets, seen here from left to right Byron Beynon, David Wheatley, and Steve Griffiths read well to an appreciative audience. There are still copies left so please order now!

Wales Launch for Rack Poets in Swansea

You are cordially invited to the launch at the Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea on Friday 11 April of the 2008 Rack Press pamphlet series. It will be a chance to meet the poets and hear them read and have a free glass of wine. Byron Beynon's Cuffs, Steve Griffiths' Landing and David Wheatley's Lament for Ali Farka Touré will be launched at the Centre at an event starting at 7pm. We look forward very much to seeing you there.
Contact: 01792 463980
www.dylanthomas.com
dylanthomas.lit@swansea.gov.uk

Hazel Frew and the Gawain Man

Rack Press poet Hazel Frew read last week in Glasgow with Simon Armitage whose splendid translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has just come out in paperback. We were very pleased to see the product placement here and there are a few copies of Hazel's collection Clockwork Scorpion still available.

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We are pleased to see a nice article in the Welsh national newspaper Western Mail online edition about Rack Press which describes us as a "quality press for perfect poetry" which is too kind. The latest two Welsh poets, Byron Beynon and Steve Griffiths are praised (by the way, chaps, the third poet in the new series, David Wheatley, may be Irish but it would have been nice to have included him). According to Peter Finch - Wales's one man poetical dynamo: "The poems sit mellow in perfect space."

Also congratulations to Steve Griffiths on launching his new website at www.stevegriffithspoet.com

Hazel Frew in Edinburgh

Rack Press poet Hazel Frew (seen here at an earlier Rack Press party with another of our poets, Dai Vaughan) was reading in Edinburgh last night from her 2007 collection Clockwork Scorpion and attracted some excellent audience response and very favourable reviews from two Scottish poetry blogs. Click here and here to read them. Well done Hazel.

Hazel has also been asked to read with Simon Armitage at Glasgow University on the 13th March at 7.30pm in the Anatomy Theatre. She'll be the only other reader on the bill. The reading is being organised jointly by Vital Synz and the Creative Writing programme at Glasgow University.

Successful Launch of 2008 Series

Nearly sixty people attended last night's launch in London at the Swedenborg Hall in Bloomsbury of the 2008 series of Rack Press pamphlets by Byron Beynon, David Wheatley, and Steve Griffiths (seen here, left to right in that order, with Rack Press publisher, Nicholas Murray, at the lectern). The poets read from their work and there was a brisk trade at the bookstall. Thanks to all who came and gave their support.

The next Rack Press event will be on 11 April at the Dylan Thomas Centre at Swansea when all three poets will again be reading.

For a comment on David Wheatley's Lament for Ali Farka Touré see this link which reads: "Wheatley’s is single longish piece, admirably avoiding the folklorique, or the touristique: “This belongs in no book. / If found in a book / consider it lost / and return it to its keeper.” (And, to keep one off balance, if one begins to think one’s “got” Mali, or Africa—references to things like “the best / pizza in Bamako.”) And a fine sense of the too-ready circumambiences (that is, the subterfugal flow and mock-reflowering) of story, the mean taking and exchange and refurbishing: “Traders’ tales: / we tell you these things / and you tell us them back. / The masks discarded / after the dance haggle / with us over the price / of a rich, hollow laugh.” Holding one’s own: “Do not / look to the sky for the sun: I think we are inside the sun.”

Excitement mounts....

A good turn out is expected on Tuesday 15th January at the Swedenborg Hall in Bloomsbury at 6.30 for the launch of the new 2008 Rack Press poetry pamphlets (see details below). Admission is free and includes a free glass of wine and there will be the chance to meet the poets and buy signed copies of these beautifully produced limited edition pamphlets.

The Swedenborg Hall is in Bloomsbury Way, London nearest Underground Holborn or Tottenham Court Road and the entrance is in Carter Street down the right hand side of of the bookshop.

We look forward to seeing you there.