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Stories from the Slipstream

Issue 2 April 2020

In This issue

Resilience has seldom felt more urgent, as we hunker down for the long-haul. But the need for maverick voices is ever-more pressing. In Issue 2, we bring together a potent mix of voices to trouble assumptions about small publishers working in the slipstream of the mainstream. From upstarts to influencers, industry insiders to unapologetic outliers, The Small Press issue chronicles tales of unerring resistance, reinvention and resilience.

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Credits

  • Luke Thompson
     Editor
  • Abram Foley
     Editor
  • Anna Kiernan
    Publisher
  • Helen Gilchrist
     Assistant Editor
  • Hazel Beevers
     Creative Producer
  • Clare Howdle
     Writer
  • Ellen Jones
     Writer
  • Callie Gardner
     Writer
  • Cathy Galvin
     Writer
  • Lucky Grace Isingizwe
     Writer
  • Robert Dickens
     Writer
  • Harry Webster
     Writer
  • Phyllida Bluemel
     Writer
  • Sherezade Garcia Rangel
     Podcast Producer
  • C.F. Sheratt
     Visual Artist
  • Zander Grinfeld
     Creative Direction

The Risk and the Reward | Are Prizes Worth the Cost?

Impossible terms and conditions, a narrow view of the industry, a gatekeeper to success. When it comes to small presses, mainstream prizes have a lot to answer for. But is it all bad? Clare Howdle explores the divisive nature of literary prize giving – and how for some, it’s a case of revolution from the inside out.

Translation as Collaboration | On Translating with Charco Press

Whether it’s debating the nature of watercress or the sound of scissors slicing through cloth – translating can take you to unexpected places. Ellen Jones tells us who she brought along for the journey, in her award-nominated translation of Rodrigo Fuentes’s Trout, Belly Up .

on being asked to write something on lgbtqia+ and the small press

there's only lgbtqia+ in the small press. only, there's lgbtqia+ in the small press. in the small press, there's only lgbtqia+. only the small press is in lgbtqia+. small is lgbtqia+ in the press. the small press: lgbtqia+'s in there. there's lgbtqia+ in the small press only.

Northern Powerhouse | Who Needs London? Regional Publishing and Other Stories

When a group of independent northern publishers came together in opposition to what they saw as the elitist practices of major publishers in the south, a formidable new alliance was formed. Four years on, what has happened? And what do they do next?

Sublimated Activism | An Interview with Jeremy Poynting of Peepal Tree Press

Since its establishment in 1985, Peepal Tree Press has been committed to publishing major works of Caribbean and Black British writing. Abram Foley spoke to founder and director Jeremy Poynting about publishing, political hopes, and telling the truth.

Building Literary Communities | Small Presses, Creative Writing Workshops & Literary Prizes in Africa

Building a career as a writer in East Africa is no easy endeavour. No colleges or universities in the region offer creative writing as a major. In primary and secondary schools, it's simply dismissed. For emerging African writers, small presses are more than a way to publish your work; they become a lifeline for learning writing craft and building networks that nurture connections and opportunities.

Podcast | Emma Wright and Luke Thompson in Conversation

Publishers Emma Wright (The Emma Press), and Luke Thompson (Guillemot Press) talk to Adrian Markle about the joys and challenges of small press publishing.

Books of Art and the Art of Book Making

Artist and writer Phyllida Bluemel explores "the nimbleness and sheer stubbornness of the small press, which allows visual and physical experimentation to flourish in its hands."

A Pressing Concern | How are Small Presses Making Ends Meet?

Small presses take big risks – artistic and financial – so how can they sustain themselves in a risk-averse literary marketplace, which tends to champion tried-and-tested authors and ‘safe’ formats?

A Trip Underground | Psychedelic Periodical Culture

Founder of Psychedelic Press, Robert Dickens takes us on a countercultural trip through printed matter, from the 1960s to now.

Hearing New Voices | An Interview with Charco Press

From noisy book covers to exploring aesthetic universes, we talk to Charco Press director Carolina Orloff about amplifying contemporary Latin American voices, the Scottish publishing industry and encouraging translation-shy readers to dive in.