Longbarrow Press

On 19 September 2014, poet Chris Jones, artist/writer Emma Bolland and Longbarrow Press editor/publisher Brian Lewis visited three churches in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire to record three podcasts based on Chris’s Reformation-era sequence Death and the Gallant (featured in the Longbarrow Press anthology The Footing). The first of these podcasts, accompanied by a short essay by Lewis and several photographs by Bolland, is now available on the Longbarrow Blog; click here to read and listen to their reflections on the Catholic art of Newark-on-Trent’s St. Mary Magdalene church. Two further podcasts and short essays (documenting the visits to Pickworth and Corby Glen) will appear on the Longbarrow Blog later in October.

Death and the Gallant is one of two sequences that Chris Jones will present as part of a special performance devised for this year’s Off the Shelf Festival of Writing & Reading.  The Shattered Stars also features a new arrangement of ‘Jigs and Reels’, which harnesses the energy of sets of folk tunes to contemplate themes of family, ceremony and music itself.  The spoken word will be accompanied by live music from Emma Bolland, projected visuals by Paul Evans, and soundscapes by Brian Lewis.  The Shattered Stars takes place at The Shakespeare, 146-148 Gibraltar Street, Sheffield S3 8UB on Sunday 19 October at 8pm (admission £3 on the door).  Also included in this year’s Off the Shelf is the Independent Publishers Book Fair at Sheffield’s Bank Street Arts on Saturday 11 October (11am – 4pm), a varied programme of talks, discussions, readings and more in a day-long celebration of independent publishing.  Many UK publishers will be participating, including Longbarrow Press; a full selection of Longbarrow titles will be available to browse and buy from our stall, and you’re more than welcome to stop for a chat.  Admission to the book fair is free: for more information, please click here.

November sees the publication of Mark Goodwin‘s long-awaited new collection, Steps. ‘Key Ping Ba(p)la(n)ce’, his recent piece for the Longbarrow Blog, anticipates the book’s theme of physical engagement with dynamic landscapes. Click here to read the essay. Further information about the book, a link to the Steps website and details of a launch event will be posted here soon. In the meantime, here’s a preview of three poems from the book, recorded and mixed by Goodwin earlier this year:

Thanks to Emma Bolland and Nikki Clayton for the use of their photographs in this post.

Wrapped in luminous cloud, pushed by the wind, we walk up out of Hayfield in the steps of the glorious trespass, April 1932…
Longbarrow Press is proud to announce the publication of Peter Riley‘s long-awaited new pamphlet, The Ascent of Kinder Scout, a meditation on (and elegy for) this physical and cultural landmark of the Peak District. The front and back covers feature two remarkable paintings of Kinder Downfall by artist Paul Evans.  Beautifully designed and produced, The Ascent of Kinder Scout is now available to order.  Click on the relevant PayPal option below to order your copy.  Click here to read an extract from The Ascent of Kinder Scout.

UK: £5 (+ £1.75 P&P)

Europe: £5 (+ £3 P&P)

Rest of World: £5 (+ £3.50 P&P)

Paul Evans‘s current exhibition at Sheffield’s Graves Gallery brings together drawings of mythical, elusive and endangered creatures, including a life-sized drawing of a spade-toothed whale, and the haunting, riddling series Bestiary of Bones (a collaboration with poet A.B. Jackson).  Longbarrow Press has produced a new podcast featuring Evans and Jackson discussing gut parasites, the romantic sublime and the development of The Paper Museum (at the Graves Gallery until Saturday 16 August; open Wed-Fri 10am-3pm, Sat 11am-4pm, admission free.  Further details are available here).  You can listen to the podcast below:

Click here to read Jane Faram‘s review of The Paper Museum for Our Favourite Places.