In Defence of Print on Demand Publishing
Honest Publishing uses Print on Demand (POD) publishing. It’s certainly no secret, and we feel no shame in letting people know this. We take pride in our output because we work only with writers whose...
View ArticleLiu Xiaobo and the Independent Press
The case of Liu Xiaobo is, to me, the finest example of the role independent publishing can and must play in the modern world. Last week, the Chinese dissident poet was awarded the Nobel peace prize...
View ArticleA New Version of Huckleberry Finn Omits the N-word. Why?
The word ‘nigger’ appears 219 times in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, one of the most anti-racist books I know. Absurdly, a new version published by NewSouth Books (who don’t deserve the...
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On Black Sparrow Press
I have acquired a new addiction. It’s a vice that has swollen my ‘to read’ pile, yet I can’t stop. I am suddenly obsessed with Black Sparrow Press books. While collecting books by author or subject...
View ArticleHow School Made Me Loathe Poetry
Do you remember being taught poetry at school? If I try, I can access fragments of memories. These include April afternoons reading Jabberwocky, reciting Ted Hughes aloud to the class as my stomach...
View ArticleDo you re-read?
Do you re-read books? I do, but I wouldn’t call myself a serial re-reader; perhaps one book out of every twenty I open is a repeat read. Though I wasn’t aware of this until recently, re-reading seems...
View ArticleThe Problem with Blurbs
Masterpiece. Tour-de-force. Genius. Visionary. Momentous. Gripping. Unique. Hilarious. Phenomenon. Luminous. Take ten random books from your shelf. Turn them over. Chances are, you’ll see a few of...
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Glastonbury is Dead
“I think it could well become more political. We’ve always been a sounding board for lots of unrest. If people are really faced with dire circumstances, that will get them angry and motivated, and...
View ArticleThe Snob
In the world of literature, you don’t have to throw a stone far to hit a snob. Snobbery takes many forms. It can form around social class, or material possessions, or workplace achievements. All types...
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99 Cents
The digital revolution demolished gatekeepers, democratised writing, gave the little guy a foot-up. But with the smooth comes the rough, or something, and here’s one of the most damaging things to...
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