Flambard Blog
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Clay longlisted for Wales Book of the Year
We were delighted that Clay, the debut novel by the well-known poet and biographer Gladys Mary Coles, made the longlist for Wales Book of the Year. More information on the Literature Wales website.
Clay uses poetry, letters and journal entries to draw together a variety of narrative strands to tell a compelling story of the impact of war on the lives of four young people.In 1916, William Manderson, a young poet and infantryman, leaves Liverpool for the Western Front where his older brother Jack is already serving. During the build-up to the great offensive on the Somme, William keeps a journal, sends intimate letters to Jack’s wife Elizabeth and writes poetry reflecting his experiences. He longs for news of his close friend and fellow soldier, Matthew Riley, a composer and pianist.
Events:
- Saturday March 17th
Gladys Mary Coles will be promoting Clay at the Simon Baynes Books & Music shop in Shrewsbury between 2 and 4pm. She will be reading from her popular novel and signing copies. To read more about Clay please click here.
Statement
Flambard Press very much regrets that their small publishing company will end in 2012. But we have been supported and encouraged for over twenty years, first by Northern Arts and then by Arts Council North East, and we are grateful.
Obviously we are sorry that new writers will now have fewer outlets available to them. In the more than 120 books we have published we have given special consideration to northern writers and new writers.
The majority of our poetry collections have been first books for their authors. We have published novels and short-story collections that were unusual and fell outside the ‘Pile ’em high and sell ’em cheap’ range of books.
We have always regarded Flambard as a miniature publisher with all the professionalism that we could achieve, and have offered a great deal of individual care for our writers.
Over the years we have benefitted from the skills of many local artists, designers and photographers, and we appreciate the contribution they have made to the fine appearance of our books.
It is our strong belief that the cultural strength of the UK needs to be based in small, creative endeavours that give new practitioners a chance to thrive. Generous funding of the arts in recent years has allowed this to happen. We hope that future financial restraint will not curtail an artistic flowering that has not only brought joy to the spirit, but many billions of pounds to the coffers of UK plc.
It follows, regrettably, that we are not able to accept submissions at the present time.
HRF Keating: 1926 – 2011
Peter and Margaret Lewis write:
We first heard Harry Keating reading from his manuscript of Jack, the Lady Killer at Dove Cottage in Grasmere. It was a suitably literary setting for someone who was always a fine practitioner of the English language. Flambard Press published this crime novel in verse a year later in 1999. Many readers were quickly engrossed by the fast-moving narrative with its Indian Raj setting and forgot that it was a poem.
Keating had previously published a book of short stories with Flambard, In Kensington Gardens Once… in 1997. These gentle crime stories show the keenly observant eye and humour that was often evident in his more mainstream crime fiction.
Although Flambard played a very small part in his distinguished literary career, we were very pleased to be able add him to our list. He was a friend for many years and his kindly presence will be very much missed in literary gatherings.
New Books
- November 2011: Smoked Meat
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‘Confident, funny and poignant – Macdonald’s world draws the reader in irresistibly.’ Jane Rogers
Though smothered in snow half the year, Montreal’s demi-monde burns with the secret hurts and poignant epiphanies of those living there. Through the lives of its inhabitants, Smoked Meat paints a portrait of a vibrant melting pot that is buzzing with sexual braggadocio and illicit opportunities.
When he falls in love with a man in a sauna, a student devastates his waitress girlfriend. Meanwhile, a life-model upsets the delicate equilibrium between two artists and a teenage shop assistant does what she can to lose her virginity to her boss.
Rowena Macdonald takes us into the lives of people living on the dilapidated margins of Montreal. The city’s seedy mores are slowly corrupting their innocence, turning them, like Montreal’s signature dish, from green to smoked meat.
- October 2011: Strange Horses
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In Strange Horses, Olivia Byard creates visceral and muscular poetry that challenges all efforts to mute and silence us. In an eclectic journey, she takes us as far back as the Bible, medieval times and Shakespeare to Keats, Eliot, Auden and Larkin, referencing self-harm and spirituality, Agincourt and Greenham Common, nursery rhymes and Gay Pride, and crossing both British and Canadian landscapes.
Her poems embody both clarity and complexity of thought, displaying a gutsy, spiky vision that is close to the bone and organically crafted. The work is edgy but controlled, combining both chilling and tender language while resting on the axis between truth and lie, haven and nightmare, and illness and health. Byard’s poems spotlight life lived vividly, where respite and joys are hard won by courage, grim defiance and self-awareness. In this powerful and engaging collection even the difficult and ugly reveal possibilities for beauty.
‘Olivia Byard is a real poet.’ — Alastair Fowler
- September 2011: Playtime
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The plays in this book came about via the unique work done in schools by Peter Mortimer. In each case, he worked through a series of workshops with a group of pupils, and out of these a dramatic piece slowly evolved. With one exception – a play created in a Palestinian refugee camp – the first session started with a totally blank sheet awaiting the input of the creative team. As Peter Mortimer stresses, such a process is risky and at the start often terrifying, but ultimately proves to be highly rewarding for all. The youngsters helped to create the plot, characters and style, and were often involved in costume and set design as well as producing programmes and posters. And then they became actors. All these plays were given public performances, often in professional theatres. This approach gave the pupils an involvement in and commitment to the plays which no ordinary drama class could bring.
In his Introduction, Mortimer writes about the beneficial effects such projects can have on young developing minds, but also warns how such work is increasingly difficult to undertake in a school philosophy of tick boxes, league tables and inflexible curricula.
- May 2011: Crossing the Lines
- Edited by the acclaimed writers Jackie Kay and Kachi A. Ozumba, and with contributors from five continents, Crossing the Lines showcases new writing by international students living in the UK. These narrative voices explore a wide variety of social challenges and personal dilemmas, as writers from as far away as Nigeria, Australia and Malaysia share their impressions and experiences of life at Britain’s universities. The collection features the 14 best stories from the International Student Short Story Competition run by the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts (NCLA).
Published in association with NCLA and Newcastle University.
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Page last updated on 6th January 2012.
Flambard Press Ltd is a non-commercial, not-for-profit limited company registered in England and Wales. Registered number: 05983763.
Registered office: Holy Jesus Hospital, City Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2AS.