- ISBN 9778-1-7385714-0-622ppNature and environmentInside these pages is a text written by Claire Dean, which will take you on an historical, ecological, cartographical and fantastical journey along the River Lune in Lancashire and Cumbria, England.The text sits alongside photographs and a three metre textile (pictured in miniature in the centrefold) handmade from recycled materials by a team of activist stitchers called The Sewing Café Lancaster.
24pp
With their idiomatic and conversational voice, Rebecca Bilkau's poems on mortality and grief look the inevitable in the eye and manage a celebration of life even as it accommodates death. Her language is lively and engaging as she considers loss, retrieval, survival and simple speculation with compassion, wit and a grounded wisdom.
Still Life is one of three pamphlets selected for publication from the 2024 Litfest/Wayleave Pamphlet Competition, judged by Ian Duhig and Jane Routh.'In this sharply-focused sequence of vignettes, Death is omnipresent, in all its guises, from respectful guest to startling intruder. Consequently, this is a collection that reaches out its hand to loss, sadness, anger, and acceptance. Ultimately, though, what it eloquently reminds us, is that the Dance of Death is also the Dance of Life' Oz Hardwick24pp
In spare and delicately-balanced language Maria Isakova-Bennett's poems about family, loss and the effects of being silenced address her grandfather's enforced migration to England, the secrecy he lived with and its effects on subsequent generations.
“Maria Isakova-Bennett is a truly remarkable poet — she understands how in discovering the past, we discover ourselves. No matter the subject, her poetry is always a celebration of the living world. This breathtaking sequence weaves history, memory and imagination with such skill and precision that the past is given presence.” John Glenday
Subcutaneous is one of three pamphlets selected for publication from the 2024 Litfest/Wayleave Pamphlet competition, judged by Ian Duhig and Jane Routh.24pp
In these confident and accomplished poems, Clare Proctor explores and gives voice to the experiences of women, particularly those constrained by their context, whether historical, or through art, myth or individual circumstance. They move from the particular to the more general in considering ideas around the body, death, motherhood and family.
“This is a compelling pamphlet that delves into the mythic and the personal, weaving together themes of womanhood, power and rebellion. There is a delicious and sly darkness to some of these poems as we meet witches who keep penises as pets, and women who insist on not behaving as expected. Clare Proctor’s poetry has real emotional depth and this pamphlet announces an important addition to the ongoing lyric conversation about the female body and what it means to be a woman.” Kim Moore
Lilith Speaks is one of three pamphlets selected for publication from the 2024 Litfest/Wayleave Pamphlet competition judged by Ian Duhig and Jane Routh
Litfest strives to encourage the enjoyment of and participation in reading, writing, illustrating and the discussion of ideas by placing them at the heart of Lancashire’s culture.
Image credits: Johnny Bean and Ginny Koppenhol Photography
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