The Lonely Crowd will be previewing their forthcoming ninth issue at Little Man Coffee. Co, tomorrow evening from 7pm. Martina Evans will be reading poems from Issue 9 as well as a selection from her highly praised new collection Now We Can Talk Openly About Men. Recent Welsh Book of the Year-winner John Freeman reads…
Christopher Cornwell
It’s a very great pleasure to be asked to introduce Christopher Cornwell’s first collection, Ergasy. I’m an admirer of his work, and it’s a privilege to be able to recommend it to a wider readership than his circle of friends and admirers.
NOTE ON THE DELAYED PUBLICATION OF THE BEAUTIFUL ROOMS BY VALERIE SIRR: ‘Valerie is currently recovering from the effects of long term undiagnosed b12 deficiency which is now being addressed. She expects to be well enough to launch THE BEAUTIFUL ROOMS in Spring 2018.’ Listen to Valerie read a short story from the collection, ‘Made…
There are now a limited number of copies of the previously sold out Issue Five available to purchase. Featuring a stunning list of contributors: Rachel Trezise. Gerald Dawe. Eimear Ryan. Uschi Gatward. Theophilus Kwek. Órfhlaith Foyle. John Freeman. Matthew David Scott. Katherine Duffy. Carla Manfredino. Hugh Fulham-McQuillan. Chris Cornwell. Craig Austin. Alix Nathan. Daniel Wade. Richard W. Strachan. Nick Black. Jo Mazelis. Jon Elcock. Ruth McKee. Jay Merill. Fred Johnston. Jonathan Taylor. Gary Raymond. Glyn Edwards. Jamie Guiney. Richard Redman. Sophie McKeand. Ian Steadman. Françoise Harvey. Tony Curtis. Rebecca Lawn. Kathy Groan. Susan Maiermoul. Edited and Designed by John Lavin. Cover photography by Jo Mazelis.
Featuring readings from Rachel Trezise, John Freeman, Jo Mazelis, Kathy Groan, Gary Raymond, Matthew David Scott, Sophie McKeand, Chris Cornwell & Rebecca Lawn. Hosted by John Lavin. Venue – Little Man Coffee, Cardiff. Date / Time – 13th October, 730pm. Admission Free. Complimentary snacks. Fully Licensed bar.
JL: Well, yes, I agree. For one thing there’s no place for pot shots. Criticism, for me should be analytical and well reasoned. Absolutely – don’t like a book, but if you want to say that in a public forum, then show the author the courtesy of explaining why with due diligence and rigour.
And yes, it’s been said before but I think it’s very difficult to be a good writer without first being a good reader. Maybe some authors, blessed with immeasurable talent might be able to get away with it to an extent but essentially if you are a writer then books are your medium, so it seems fairly insensible to not know how they work.
SMM: Is there anything about the times in which we live that contributes to your interest in publishing a journal of fiction and poetry rather than going into other media?
JL: Of course, it’s true that literature is not the primary medium anymore in terms of popularity and nor has it been for a long time. But it is still the most intellectually stimulating medium, in my opinion. It is still the closest you can come to understanding another person’s innermost thoughts about themselves and the world around them. It is easily the most intimate medium. As I said in reply to your earlier question, I think that more than most things I can think of, literature helps us to understand what it is like to see through someone else’s eyes.
THE LONELY PRESS is delighted to announce the publication of two new titles in the spring of 2017: Ergasy by Chris Cornwell & The Beautiful Rooms by Valerie Sirr. Today we preview a poem from Cornwell’s exceptional debut collection, a tale of late night Swansea, read by the author himself. ‘Last Night Down Whetstone Road’…
THE LONELY PRESS is delighted to announce the publication of two new titles in the spring of 2017: The Beautiful Rooms by Valerie Sirr and Ergasy by Chris Cornwell. Today we preview a short story from Sirr’s stunningly accomplished debut collection, the excoriating ‘Made You Look’, read by the author herself. See the site next week…