Tuesday 17 July 2012

Local Publisher Pewter Rose Press

We recently caught up with Anne McDonnell of Pewter Rose Press, a local independent publisher. She agreed to answer a few questions.
What is your connection to Nottinghamshire?

I have lived in Nottingham for over 25 years, having first arrived in 1985 to work for the Royal Society of Chemistry which was based on the University of Nottingham campus. Our children were born and raised in Nottingham and Pewter Rose Press was set up here. Our first two authors came from Nottingham, which was how we got off the ground.

What do you publish?

We currently publish single author short-story collections, and novels and we published the Writing School Leicester Anthology in 2011. All our books are available as paperback and ebooks (epub and kindle).

Do you prefer short stories or novels? How do they compare?

I don’t have a preference for either. It depends on the story. Some stories lend themselves to the length of a novel, others work better in a shorter form. Short stories allow a focus on a particular aspect of life and have the ability to conjure up a scene or character that resonates. Short stories are great for reading a complete story in a limited time, e.g. when commuting to work. They lend themselves to being read out loud – it’s always a pleasure to have a story read to you, whatever your age!

Novels allow a story to be explored in greater breadth and depth, giving the reader the opportunity to submerge themselves in the world of the story.

Both forms can be equally imaginative and demanding.

What do you consider to be the main responsibilities of a publisher?

To bring quality writing to the public. We aim to set a quality standard - of writing, of story and of production (either physical or electronic). It is the responsibility of the publisher to select writing and stories that are imaginative and stimulating for the reader. After selection, the publisher works with the author to edit the work, removing errors in the text. A cover is designed and the book is produced.

What do you hope to see in a submission?

A submission should be fairly polished. The story or stories should be imaginative, coherent and consistent within their own framework, with good grammar and spelling.

We look for work that treats readers as intelligent, interested people who want to see the world from lots of different points of view.

We don’t publish genre specific books (such as crime, horror) because there are other publishers who specialise in these areas

What are the common reasons you reject a submission?

We reject a submission if the story is muddled or very predictable or if the writing itself is poor and if I can’t imagine who would buy the book.

What keeps you going as a publisher?

We are very proud of our authors and they have produced great writing that deserves to be read. Being able to publish these writers is a delight.

What’s next for Pewter Rose Press?

The market for physical books is shrinking while that for electronic books is growing. Pewter Rose Press has plans to expand its digital presence. We will also continue to publish short story collections and novels, in both physical and electronic forms. We have just launched a couple of short story collections - November Wedding by Frances Thimann and Brushstrokes by Heather Shaw and are working on a second collection of stories by Vivien Jones and a first collection by Brindley Hallam Dennis.


Thank you. I look forward to reading your books.

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Poetry Parnassus

As part of the Poetry Parnassus events that are taking place at the Southbank Centre, Nottingham Libraries is pleased to welcome Somalian poet Abdullahi Botaan Hassan.  Abdullahi will be visiting the Central Library tomorrow at 4pm (Thursday 12th July) for a sessions of readings and discussion of his work.

This is a free event that is taking place in the Cecil Roberts Room on Floor 1 of the library.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

The Southwell Library Poetry Festival


The Southwell Library Poetry Festival is a regular event in the library calendar to celebrate poetry in all its forms.

The 2012 festival takes place from Thursday 5 July to Sunday 8 July. Tickets are on sale now.

The festival will present some of the brightest and best poets in the land. Join poets Ian McMillan and Wendy Cope to celebrate poetry through readings, workshops, performances and a children’s competition.


Events take place at Southwell Library except where specified in the event title.

Thursday 5 July

·         10am - 12 noon - Workshop: Reading Christina Rossetti with Ann Hardwick - 6pm

·         7pm - 9pm - Festival Highlight: Ian McMillan, Talking Myself Home - £10/£8

Friday 6 July

·         10am - 12 noon - Workshop: Writing Poetry with Sue Dymoke - £6

·         2pm - 2.30pm - Reading: Voice Versa with Folio Magazine - Free

·         5pm - 6pm - Talk: Andrew Graves - £3

·         6pm - 7pm - Talk: Irish Poetry with Deirdre O’Byrne - £3

·         7pm - 7.15pm - Reading: New Voices - Free

·         7.30pm - 9pm - Festival Highlight: Valerie Laws & Char March - £8/£6

Saturday 7 July

·         10am - 10.45am - Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats: Nicola Ellis

·         11am - 11.45am - The Pity of War Distilled: Kevin Tobin

·         12pm - 12.45pm - Write with Reindeers

·         1pm - 1.45pm - The Road Less Travelled: Gill Starkey

·         2 pm- 2.45pm - Odes to Fruit: Jenny Spencer

·         3pm - 3.45pm - The Poetry of Kingship: Dr Kate Wilkinson

·         4pm - 4.45pm - Reading: Crystal Clear Creators

·         5pm - 5.45pm - The Apple Sequence: Wayne Burrows

·         6.30pm - 8pm - Reading: The Rime of the Ancient Mariner with Friends of Southwell Library - £8

Sunday 8 July

·         10am -12noon - Pottery & Poetry at The Olde Mill, Main St, Caythorpe - £5

·         2pm - 2.30pm - Poetry Hullabaloo: Children’s event - Free

·         4pm - 5.30pm - Festival highlight: Afternoon Tea with Wendy Cope - £10/£8

·         7pm - 8.30pm - Reading: Paradise Lost performed by The Southwell Theatre Club and members of Nottingham’s Stanza Group at The Chapter House, Southwell Minster - £8/£6

·         Festival Box Office         Bookings for any of the events can be made at Southwell Library1 in person or tel: 01636 812 148 - credit or debit cards accepted.