1dlphcoracl
Instead of debating the merits of Rights systems and the limited availability of the Lyra's Press Books , I thought it would be more productive and useful to highlight selected forthcoming books that ARE available and representative of what fine & private press books are about:
1. Pages from Presses II, Nomad Letterpress.
This has been introduced on this forum before but it bears repeating. This will be the final publication of the Whittington Press and it is being printed and under the direction of John Randle's son, Pat Randle, of the Nomad Letterpress. It will be a brief history and review of the most important private presses in the United Kingdom between the wars, containing specimen pages from several of these presses. As has always been typical of the Whittington Press's most important publications, it will be issued in three states: "A" (super-deluxe), "B" (deluxe) and "C" (standard). As is also typical of the Whittington Press and the Nomad Letterpress as well, there is a very steep premium in cost for the "A" and "B" editions over the "C" edition. However, the standard "C" edition usually represents great value for astute collectors and it is certainly not a booby prize. In this case the letterpress printing will be flawless, using a beautiful type (the 14-Didot size of Walbaum) on one of the world's finest papers (hand-made Czech Losin), all in a folio-sized book. It will be unique in that it will be the only book in the fabled Whittington Press bibliography featuring the Whittington Press pressmark as a watermark. A brief video clip of the "B" (semi-deluxe) edition can be seen in the link directly below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChmJBnGDK4w/?hl=en
The book has been fully printed and it is currently at the bindery which means there is still a 1-3 week time window to obtain this book's standard edition at its pre-publication price of 445 GBP, which will increase substantially to 595 GBP once shipping begins. Also, note that the currency exchange rate between the US dollar and the British pound is now at an historic low for the GBP. Stated differently, all books priced in GBP are selling at nearly a 25% discount compared to their cost one year ago for U.S. residents. U.S. collectors are urged to take advantage of this.
https://www.nomadletterpress.com/pagesfrompressesvolume2
2. A Far Away Country by Ruth Boswell, Hand and Eye Letterpress.
This will be the fourth edition from Phil Abel's Hand and Eye Letterpress. The previous three Hand and Eye editions have been excellent and his edition of The Wind in the Willows (TWITW) in one of the finest editions of this classic, either past or present. The novel is loosely based upon Boswell's own experience of fleeing her native Czechoslovakia alone en route to Great Britain in 1938 as a nine year old as the Nazis invaded her country. Boswell was not an amateur author who decided to write a book in her geriatric years reminiscing about her past. She became an important writer and producer of television programs for the BBC from 1970 to 1995. She was also an author who founded her own publishing company (the Muswell Press), eventually publishing twenty-five books from various authors. The book will feature 8 or 9 full page illustrations by Angela Barrett, one of my favorite illustrators (see Instagram link below). The book will be issued in three states: standard, Roman/numbered (deluxe) and Lettered (Super-deluxe). Printing has been completed, the book is at the bindery, and Phil Abel will begin taking pre-publication orders on October 8th. In view of the rise of fascism and right-wing political parties both in the United States and throughout Europe, this book is especially timely. Ruth Boswell was Phil Abel's mother and he has more than a passing interest in this publication. If Abel's most recent edition of TWITW is any indication, it should also be an outstanding private press book.
https://www.handandeye.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/handandeye.london/?hl=en
Incidentally, if you do not own a fine press edition of TWITW, copies of the standard edition remain available at a very attractive price of 175 GBP (210 GBP with slipcase). It features 80 wonderful and appropriate illustrations by Judy White in addition to Phil Abel's usual fine letterpress work.
3. Grimoire by Robin and Tim Robertson, Andrew Moorhouse/Fine Press Poetry.
The consistently excellent work by Andrew Moorhouse and his Fine Press Poetry was introduced earlier this year (see link below).
https://www.librarything.com/topic/336039
Grimoire is a poetry cycle based upon Scottish folk tales. It was published in 2020 as a trade edition and reviewed favorably by the London Magazine in 2021 (links below). Tim Robertson has provided several new semi-abstract illustrations for this edition. As with all FPP editions, it will be expertly letterpress printed by John Grice and attractively bound by Fine Book Bindery. I believe it is also one of the last private press books printed on Zerkall paper.
http://www.finepresspoetry.com/grimoire---robin-and-tim-robertson.htm
https://www.thelondonmagazine.org/review-grimoire-by-robin-robertson/
4. The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima, Cordes Press.
This is a classic Japanese tale originally published in 'Tales of Old Japan' in 1871. It features two complex wood engravings by Beth S. Robertson in 5 and 7 colors and printing is being done by James Freemantle (Saint James Park Press) in his new studio. The standard edition of 90 copies (220 GBP) is printed on Zerkall Smooth White paper and the deluxe edition of 10 copies (420 GBP) is printed on an exceptional Japanese Shin-Obonai paper, both with traditional Japanese stab-bound bindings by Roger Grech (Paper Cut Bindery), who also does the bindings for James Freemantle's SJPP. The deluxe edition may already be fully reserved. This book was very favorably received in the March 2022 Oxford Fine Press Book Fair. Publication is anticipated in mid-October and orders are currently being taken on Kevin Cordes' website (link below).
https://www.cordespress.com/projects-3
1. Pages from Presses II, Nomad Letterpress.
This has been introduced on this forum before but it bears repeating. This will be the final publication of the Whittington Press and it is being printed and under the direction of John Randle's son, Pat Randle, of the Nomad Letterpress. It will be a brief history and review of the most important private presses in the United Kingdom between the wars, containing specimen pages from several of these presses. As has always been typical of the Whittington Press's most important publications, it will be issued in three states: "A" (super-deluxe), "B" (deluxe) and "C" (standard). As is also typical of the Whittington Press and the Nomad Letterpress as well, there is a very steep premium in cost for the "A" and "B" editions over the "C" edition. However, the standard "C" edition usually represents great value for astute collectors and it is certainly not a booby prize. In this case the letterpress printing will be flawless, using a beautiful type (the 14-Didot size of Walbaum) on one of the world's finest papers (hand-made Czech Losin), all in a folio-sized book. It will be unique in that it will be the only book in the fabled Whittington Press bibliography featuring the Whittington Press pressmark as a watermark. A brief video clip of the "B" (semi-deluxe) edition can be seen in the link directly below:
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChmJBnGDK4w/?hl=en
The book has been fully printed and it is currently at the bindery which means there is still a 1-3 week time window to obtain this book's standard edition at its pre-publication price of 445 GBP, which will increase substantially to 595 GBP once shipping begins. Also, note that the currency exchange rate between the US dollar and the British pound is now at an historic low for the GBP. Stated differently, all books priced in GBP are selling at nearly a 25% discount compared to their cost one year ago for U.S. residents. U.S. collectors are urged to take advantage of this.
https://www.nomadletterpress.com/pagesfrompressesvolume2
2. A Far Away Country by Ruth Boswell, Hand and Eye Letterpress.
This will be the fourth edition from Phil Abel's Hand and Eye Letterpress. The previous three Hand and Eye editions have been excellent and his edition of The Wind in the Willows (TWITW) in one of the finest editions of this classic, either past or present. The novel is loosely based upon Boswell's own experience of fleeing her native Czechoslovakia alone en route to Great Britain in 1938 as a nine year old as the Nazis invaded her country. Boswell was not an amateur author who decided to write a book in her geriatric years reminiscing about her past. She became an important writer and producer of television programs for the BBC from 1970 to 1995. She was also an author who founded her own publishing company (the Muswell Press), eventually publishing twenty-five books from various authors. The book will feature 8 or 9 full page illustrations by Angela Barrett, one of my favorite illustrators (see Instagram link below). The book will be issued in three states: standard, Roman/numbered (deluxe) and Lettered (Super-deluxe). Printing has been completed, the book is at the bindery, and Phil Abel will begin taking pre-publication orders on October 8th. In view of the rise of fascism and right-wing political parties both in the United States and throughout Europe, this book is especially timely. Ruth Boswell was Phil Abel's mother and he has more than a passing interest in this publication. If Abel's most recent edition of TWITW is any indication, it should also be an outstanding private press book.
https://www.handandeye.co.uk
https://www.instagram.com/handandeye.london/?hl=en
Incidentally, if you do not own a fine press edition of TWITW, copies of the standard edition remain available at a very attractive price of 175 GBP (210 GBP with slipcase). It features 80 wonderful and appropriate illustrations by Judy White in addition to Phil Abel's usual fine letterpress work.
3. Grimoire by Robin and Tim Robertson, Andrew Moorhouse/Fine Press Poetry.
The consistently excellent work by Andrew Moorhouse and his Fine Press Poetry was introduced earlier this year (see link below).
https://www.librarything.com/topic/336039
Grimoire is a poetry cycle based upon Scottish folk tales. It was published in 2020 as a trade edition and reviewed favorably by the London Magazine in 2021 (links below). Tim Robertson has provided several new semi-abstract illustrations for this edition. As with all FPP editions, it will be expertly letterpress printed by John Grice and attractively bound by Fine Book Bindery. I believe it is also one of the last private press books printed on Zerkall paper.
http://www.finepresspoetry.com/grimoire---robin-and-tim-robertson.htm
https://www.thelondonmagazine.org/review-grimoire-by-robin-robertson/
4. The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima, Cordes Press.
This is a classic Japanese tale originally published in 'Tales of Old Japan' in 1871. It features two complex wood engravings by Beth S. Robertson in 5 and 7 colors and printing is being done by James Freemantle (Saint James Park Press) in his new studio. The standard edition of 90 copies (220 GBP) is printed on Zerkall Smooth White paper and the deluxe edition of 10 copies (420 GBP) is printed on an exceptional Japanese Shin-Obonai paper, both with traditional Japanese stab-bound bindings by Roger Grech (Paper Cut Bindery), who also does the bindings for James Freemantle's SJPP. The deluxe edition may already be fully reserved. This book was very favorably received in the March 2022 Oxford Fine Press Book Fair. Publication is anticipated in mid-October and orders are currently being taken on Kevin Cordes' website (link below).
https://www.cordespress.com/projects-3
2ChampagneSVP
If I may, I'll add two others to this list from some fine presses in the North:
- Ten Poems With One Title, Barbarian Press.
A sequence of ten related poems by Robert Bringhurst, accented by five abstract engravings by Richard Wagener. I received my copy of this masterpiece last week and it is just as fantastic as I had hoped. The poetry is intense and moving and the design is clean and beautiful. Apollonia Elsted both hand-set the poems and printed them and her work is just as meticulous as Jan and Crispin's. The engravings were printed by Richard Wagener. The books are being bound now and will be trickling out to subscribers shortly, and it seems there are still copies available for order by non-subscribers as well. I don't expect they'll last long once photos of the edition start circulating.
http://www.barbarianpress.com/catalog/ten-poems.html
- Circadia, Greenboathouse Press.
Twelve poems by Kevin McPherson Eckhoff, created by compiling one sentence per day for a year. Each poem comprises a full month. A unique and very human text that made me laugh, cringe, and tear up, often in short succession, while reading it. Printed (on beautiful, toothy Hahnemuhle Ingres paper) and bound by Jason Dewinetz. I believe copies will be shipping to subscribers soon and are also still available for order. Check out the photos on Jason's website; the title page will knock you over!
http://www.greenboathouse.com/books/circadia.html
- Ten Poems With One Title, Barbarian Press.
A sequence of ten related poems by Robert Bringhurst, accented by five abstract engravings by Richard Wagener. I received my copy of this masterpiece last week and it is just as fantastic as I had hoped. The poetry is intense and moving and the design is clean and beautiful. Apollonia Elsted both hand-set the poems and printed them and her work is just as meticulous as Jan and Crispin's. The engravings were printed by Richard Wagener. The books are being bound now and will be trickling out to subscribers shortly, and it seems there are still copies available for order by non-subscribers as well. I don't expect they'll last long once photos of the edition start circulating.
http://www.barbarianpress.com/catalog/ten-poems.html
- Circadia, Greenboathouse Press.
Twelve poems by Kevin McPherson Eckhoff, created by compiling one sentence per day for a year. Each poem comprises a full month. A unique and very human text that made me laugh, cringe, and tear up, often in short succession, while reading it. Printed (on beautiful, toothy Hahnemuhle Ingres paper) and bound by Jason Dewinetz. I believe copies will be shipping to subscribers soon and are also still available for order. Check out the photos on Jason's website; the title page will knock you over!
http://www.greenboathouse.com/books/circadia.html
3SDB2012
>1 dlphcoracl: Thank you for posting this. I was unaware of Ruth Boswell's literary history. AND, I'd forgotten about Grimoire.
4dlphcoracl
With regard to the excellent suggestions/additions in >2 ChampagneSVP::
Jason Dewinetz of Greenboathouse Press is one of the most inventive and technically accomplished printers in the world and anything he publishes is an event. However, before acquiring Circadia, I suggest obtaining a very inexpensive copy from another fine private press in the Great White North (aka Canada) - the Gaspereau Press - to see if Kevin McPherson Eckhoff's 12-poem sequence registers with you (see link):
http://www.gaspereau.com/bookInfo.php?AID=0&AISBN=9781554471850
Jason Dewinetz of Greenboathouse Press is one of the most inventive and technically accomplished printers in the world and anything he publishes is an event. However, before acquiring Circadia, I suggest obtaining a very inexpensive copy from another fine private press in the Great White North (aka Canada) - the Gaspereau Press - to see if Kevin McPherson Eckhoff's 12-poem sequence registers with you (see link):
http://www.gaspereau.com/bookInfo.php?AID=0&AISBN=9781554471850
5AJMoorhouse
Many thanks for your kind and generous mention of Grimoire. The edition is currently at the bindery who also have my publication of 'Queenhood' to work on.
'Queenhood' is the poem written by the UK Poet Laureate to celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. The edition was intended to mark the occasion and was to be presented to the Queen by the Laureate. In light of the Queen's death the edition could now be seen as a Book of Remembrance.
I still have a number of previous publications available if any potential customers outside the UK wish to take advantage of the current, and somewhat alarming, weakness of £ sterling. These can be seen on my website http://www.finepresspoetry.com
Best wishes to all.
Andrew Moorhouse
'Queenhood' is the poem written by the UK Poet Laureate to celebrate HM Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. The edition was intended to mark the occasion and was to be presented to the Queen by the Laureate. In light of the Queen's death the edition could now be seen as a Book of Remembrance.
I still have a number of previous publications available if any potential customers outside the UK wish to take advantage of the current, and somewhat alarming, weakness of £ sterling. These can be seen on my website http://www.finepresspoetry.com
Best wishes to all.
Andrew Moorhouse
6AJMoorhouse
A gentleman has tried to contact me about Grimoire but my e-mail reply is being returned as 'undeliverable'. If you have not received a reply from me then please try again.
7Shadekeep
>1 dlphcoracl: Ah, thanks for this! I had been in conversation with Kevin back in March about reserving The Vampire Cat of Nabeshima and let the ball drop afterwards. I've reached out to him now to see if it's still available.
8Sport1963
>1 dlphcoracl: Thank you Oracle! Ordered a "B" edition of "Pages from Presses II". Your recommendations are much appreciated.
9dlphcoracl
>8 Sport1963:
To better see the brief video of the "B" edition of 'Pages from Presses II', do the following:
1. Click on the link to the Nomad Letterpress Instagram page given directly below:
https://www.instagram.com/nomadletterpress/?hl=en
2. Click once on the left-hand image in the top row (book in the brown paper wrapper). Video will now be seen in an enlarged format, enabling you to see the elegance of the 14-Didot size Walbaum type and several of the specimen pages that have been bound into the book.
To better see the brief video of the "B" edition of 'Pages from Presses II', do the following:
1. Click on the link to the Nomad Letterpress Instagram page given directly below:
https://www.instagram.com/nomadletterpress/?hl=en
2. Click once on the left-hand image in the top row (book in the brown paper wrapper). Video will now be seen in an enlarged format, enabling you to see the elegance of the 14-Didot size Walbaum type and several of the specimen pages that have been bound into the book.
10Sport1963
>9 dlphcoracl: Thank you Oracle. Affirmation of money well spent.
11Praveenna_Nagaratnam
A Far Away Country's pre order is on 8th of Oct at 5pm BST. I am reading the ebook now and really looking forward to this one. Anyone knows how many copies of each edition will be on sale though?
https://www.handandeye.co.uk/
https://www.handandeye.co.uk/
12dlphcoracl
>11 Praveenna_Nagaratnam:
Since the Artist's edition contains one of Angela Barrett's original drawings and there are eleven of her illustrations in A Far Away Country, I would imagine the Artist's edition is a limitation of 11 copies. If past is prologue, the Roman edition in full red, white and blue leather will most likely be 100 copies.
Since the Artist's edition contains one of Angela Barrett's original drawings and there are eleven of her illustrations in A Far Away Country, I would imagine the Artist's edition is a limitation of 11 copies. If past is prologue, the Roman edition in full red, white and blue leather will most likely be 100 copies.
13Praveenna_Nagaratnam
>12 dlphcoracl: Thank you
14Levin40
>11 Praveenna_Nagaratnam: >12 dlphcoracl: Phil sent an email on this a few weeks ago. Numbered: 100 copies; Roman: 85 copies; Lettered: 10 copies.
15trentsteel
Their website has pictures up of the editions now.
16Shadekeep
>15 trentsteel: Handsome! The prices seem quite reasonable as well.
17wcarter
>15 trentsteel:
Unfortunately pre-orders open ay 2am in Australia 😢
Unfortunately pre-orders open ay 2am in Australia 😢
18Shadekeep
>17 wcarter: If I've done the math right, should be 11 AM Saturday in my US timezone (EST). Want me to see if I can park a copy for you?
19trentsteel
Eastern timezone should be noon I believe.
20Shadekeep
>19 trentsteel: You are correct, my math was slightly off as I suspected.
21Praveenna_Nagaratnam
> Thank you. Hoping to be able to snag a copy of the Roman edition
22wcarter
>18 Shadekeep:
Sent you a PM
Sent you a PM
23booksforreading
>11 Praveenna_Nagaratnam:
A Far Away Country is a very important work. Thank you for letting us know about the preorder!
A Far Away Country is a very important work. Thank you for letting us know about the preorder!
24Shadekeep
Ordered the Numbered Edition of A Far Away Country now, thanks to everyone for the info about this book!
25EdwinDrood
Ordered a Roman Edition; can’t wait to see and read this beautiful book.
26const-char-star
I ordered the Roman Edition as well!
27Levin40
Ordered the Roman too. I think this looks wonderful and I appreciate the personal story behind its publication. Compared to other recent publications it's also very good value too. For example, it's similarly priced to the Folio Society's recent Frankenstein, which incidentally is also illustrated by Angela Barrett, but one gets far more for one's money here: letterpress, hand-coloured illustrations, leather binding by Ludlow's and a far lower limitation.
28dlphcoracl
>1 dlphcoracl:
Phil Abel of Hand and Eye Letterpress and his sister Jo Abel briefly discuss the genesis of his most recent edition 'A Far Away Country', which opened for pre-publication sales today (October 8, 2022).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjc4hNVt8yS/?hl=en
Phil Abel of Hand and Eye Letterpress and his sister Jo Abel briefly discuss the genesis of his most recent edition 'A Far Away Country', which opened for pre-publication sales today (October 8, 2022).
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cjc4hNVt8yS/?hl=en
29booksforreading
>28 dlphcoracl:
Thank you so much for sharing this!!
Thank you so much for sharing this!!
30wcarter
Successfully ordered the Roman edition at 2am only to find copies still available when I woke up again at 7am. Not quite as in demand as I had expected.
31booksforreading
>30 wcarter:
Well, they should be. :)
Congratulations on getting a copy! Sorry you missed some sleep, though.
Well, they should be. :)
Congratulations on getting a copy! Sorry you missed some sleep, though.
32Shadekeep
>30 wcarter: Glad you were able to land it. I was surprised as well that it wasn't completely snapped up in short order.
34kdweber
Needlessly ordered my Roman edition on opening but agree better safe than sorry. Much happier to snag this book than my near miss with Arete’s Gaiman poems.
35GardenOfForkingPaths
I'm enabled for a Numbered of A Far Away Country! It looks brilliant. Great to know that this is already printed and expected to ship before the end of the year.
I dithered a bit about whether to add the slipcase but went for it in the end. I was really impressed by the quality and sturdiness of the slipcase for the The Wind in the Willows standard edition.
Shipping in the UK only £12 (vs £22 last time around) was a nice surprise too.
I dithered a bit about whether to add the slipcase but went for it in the end. I was really impressed by the quality and sturdiness of the slipcase for the The Wind in the Willows standard edition.
Shipping in the UK only £12 (vs £22 last time around) was a nice surprise too.
36ChestnutPress
>2 ChampagneSVP: The new Barbarian Press edition of Bringhurst's poems has just been ordered, plus I eagerly await my copy of their slightly delayed 'Marriage of True Minds', which should be early next year now. 'Circadia' is a great volume, but then so are all Greenboathouse Press publications (not that I'm a huge fan, or anything 😁)
37dlphcoracl
>36 ChestnutPress:
"The Marriage of True Minds' will be (or should be, based upon their description) one of the major Barbarian Press editions in their near half-century bibliography, comparable to 'The Ingoldsby Legends: A Gallimaufry', 'Fancy: 8 Odes of John Keats' and their most recent edition 'Sudden Immobility: Selected Poems of Molly Holden'. Crispin Elsted is also a poet and it will be quite interesting to see which 41 poems and 9 Shakespeare sonnets he and Jan have selected. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this edition is that it will be illustrated with wood engravings from a wide variety of wood engraver luminaries currently active, many of whom have illustrated prior Barbarian Press editions. Anyone interested in this edition should consider reserving a copy prior to publication.
Initially, the Elsteds were hoping to complete and publish this edition in September or October 2022 to coincided with their 50th anniversary on Sept. 6th. Have you heard from them with regard to a later release in early 2023?
"The Marriage of True Minds' will be (or should be, based upon their description) one of the major Barbarian Press editions in their near half-century bibliography, comparable to 'The Ingoldsby Legends: A Gallimaufry', 'Fancy: 8 Odes of John Keats' and their most recent edition 'Sudden Immobility: Selected Poems of Molly Holden'. Crispin Elsted is also a poet and it will be quite interesting to see which 41 poems and 9 Shakespeare sonnets he and Jan have selected. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this edition is that it will be illustrated with wood engravings from a wide variety of wood engraver luminaries currently active, many of whom have illustrated prior Barbarian Press editions. Anyone interested in this edition should consider reserving a copy prior to publication.
Initially, the Elsteds were hoping to complete and publish this edition in September or October 2022 to coincided with their 50th anniversary on Sept. 6th. Have you heard from them with regard to a later release in early 2023?
38ChestnutPress
>37 dlphcoracl: While Crispin told me a while back that they initially intended (or rather hoped) the book to be ready last month, Jan informed me earlier that delays with type casting, along with waiting on a few of the engravings, meant a delay until next year. Five of the blocks are printed, and Jan intends to print full steam ahead over the next couple of months, hopefully having it ready in the early part of next year. I shall simply wait, as it'll turn up when it turns up. In the meanwhile, it should only be a few weeks until copies of the Bringhurst are ready to ship, so that will happily tide me over!
39Shadekeep
Cordes Press has announced that their next title will be another Japanese folktale - The Bamboo Cutter and The Princess Moonlight. More details to come, but you can read what is known on the page here: https://www.cordespress.com/projects-3
Should make a good companion to Vampire Cat of Nabeshima.
Should make a good companion to Vampire Cat of Nabeshima.
40Glacierman
>39 Shadekeep: It's a good story. I've seen the film based on it, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Studio Ghibli), and enjoyed that, so I'm not too sure how changing the end to a happy ending will work.
We westerners like our happy endings, but sometimes...things just don't end that way.
We westerners like our happy endings, but sometimes...things just don't end that way.
41Shadekeep
>40 Glacierman: A lot of folktales have ambiguous or even grim endings. One of the drivers for that is because they are often moral tales, and the best way to illuminate folly, wickedness, and misadventure is to have it lead to a bad end. Even so, a preponderance of Japanese tales seem to have sad endings. I will be curious to see how this alternate ending plays out. (I've read a good amount of Japanese folklore so am already familiar with the original.)
