Publishing

Only the Shining Hours by Barbara Hickson

We are thrilled to see the release of Barbara’s second Maytree publication, Only the Shining Hours. Published to coincide with World Poetry Day on Thursday, Barbara will be announcing some launch events later in the year.

Only the Shining Hours hovers around light and its absence. Here are poems that bathe under the summer sun, and poems that feel their way into dark corners where secrets hide. Others weave through the colours of the spectrum, or slip between time, between worlds, between species. Together, they explore the many guises of light and darkness, encountering the shades and shadows in between.

Only the Shining Hours is Maytree’s forty ninth publication and, as many already know, it will be our last poetry pamphlet. We never say never, but sadly, due to a number of factors conspiring against us, we have had to take the difficult decision to halt publication of poetry pamphlets.

We are genuinely delighted to bow out with such a wonderful collection of poems nestled beneath a cover image created by artist, Paula Dunn. We hope you will head into our online store to explore further.

Only the Shining Hours by Barbara Hickson – Maytree Press

To help celebrate our achievements, we’re also offering many of our titles at half-price or less and if you order this week then we’ll pop in a surprise free book as well. Postage is just £2.00 regardless of how many books you order so why not spoil yourselves.

Huge thanks to everyone who has supported our venture over the last few years. We are so proud of everything we’ve achieved and amazed that there is now so much poetry that exists for future generations – all our books are held by the national libraries.

Publishing

Snowlines – Rebecca Gethin

We are delighted to reveal the cover for Rebecca’s new collection which will be released on the 2 February 2024.

Snowlines is a collection based on Rebecca’s experience of finding her family’s roots in the Ligurian Alps and where her father was a partisan in WW2.

The poems come from reflections while exploring the valley and beyond. 

Rebecca found the village where her Italian family had come from by chance (after research had failed) and subsequently learned much about the history of the area and its wildlife. However, the more she learned the more she realised that history is unknowable and depends on interpretation and point of view. 

In our shifting climate, Rebecca also documents the land and its creatures, weaving these two strands to show the vulnerability of the Maritime Alps. 

Snowlines will be available from the 2 February 2024. Cover image by David Coldwell.

Don’t forget to visit our store for those last minute stocking fillers – we’ll ensure that all orders are posted in time for Christmas.

Publishing

Out of the North – cover reveal

We are very excited to reveal the cover for Maytree 47.

Out of the North by Tracy Patrick features stunning artwork by Saltaire based artist, Paula Dunn.

An intriguing long poem sequence, Out of the North takes the reader into the horror of the First World War and the life of the Reverend Joseph Johnston who, despite his loyalty to the soldiers he served, condemned the conflict and the failure of society and religion to stop the fighting.

Out of the North will be available from the 20 October 2023.

You can find out more about Tracy here: https://www.tracypatrick.org/

And you can find Paula’s website here: https://pauladunnartist.com/

Publishing

Right of Way – Michael Brown

It’s been a while but we’re delighted to be back with news of our next publication and details of a very special limited edition of Maytree 001.

Right of Way by Michael Brown will be released on the 29 September 2023 and we can’t wait to share this wonderful collection with you.

The cover features the fabulous work of York based artist Myles Linley who Maytree readers may remember from his wonderful collaboration with Nick Allen for the collection, Between Two rivers.

In Right of Way the poems connect with the ideas of movement/change/journey and childhood to adulthood transits. Migration, the war in Ukraine, covid and anxiety in young people are featured themes in this compelling collection.

In other news, we can now reveal that our very first publication, Swn y Morloi by Hannah Stone will be reissued as a limited edition of 60 copies. Hannah will be taking the book back to Pembrokeshire on tour this autumn and a very limited number will be available to purchase through our online store from the 8 September 2023. Don’t miss out.

Publishing, Two Poems

local universes

We are thrilled to announce that local universes by Nick Allen is now available online and from our store.

In local universes, Nick describes the poems as the things seen or experienced within walking distance of his house. ‘I guess you could say it began with the first lockdown and the recommendation for an hour’s walk each day in your neighbourhood, combined with Blake’s idea of seeing the world in a grain of sand’.

local universes will be available direct from the author during the following events:

Saltaire Arts Trail, 27 and 29 May 2023 – taking place throughout the village of Saltaire. You can find Nick and a selection of all his books at location number 5 on the village map Open Village 2023 – Saltaire Inspired

Headline launch event 31 May 2023 – Rhubarb at The Triangle, 47 Bradford Road

Headline event – The Purple Room, Ben Rhydding, nr Ilkley on Saturday June 17 from 19.30hrs.

deerform

in the hoarfrost that knits the trees into a forest

a deer builds itself in my gaze a deer building itself

in light arriving with the drysnap of morning

building the light of itself from the sable undergrowth

the wilderness of the creature builds itself across

the soft morning of my gaze our joined breath

the other river above that which flows itself light

over undergrowth sable and deerform my eyes

blink and in that moments unseeing of myself I am gone

ripple

the sun is already down
the sky is not yet dark

when I lob the fallen
branch end over end

cabering into water
the slow river below

a stand of stark trees
and a flicked blanket

of crows lift out of their
almost imperceptible

roosts concentrically
whirling in the gloom

above the pushed air
of the liquid sound

above the slapped
water of the plosion

the grey murder rises
into featureless silence

circling an evening
in search of its echo

Buy local universes now local universes by nick allen – Maytree Press