3:AM Press (of the Blue Pavillion) was well represented at the Dubliners Christmas Book Market (by Susan Tomaselli and Gorse), and Roseangle Christmas Fair in Dundee, for those shopping in Ireland and Scotland. All our titles are also available online here…
—Christopher Hitchens (via writingbox)
Our 3:AM Press paperbacks - “Varroa Destructor” by Lee Rourke, “Grey Cats” by Adam Biles, “Body Parts” by Dylan Trigg and “Death of a Ladies’ Man” by Christiana Spens - are half price this summer! Only £5 each for July and August… Buy them here for your summer reading needs…http://www.galleybeggar.co.uk/book-store/3am-press/
Here is Darran Anderson writing for The Next Best Book Blog about where he writes… i.e. at the Blue Pavillion, or, my house!
Here’s an excerpt:
“At the moment, I’m writing a book, inspired by Calvino and Borges, on imaginary cities for publication with Influx Press next year. I’m staying in the woods in Fife, Scotland, where my fiancée grew up and where her family have lived since before the time of Mary Queen of Scots. The whole area is witch country and it still feels that way. There’s a dark magic to it for even a cynic like myself. During the day, you hear the crows conspiring in the canopy, punctuated every now and then by the thud of a shotgun in the distance, a jet fighter overhead or the old terrifying air raid sirens from the airforce base not far along the coast. Some days you watch the fog roll in from the sea across the fields. Other days, like today, there’s complete silence except for the rain and an ocean of trees rustling in the wind. It’s a long way from the tropics but it’s nothing really in the grand scheme of things and, as with the other cities in the book, it’s just a question of closing your eyes and floating away.”
You can buy “A Hubristic Flea” here…
By Mark McConville, Rockadia: (excerpt)
Christiana Spens utilizes her two main talents, illustration and writing in her new book ‘THE DRONE AGE’. The book has poetry bursting with life, swerve, drama, and realism. This little gem sparks a light on war, its trappings, its ugliness… The collection is remarkably revolutionary, biting at the edges of diversity and modernity.
The art attracts; it pushes the mind to think differently. The deep colours, the message that it is delivering… Spens captures the intensity of war through her drawings. The planes are there overhead, waiting to strike.
The poems are wonderfully woven, carefully constructed and mastered. They have been written from a viewpoint, from a mind littered in strong imagination and creativity. Spens is a master of her craft, writing with emotion and care. She has taken her time perfecting the writing for 'THE DRONE AGE’. The concise little lines hold so much.
'THE DRONE AGE’ is a delightful and honest book of pictures and poems. It will open minds and it’s certain to deliver shivers.
By Mark McConville, Rockadia:
My heart was captured by the picture before I opened this book. The raw, well constructed drawing of a man smoking a cigarette with curly hair and crimson glasses. It’s vivid and brilliantly executed, it showcases the true, radical meaning of ‘GUNK’. GUNK is a book that explores modelling of the 80’s, it’s a quick fire piece of fiction that lasts only 14 pages. But in those pages sits a very compelling, ultra engrossing story full of wonderful prose. The author Gerry Feehily, who is also a journalist, commits to his writing with diversity and elegance. The writing never gets trapped and never loses intensity.
The story is centred around the fast paced world of fashion and modelling. A young upstart wins and competition to pose in a magazine shoot with the enigmatic Boy George. Jude is the wannabe model and is pivotal to the tales progression. it also describes the industry, an industry that isn’t so special or so glamorous. The imagery is instrumental in GUNK. Feehily writes about Boy George’s make-up and his camp appearance. He also details London, a city steeped in a fashion craze.
What struck me in the story was the magical narration. The writing style is very provocative, clear and concise. Feehily writes with intelligent expressions, utilizing every piece of his writing ability. If you’re not accustomed to this type of writing, then push your head through the skin of the norm, and press your eyes against the ink.
GUNK highlights an uncanny direction. It’s weird but wonderful, controlled and expertly written. The story expands like a air filled balloon. There is hyperbole, but only in small dabs, there is wholesomeness in a very short book. The characters are refined and imaginative. When reading, I was completely immersed, hooked and amazed. I was amazed because of the way the characters were built is such a short product. The natural talent that Feehily possesses is admirable, the writing is full bodied and will compel.
“The Drone Age”, a book of art and poetry by Christiana Spens, is out in June - and available to pre-order from the Galley Beggar Bookshop here. The work explores themes of warfare and pop culture, featuring paintings such as “First We Take Damascus”, “The Aesthetics of Terrorism,” “Fashions of the Day” and “Unmanned Vehicles Will Destroy Us All (Save Endangered Jets)”.
If you weren’t able to make the Passport to Pimlico exhibition on May 5th, where some of our chapbooks were handed out, here is a free PDF of the art / poetry collaboration (by Christiana and Darran):
For “Passport to Pimlico”, a May Day exhibition organised by Lana Locke, I collaborated with Darran Anderson on this chapbook - poetry by him and art by me. Limited edition copies will be handed out at the exhibition on May 5th.
For May Day (and the Passport to Pimlico exhibition in London on May 5th) we are printing limited edition chapbooks - art by Christiana Spens and poetry by Darran Anderson. Pick up your copy at the exhibition, and afterwards, online.. Info here: http://passport2pimlico.myblog.arts.ac.uk