So excited to be launching We/She on 16th August at 6.45pm
Blackwells, 50 High Holborn London WC1V 6EP
(nearest tube Chancery Lane/ Holborn)
We/She is our latest Liars’ League collaboration and the second of our #WomenVote100 tributes – although there isn’t a suffragette in sight. Instead we play around with traditional ideas about women, and turn a few (actually, a lot of) myths on their heads.
It’s free and there will be readings and refreshments, and, obviously, signed books to buy.
Other authors are attending, so there will be lots of people to sign a copy of the book for you.
Expect dragons, opera singers, mothers… and Elvis
The launch coincides with the 39th anniversary of the death of Elvis. What has that to do with a book of stories by women, you ask… come along and find out!
RSVP
One of my favourite moments in the publishing process – when I have the only copies… apart from the distributor of course.
(In case Michele sees this we did NOT break your plate. Clever fakery!)
We/She will be launched at
Blackwells
50 High Holborn
London
WC1V 6EP
on Thursday 16th August. More on that later.
I’ve scheduled this to go live as we start our 5th Anniversary celebrations.
It’s a complex business starting and running a publishing house. People contribute crucial things at crucial moments and sometimes it isn’t until you look back you realise – if that hadn’t happened…
So thank you to all the people who do things without knowing and without being asked, or are so enthusiastic when asked I get over my own doubts and plough on – I’m bound to have missed someone, but here are most of the brilliant people who helped us get started and/or keep Arachne ticking over.
Bartle Sawbridge for introducing me to WooA Writing group something like eight years ago, giving me the structure to start taking my own writing seriously again, and for the rest of the members of WooA at the time, (Joan, Rosalind, David, Anna, Clare, Hilary) for being ace writers and getting me thinking (without saying anything to them) that we jointly needed a publisher, and also for introducing me to Liars’ League.
Liars’ League for being a bottomless cauldron of talent into which I dipped to find the writers for our first book, and especially thank you to Katy Darby for saying exactly the right thing when I approached her about it. If she hadn’t, this would have stayed a pipe dream, and also for co-editing and general cheerleading.
On the professional front, everyone at Inpress for not just doing what they set out to, in persuading bookshops to stock our books, but also providing all kinds of opportunities to explore the world of publishing through conferences and fairs made possible and affordable due to their bargaining chops.
Everyone at TJ International for producing such wonderful quality books in particular John Rance, for that first phone call (‘these are the questions you don’t know you need to ask us’) and being so approachable and reasonable and human!
Sabotage Reviews for the most reviews from any one source, and awarding us Best Anthology back in 2014. That plastic star thing is still sitting on the shelf above my desk.
All our Arachne Friends especially David, Jacquie, Pippa, Trefor, and Alison for their support.
Our supporters big and small on various crowdfunds especially Jonathan and Russell
and of course Arts Council England who have funded us twice.
And our authors and artists for coming up with inspired rewards for crowdfunds, especially Inua, Kevin Jill, Pippa and Jeremy.
On the maverick front…All the people who said YES when I came up with what felt like daft ideas, everyone at Lewisham Libraries (literally dozens of them, everyone has got involved and supported us), but particularly Alan Morrison, and Joan Redding (ex Lewisham, now at Carillion) who probably said yes (or more accurately, let’s do it) more than anyone in the known universe, and everyone at Better Libraries in Greenwich, particularly Rebecca Gediking (‘Of course we’ll open the Library at 7am on a Sunday’) and Debra Sullivan (‘This is what Libraries are for’), and many other libraries and librarians especially Gaynor Lynch Foley at RBKC. Greenwich University for a spectacular launch week for Outcome, especially Sarah Creech. Zoltan Abbot at Brockley Deli and Father Bates at St Hildas and Stuart Morriss at Misty Moon for hosting some pretty strange events without batting an eyelid. Dennis Harrison at Albion Beatnik for the most consistent hoster of events outside London. And of Course, V22 (Becca, Simon) for hosting tonight’s PARTY!
My dear friend Michele, who steps in and helps whenever she can and never flaps when things go pear-shaped.
All the other stepper-in-ers, especially Laura, Helen, Birgitta, Tessa, Judith, Catriona, Mark, Bartle, Stuart.
Another great friend, Muireann, for eagle-eyed proofing and cheeky margin comments, and regular company at supper on a Monday. Arachne would be a poorer item altogether without her.
Carrie and Wendy for batting ideas about, practical help with storage and logistics, and offering to be a formal advisory group.
Irena Hill for brilliant networking (she knows everyone) and idea thrashing.
Russell Potts (my dad) for vital help when needed, and telling me he’s proud.
And finally, just in case she thinks I haven’t noticed or don’t appreciate it, Alix, the best woman in the world, who comes to events she doesn’t want to come to (and doesn’t let it show), shares the driving on long hauls, fits holidays around festivals, sings with the choir, does front-of-house, staffs bookstalls and even reads for us. Arachne has a huge impact on her life, and wouldn’t exist if she wasn’t such a positive life force.
Here she is doing everything…
I don’t know how it happened but I didn’t post the videos from our Happy Ending NOT Guaranteed tour date at Albion Beatnik in Oxford! Liam Hogan did a great job without any actorly support.
I will just remedy that…
There we go. A reminder of what a lot of fun we had choosing locality appropriate stories.
You can by a copy of Happy Ending NOT Guaranteed direct and post free here, of if you are in Oxford I expect Dennis still has a couple in stock, or if you are going to Liars’ League tonight, Liam will be there with a handful of books a pen for signing, and a hopeful expression.
Katy Darby reads the delicious At the Bottom of the Sea of Troubles by Lucy Ribchester (originally a Liars’ League story), at our Shakespeare400 event, Midsummer Night in the Garden at Manor House Library.
oh, and we got a review – it’s only available on Facebook, so it is copied here in almost its entirety for those of you who don’t do that (I’ve left out some misapprehensions that just confuse the issue.)
“A miniature Kenwood or a pocket Glyndebourne” ? by RICHARD STOKER – Actor/Composer/Writer/Artist etc.
Some very talented actors and musicians treated us to a real summer open-air event last evening – June 21st 2016. It was luckily a warm sunny night with only one spot of rain ! The action started with music : ” From Songsters Raise the Roof ” and ended with a story ” At the Bottom of the Sea of Troubles ” these two items alone made an excellent start and end to the production – both as creations and in performance quality. You can guess by now that it was in praise of our greatest bard – William Shakespeare – in an almost authentic setting both in its venue – the splendid Baring public-library and gardens (even the two canons outside the front door were festooned with flowers for a change) – the birds flew over even one seagull – planes could be seen in the distance but did not drown in any way the music or the actors – one baby could be heard crying. We were very lucky no midges wasps or bees were about … the sound system worked extremely well too – refreshments were available including strawberries and cream tarts etc. People sat on the lawns Glyndebourne-style with picnics laid out over the grass. As it grew darker this setting was idyllic for Shakespeare …I was reminded of Kenwood House as the music was sung and the Scarborough open air library events came to mind which I always enjoyed. “Raise the Roof” was the splendid choir mostly a cappella conducted by Kirsty Martin – who reminded me of Imogen Holst herself – with the same determination of purpose. The actors were excellent – they included Cliff Chapman, Carrie Cohen, Katy Darby, Saul Reichlin – in fact Katy Darby was a star of the show having that rare ability to hold any audience anywhere at her finger-tips. There was also some original writing from many of our authors including the american-born Sarah Lawson, her “Next door to the Capulets” deserves mention. The printed program was well designed in Shakespearian style print and spelling. Much devoted thought had gone into this whole project. This evening will live long in the memories of all who were lucky enough to have attended …
The final video from our Brockley Max event, (which became a celebration as we won an award!) at Misty Moon – a mermaid runs away (or should that be swims away?) to the circus, and finds it’s not all she hoped.
The wonderful Carrie Cohen (currently appearing at the Tabard in Misalliance by Bernard Shaw) reads from The Real McCoy, by Cherry Potts
If you would like to see the whole thing read live you can catch Louise Gummer reading at The Literary Kitchen Festival TOMORROW, Tuesday 17th June, 6.30 as fellow Sabotage2014 Award winners, Liars’ League, head south for the evening and take up residence at the Peckham Pelican.
You will also soon be able to see video of Lin Sagovsky reading The Real McCoy at Liars’ League last week. Keep an eye on their website.
I’m going to be spending the morning editing all references to the lovely Weird Lies on the website to AWARD WINNING Weird Lies, because, ladies, gentleman and aliens… WE WON!!
Our award, and the one won by our dear friends Liars’ League snuggle up for a proud photo.
A Big thank you to Sabotage Reviews for their brilliant organisation and for their reviews, and for putting on the awards in the first place.
So what does it all mean, apart from the warm glow and the little star thingy and the aforementioned editing of the website?
It means that a lot of people like what we do – the award is by public vote (THANK YOU everyone who nominated and voted for us, you are lovely, lovely people).
It might mean it’s easier to get books into bookshops, and sold – you might think that creativity is its own reward, but we all need to eat.
It might mean we get more gigs for our readings – speaking of – TONIGHT you can hear lovely Liars’ League actors Tony Bell, Silas Hawkins, Carrie Cohen, Sean Patterson, Lisa Rose and Sarah Feathers reading from AWARD WINNING* Weird Lies, and it’s equally terrific stable fellow, Lovers’ Lies, at Misty Moon, where we will also be PREVIEWING the animated trailer (by upcoming animator Nick Page) for our next book, Devilskein & Dearlove. I will say nothing more, other than it’s ACE (Misty Moon aficionados, yes that is what I mean.)
(* wondering how long it will take to get bored with typing that)
It was an excellent event, which kept the energy going all afternoon and all evening, with live readings from all sorts of poets and authors, including London Lies author and Oxford local, Emily Cleaver.
A BIG thank you to everyone I forgot to thank last night, I hadn’t written a speech, so it was very off the cuff.
And a very big thank you to all the writers, in AWARD WINNING Weird Lies and all the other books, you are all brilliant.
And an especially big thank you to Alix, who turns out for almost every live event and does front-of-house so brilliantly. For someone who said she didn’t want to be involved, she does an epic amount, and it wouldn’t happen without her.
Arachne Press is delighted to announce that we are taking part in the Peckham Literary Festival: showcasing our three Liars’ League collaborations.
Thursday 28th November 2013 at 7pm
Review Bookshop 131 Bellenden Road, Peckham, SE15 4QY
Three stories 
Three authors 
and three actorscome together to introduce you to new worlds hiding in the everyday. From a movie monster convention in Berlin to a “riotous assembly” on Peckham Rye, via the twin heartbreaks of love and the Olympics, professional actors breathe life into short fiction from Arachne Press’s three acclaimed anthologies of Liars’ League stories. After the readings, there will be an informal Q&A with the writers, performers and editors (Cherry Potts and Katy Darby)
about what makes a short story sing, and what publishers and live events look for in fiction.
With work from Rosalind Stopps, Alan Graham, and David Bausor
Rosalind Stopps
Read and performed by Nicky Diss, Rhik Samadder, and Alistair Lock
Nicky Diss
Rhik Samadder
Alistair Lock
Book your ticket here www.eventbrite.com/event/8851321541
We have until 14:28 on Saturday 22nd June to raise our funding via Kickstarter. This will give us the money we need to print, distribute, and market Weird Lies. It’s one of those all or nothing situations – if we don’t raise ALL the money, we don’t get any of it, so there’s no danger of us frittering it away on cake or whatever. At the moment we have a LOOOOONG way to go, and Kickstarter are worrying me by having the counter set to 3 days, when it is clearly 3 days and 22 hours…
Anyone who was at Liars’ League last week will be delighted that we’ve made room for the last-minute inclusion of David McGrath‘s The Elephant in the Tower. Fastest bit of typesetting I’ve ever done, and the fastest turnaround on a contract too – thanks David!
So if you would like to help us produce this book, please visit our Kickstarter page, and take a look at the quirky and delicious rewards (there are straightforward copy-of-the-book rewards too) we have on offer for the kind folk who help us out.
