This Saturday (June 26th) is the semi-annual SPAN-o Book Fair at the Jack Purcell Community Centre, and this year we’ve decided to take a table to see what we can sell from our selection of private press books and small press golden oldies. Should the experiment fail, it will still be a fun day getting to see what local small presses are creating and keeping in touch with local authors and printers.
Details:
the ottawa small press book fair, spring edition
Time and Place: June 26, 12-5pm. Jack Purcell Community Centre, 320 Jack Purcell Lane, Room 203
Web: robmclennan.blogspot.com/2010/03/ottawa-small-press-book-fair-spring.html
Email: az421@freenet.carleton.ca
exhibitors with poetry books, novels, cookbooks, posters, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic books, magazines, scraps of paper, gum-ball machines with poems, 2×4s with text
Was sent this link by a fellow Ottawa Press Gang member to Harrington and Squires, who’s letterpress shop (known as The Corridor) is but a mere 288 picas (1.2m). From their unique little 3 storey shop they produce a wide variety of letterpress books, calendars, cards and “by-products” as well as teach the art of letterpress to those enthusiastic enough to overcome any claustrophobic inhibitions.
A new book, Graven Images, from our friends at the Greyweathers Press is on the way. A prospectus is available with the details of the project, a sample page from the book and a tipped-in wood engraving for only $10 including shipping. Details of the project and how to order are available on the Greyweathers Blog.
Our friends at the Frog Hollow Press in Victoria, BC have just released their latest title in the Contemporary Canadian Poets series, The Book of Widows. This collection of poems by M. Travis Lane also contains some wonderful wood engravings by George Walker. Details on the book below:
The Book of Widows
by M.Travis Lane
Wood engravings by George A.Walker
“Travis Lane has crafted a book comprised of grief: the first half is devoted to grieving myths, taking famous widows and their kicking sorrows; the second half is visceral grief, the poet’s own, focusing on the death of her husband and its aftermath. This is a morbid collection in the best sense: funereal and felt, a resigned protest against what can’t be fought, the inevitability of all things returning to poetry.” – Shane Neilson
Offered in two bindings, both of which are printed on acid-free, archival 80 lb. Mohawk Eggshell paper. Covers are printed on bookcloth and mould-made papers using an Epson printer with K3 pigment inks.
Deluxe Edition: An edition of 30 case-bound books, unbleached cotton Japanese bookcloth-over-board with batik endpapers, flyleafs, headbands. $60.00
Regular Edition: An edition of 70 Smyth-sewn books with covers of mould-made Saint-Armand ‘white cotton’ Paper; batik flyleaf. $35.00
Our good friend George Walker just released his new book A is for Alice via the Porcupine’s Quill and it is absolutely wonderful (we were lucky enough to get a sneak preview copy). It’s a playful alphabet book comprised of a quote and accompanying wood engraving (done by the Mad Hatter himself, George) for each letter of the alphabet. The engravings were selected from the nearly 200 engravings used in the Chesire Cat fine press editions, limited to 177 copies each, of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass that George, Bill Poole and Joseph Brabant designed and printed in the 80’s & 90’s. I count myself fortunate to have a copy of Through the Looking-Glass and show it off every chance I get 
We’ve ordered a dozen copies directly from the source, so if you are interested just drop us a note. Here is a sneak peek at the book.
Also, to celebrate the release of A is for Alice, a video following the book through the intensive production process, which takes place in-house at The Porcupine’s Quill shop on the Main Street of Erin Village, has been made available here. Enjoy!
A few months ago I was interviewed by Nigel Beale for his literary blog Nota Bene on the history of the private press and more specifically the collecting and Canadian aspects of fine press editions and letterpress printed works. The interview lasts about 40mins and was quite fun to do, so hope you enjoy!
The Christmas Turr
Dave Paddon and Duncan Major
Original linocut illustrations for the poem are by Duncan Major.  Letterpress printed in an edition of  360.  Papers were handmade in Czechoslovakia; the endpapers are Japanese, and the cover papers are from St.-Armand. $15 + HSTÂ
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Notes (toward a poem about play)
Don  Austin and Tara Bryan
Tara designed and illustrated the game, which is based on the prose poem; the game board  was silk-screened by Dave Hopley at Living Planet T-shirts  in St. John’s.  The text was letterpress printed at Running the Goat Press, and the books have been assembled at walking bird press.  Printed in an edition of 95 copies, signed but unnumbered. $75 + HST (after Christmas the price will increase to $90)
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Caligula’s Horse and other Creatures Â
Tom Dawe and Gerald Squires  Â
This limited-edition chapbook collaboration by Gerald Squires and Tom Dawe features seven previously published poems and original lithographs. Lithographs printed by master printer Jerry Evans at St. Michael’s Printshop and the poems set by hand and letterpress printed at Running the Goat Press.  There are 50 copies of which 45 are available for purchase, each with seven original lithographs. The books are numbered and signed by poet and artist, and come in a handmade wrapper.   $300 + HST
The book was named best new product at the Newfoundland and Labrador Craft Council’s Fine Craft and Design Fair (November 11-15, 2009).
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Info on ordering books from Running the Goat Press can be
found here.
I was recently alerted to this great new press from Vancouver and am very impressed by their inaugural title. The Bowler Press launched it’s first book at the Vancouver Wayzgoose (which took place October 24th), a beautifully illustrated edition of The Importance of Being Earnest. The book has already had some great coverage so far with the engraver/printer Jarrett Morrison being interviewed on CBC (podcast here) and the book being reviewed by Crispin Elsted of the Barbarian Press for an upcoming issue of the Fine Press Book Association’s quarterly journal. Â
With a limited edition of only 65, this wonderful book will not last long. We will look to get a couple copies for the shop for those interested.
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, with ten engravings by Jarrett Morrison, was hand set in Bembo roman, with stage directions composed in Fairbank italic by the Bixler letterfoundry. Printed on Somerset Book Soft White Wove. Quarter bound in burgundy velour with pattern-printed covers and Bugra endsheets. Limited to 65 copies, 6.25″ x 9.5″, 108pp. $300.
Our friend Larry Thompson at the Greyweathers Press did a wonderful interview with Nigel Beale a couple months ago and is now available on Nigel’s site here.
I did an interview with Nigel as well about a month ago discussing the history of private presses and those who collect their works. This interview should be available in the next few weeks.
These beautifully letterpressed broadsides (13″ x 19″), entitled Unexplored Coutry, were printed by Alex Widen at the Alden Press in early 2009.  The broadsides came in over the summer while our website was down and they completely slipped my mind until now.Â
The broadsides were printed in a limited edition of 60 for Al Purdy Day (April 21,2009) and consist of three never before published poems by Purdy which were written while in hospital battling his illness. They are presented with a preface from the printer which is accompanied by a wood engraving by Jim Rimmer is a simple presentation folder with letterpressed titles. We manage to acquire a couple sets at the shop, thanks to Alex, and have them for sale in our shop for the suggested retail price of $125.00.
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