Wrecking Ball Press have teamed up with The Roundhouse and the BBC in a global project that will see Hull performance poet Joe Hakim travel to Trinidad & Tobago. Talking Doorsteps is for spoken word artists aged 16-25yrs and offers an accessible and interactive physical and digital community to share and platform work centered on the theme of HOME. Starting from next week, Joe will be observing and participating in workshops with young Caribbean poets before returning home and working with young Hull poets, then bringing the two artistic communities together for a performance in September as part of the “Contains Strong Language” Poetry Festival, which will be programmed by the BBC and Wrecking Ball Press. Joe will be writing daily blog entries so we can follow his progress. Keep your eye on the Wrecking Ball Press website and the usual social media outlets.
We also have some very exciting books lined up for 2017. Adelle Stripe’s keenly anticipated novel about Andrea Dunbar “Black Teeth And A Brilliant Smile” will be launched at this year’s Bradford Literature Festival in the summer. We’re working on the cover right now and ARC’s will be available come the Spring.
Internationally acclaimed poet and Hull favourite Helen Mort will publish her debut short story collection “Exire” with us in 2017. Helen’s prose is every bit as wonderful as her poetry and we are very proud to get behind this landmark book.
Hull poet Mike Watts fourth collection will also be appearing in 2017. We’ve yet to decide on a title, but it’s Mike’s most mature and accomplished work yet. A brilliant addition to an accomplished canon.