At Wrecking Ball Press we are, like other arts organisations, independent publishers and everyone across the UK, coming to terms with the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on our work, day-to-day life, health and wellbeing. In the meantime, we’re giving away some free content to help you get through these difficult times and that we hope you will like.
Since 1997 Wrecking Ball Press has published high-quality, cutting-edge literature, building a national reputation that far exceeds its size. This is based on a commitment to connecting the most innovative and accessible novels and poetry with a readership not traditionally associated with literature. Wrecking Ball Press has a strong record of discovering exciting first time writers, many of whom have gone on to have further commercial and critical success with larger publishers.
We have a wealth of digital and analogue archives that we’re currently exploring and will be posting links to here for you to enjoy and engage with.
Our Books
Our books are available to buy directly from our online shop at https://wreckingballpress.com/shop/
In order to chew over your selection, you can browse our current catalogue on issuu here:
Wrecking Ball Press Catalogue 2020
If browsing catalogues isn’t your thing, you can watch the video below for a quick view of our available titles.
The Reater – Issue 4
In 2000 we published a special Millennium issue of The Reater. The Reater – Issue 4 contains a 40-track CD, featuring live readings by various poets. Contributors include Brendan Cleary, Ian Parks, Dean Wilson, Daithidh Maceochaidh, Labi Siffre and Fred Voss. We’ve posted a large selection of those recordings for you here.
Dean Wilson
Dean Wilson has recorded a number of poems for us from his collection Sometimes I’m So Happy I’m Not Safe On the Streets, many of which he does not perform in public. Massive thanks to Dean for taking the time to record these poems.
Shane Rhodes – The City Speaks
The City Speaks, by poet Shane Rhodes, reflects on Hull’s history and its people and is engraved in Hull’s newly paved Queen Victoria Square. Local author Russ Litten says, “The words will now last another lifetime, but their sentiment will chime in the hearts and minds of our citizens for generations to come.” The poem was published in 2017 as a beautifully bound limited edition (3,000) book.
The City Speaks – Book Design
The limited edition book for The City Speaks was created by Human Design. Here, they talk about the process of creating a beautiful artefact, something that is both authentic and engaging, and a book which is of the city itself. http://humandesign.co.uk/portfolio/the-city-speaks-book-design/
The City Speaks – Hull 2017 launch film
Created for the opening ceremony of Hull 2017 UK City of Culture, this film by Dave Lee takes Shane Rhodes’ poem The City Speaks, which is about the history of Hull and its people, and attempts to reflect the words by showing the city and citizens as they are in the present day.