Barry Tebb's wonderful day-glo Sixties Press productions
keep the Apocalyptic flame alive.
- JAMES KEERY
Publications
We accept
PayPal - please e-mail me at [email protected] to place an
order.
©Copyright of all poems remain with the poets.
© Photos
of Leeds courtesy of Leeds Library and Information
Service
Times OnlineJanuary 17,
2007
Small press funding
Sir, – For months I have awaited
(along with the entire small press world) the annual call for submissions for
the Raymond Williams Prize (£3,000 to the winners, £2,000 to the runner-up). I
was phoned recently by Adrian Johnson, Literature Officer for Arts Council
England (ACE) West Midlands, who passed on his new year greetings and let me
know the Prize is no more.
After the 2005 award, ACE let it be known that they were dissatisfied with
the way the prize was administered: rather odd, as it was run by their own
central Literature Department, headed by Gary McKeone. I learned that Tim
Diggles, national co-ordinator of the Federation of Worker Writers and
Community Publishers (the “Fed”), had been approached with the idea that they
would administer the prize. This was an idea universally supported by small
publishers. What no one was told was that the £5,000 annual prize money had
been entirely taken away by ACE and it would be a paper prize only.
Mr Johnson told me that this was one of the cuts which encompassed the
sacking of McKeone. There will be no 2006 award and no award ever again unless
the Fed puts in for a “one-off project grant”, and Johnson underlined that in
no way could the prize money be restored as this would be contrary to current
ACE practice. Unsurprisingly, neither the Fed nor any other organization
appears to be interested.
There was a time when ACE generously supported poets through grants to dozens
of small presses. How many do they support now? Enitharmon, Salt, Carcanet,
Peterloo (but only after Gary McKeone intervened and U. A. Fanthorpe
campaigned), Arc and Anvil.
Last year ACE “disinvested” Survivors’ Poetry and dozens more RFOs
(regularly funded organizations, including Peterloo Press), and sacked McKeone;
we all fulminated. Jackie Kay, ACE’s Literary Adviser, resigned in protest.
Good on her, my Yorkshire spirit declares, but what can the rest of us do? Ask
Tessa Jowell to “reconfigure” ACE or perhaps let the Lottery Fund take them
over as they do give grants to small presses?
Chris Frayling (Chair of ACE)
is a 60s man, and ought to know what he is about. Kim Evans (Director of Arts)
has always replied to me with warmth and courtesy. How do they feel about all
this? Am I missing something?
BARRY TEBB
89 Connaught Road, Sutton,
Surrey.
2007
Small press funding
Sir, – For months I have awaited
(along with the entire small press world) the annual call for submissions for
the Raymond Williams Prize (£3,000 to the winners, £2,000 to the runner-up). I
was phoned recently by Adrian Johnson, Literature Officer for Arts Council
England (ACE) West Midlands, who passed on his new year greetings and let me
know the Prize is no more.
After the 2005 award, ACE let it be known that they were dissatisfied with
the way the prize was administered: rather odd, as it was run by their own
central Literature Department, headed by Gary McKeone. I learned that Tim
Diggles, national co-ordinator of the Federation of Worker Writers and
Community Publishers (the “Fed”), had been approached with the idea that they
would administer the prize. This was an idea universally supported by small
publishers. What no one was told was that the £5,000 annual prize money had
been entirely taken away by ACE and it would be a paper prize only.
Mr Johnson told me that this was one of the cuts which encompassed the
sacking of McKeone. There will be no 2006 award and no award ever again unless
the Fed puts in for a “one-off project grant”, and Johnson underlined that in
no way could the prize money be restored as this would be contrary to current
ACE practice. Unsurprisingly, neither the Fed nor any other organization
appears to be interested.
There was a time when ACE generously supported poets through grants to dozens
of small presses. How many do they support now? Enitharmon, Salt, Carcanet,
Peterloo (but only after Gary McKeone intervened and U. A. Fanthorpe
campaigned), Arc and Anvil.
Last year ACE “disinvested” Survivors’ Poetry and dozens more RFOs
(regularly funded organizations, including Peterloo Press), and sacked McKeone;
we all fulminated. Jackie Kay, ACE’s Literary Adviser, resigned in protest.
Good on her, my Yorkshire spirit declares, but what can the rest of us do? Ask
Tessa Jowell to “reconfigure” ACE or perhaps let the Lottery Fund take them
over as they do give grants to small presses?
Chris Frayling (Chair of ACE)
is a 60s man, and ought to know what he is about. Kim Evans (Director of Arts)
has always replied to me with warmth and courtesy. How do they feel about all
this? Am I missing something?
BARRY TEBB
89 Connaught Road, Sutton,
Surrey.
ACADEMIC BOOKS BOUGHT
SMALL COLLECTIONS TO LIBRARIES
GREATER LONDON AND SURREY
ABBEY BOOKS
Phone
0-208-641-2212
SMALL COLLECTIONS TO LIBRARIES
GREATER LONDON AND SURREY
ABBEY BOOKS
Phone
0-208-641-2212