Never Too Late: new chapbook of poems from PressPress

It was my birthday last month, and I had a party in Sydney with old friends and a new chapbook of poems from PressPress called Never Too Late.

Chris Mansell is the force behind PressPress — small beautiful handmade books that fit in your pocket or purse and can be bought by the bunch. Check out the extensive backlist at the PressPress website with info and sample poems from each poet. Poets in this series include Kit Kelen, Robbie Coburn & Michele Seminara (working off each other’s poems in this little volume), Lizz Murphy, Richard Tipping, Jennifer Compton writing about Rome, John Jenkins & Ken Bolton, Jeanine Leane, Les Wicks, Ouyang Yu and many more.

Chris writes: “The aim of PressPress is to have good, accessible chapbooks at a reasonable price. It’s a bit idealistic, but then, so is writing poetry in a time of fire.”

Indeed, “poetry in a time of fire,” she says, “is the unofficial motto of PressPress.”

If you would like a copy, you can order direct from Chris at PressPress, or from me and I’ll sign it for you ($10 via paypal with postage included for within Australia – just paypal the money to my email address at beth [at] bethspencer [dot] com, or send me a message via the contact form).

Or if you see me at an event you might be able to pick up a copy there while they last. And if you’d like a review copy, let me know or contact Chris directly.

Poems in Never Too Late were originally published in the following newspapers and magazines —  Canberra Times, The Australian, The Rain Poem Project (Adelaide), Pink Cover Zine (Memento), Postcolonial Text, Southerly, Neos, Verity La, Grieve Vol 6 (Hunter Writers Centre, 2018), LinQ, The Fractured Self: Poetry of Chronic Pain and Illness (UWAP, 2017) and Brew: 30 Years of Poetry at the Pub Newcastle, 1988-2017 (PATP, 2018). ‘Explant’ was also shortlisted for the University of Canberra Health Poetry Prize, 2017. My big thanks to these editors and to Chris Mansell

…and to all who came to my 60th birthday party and helped celebrate Kanreki — the 60th birthday rebirth! And wishing you all a happy new year full of creativity, choice, boldness, and wonder. (Never too late!)

[*cover design by Chris Mansell]