Since the late 1990s I have been publishing steadily in the UK, trying to develop conversations and collaborations with UK-based presses and authors. Complementing my work in Canada, I have found UK-based presses to support risk-taking work, have a culture of chapbook (what they call “pamphlet”) publishing, be open to perfect-bound editions of visual poetry, experimentation, and often have an open mind to the use of colour. In the last 30 years I have published with If P then Q, Information as Material, Guillemot, Pamenar, Dostoyevsky Wannabe, Future text, The Other Room, Essence, Reaktion, the Centre for Print Research, the University of Plymouth, Poem Atlas, Hesterglock, Uniformbooks, Penteract, Ma Bibliotheque, Zimzalla, yt communications, the Laurence Sterne Trust, and Writers Forum … and each press has brought new opportunities and discussions. I am so grateful for my UK-based colleagues who have published my work — and to those who have included my work in exhibitions, readings, collaborative performances (and to colleagues at Roehampton University where I defended my PhD).

Last weekend I was able to build upon those decades of conversations by attending the London Small Publishers Fair in order to launch SILENCE: LECTURES AND WRITINGS. It was like coming home — so many great conversations and ideas over pints, coffee and laughter…

Of course I came home with a small stack of new material to read — including books from Guillemot Press, JR Carpenter, Uniformbooks, Atlas Press, Ma Bibliotheque, and Henningham Family Press… (and more!)

and walking the streets of London brought other editions to the fore as well — especially after visits to Gosh!, the Tate Modern, the London Review Bookshop, Freedom Press Anarchist Bookshop, and the Royal Academy of Art…

and now to conquer the jetlag and catch up on some sleep.