Publications

Not Only The Dark
Not Only The Dark is our latest anthology of poetry, 160 poems on the theme of survival in aid of Shelterbox. It is due to be launched on 6 December - click here for info on the launch event. This new and vibrant anthology explores the theme of survival, with poems about war, weather, growing ill and growing old as well as about cities and landscapes, art and music, trees and turtles and the many things that add richness to our lives.

'These diverse, passionate poems celebrate our shared humanity, fragility and strength. They offer shelter to anyone who feels left out in the cold' CATHERINE SMITH, author of Lip.

'Here is a volume of poetry which asks the questions it shouldn't, exploring the small and big things we need to do to survive in a world crying out against the push to reduce us to the bare minimum' JOHN SIDDIQUE, author of Full Blood.


To order a copy of Not Only The Dark please click here to order online or send a cheque for £12 (includes £2 p&p), made out to our publisher Categorical Books, to 70 Margate Road, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7BH. You can also order 3 copies at the special price of £27 (includes £2 p&p).  Please allow 2 weeks for delivery. 

strange fruits
strange fruits is a poetry collection by Kent writer, Maria McCarthy.
Maria is a poet of remarkable skill, whose work offers surprising glimpses into our 21st-century lives – the ‘strange fruits’ of our civilisation or lack of it. Shot through with meditations on the past and her heritage as ‘an Irish girl, an English woman’, strange fruits includes poems reflecting on her urban life in a Medway town and as a rural resident in Swale.

Maria writes, and occasionally teaches creative writing, in a shed at the end of her garden. Her website is www.medwaymaria.co.uk

All profits from the sale of strange fruits go to Macmillan Cancer Support, Registered Charity Number 261017. strange fruits is available from culturedllama.co.uk or by sending your name, address and a cheque for £9 (inc p&p) or £15 for two copies (p&p free) to Maria McCarthy, 11 London Road, Teynham, Sittingbourne, ME9 9QW. More funds go to Macmillan Cancer Support if purchased direct from Cultured Llama.


slantways
slantways collects prose poems crafted by MA students of ‘doyenne’ of the genre Patricia Debney, many of whom are published and award-winning writers in their own right. Like the best examples of the form, this work probes beneath the surface, ignoring the obvious to illuminate the unexpected, reflecting and refracting the world as we know it, looking with attention but always slantways.

Picture this postcard scene, instructs one of the talented writers in slantways, and so we do as we travel widely and sometimes surprisingly – walking a labyrinth, meeting the giant snow lemming, or executing one impossible task before breakfast. Each of these prose poems offers a view to savour, and each poet’s voice rings true and direct. The poems may be short, but the journey they took me on was long, varied and satisfying.’
  SARAH SALWAY, author of Something Beginning With

All profits from the sale of slantways will be donated to the JDRF (the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Registered Charity Number 295716), a charity that works to prevent, treat and cure type 1 diabetes. To order a copy of slantways, please click here to order online or send a cheque for £9 per copy (including £1 postage & packing) to Slantways at Yew Tree Cottage, Church Street, Nonington, Dover CT15 4LD. Please allow 2 weeks for  delivery.  

The Space Beyond
Jo Field’s The Space Beyond charts the territory of old age with extraordinary insight. Combining empathy, honesty and humour, her poems track the cultural differences we notice as we cross its borders and illuminate the often terrifying landscapes of its interior. The Space Beyond also examines the power and properties of memory, and the special relationship with the past that we develop as we grow older. All profits from the sale of the book go to Dementia UK, a charity that works to improve the quality of life for all people affected by dementia.
'Exploring a wide variety of forms and moods, ranging from anger and melancholy to wry humour and sensuality, Jo Field traverses the memories, sorrows, losses, fears and consolations of ageing with intelligence and sensitivity.' Jan Montefiore, author of 'Feminism and Poetry'.
To order a copy of The Space Beyond, please click here to order online or send a cheque for £7 (includes £1 p&p) to Jo Field at 23A The Beach, Walmer, Deal, Kent  CT14 7HJ. You can also order two copies at the special price of £12 (includes £2 p&p). Please allow 2 weeks for delivery.

Did I Tell You?

Our first publication was 'Did I tell you? 131 Poems for Children in Need' and is an anthology on the theme of'Childhood' in aid of the BBC Children in Need Appeal. All profits from this anthology will be donated to the BBC Children in Need appeal.  A minimum of £4 from the sale of each book will benefit The BBC Children in Need Appeal, a company limited by guarantee (charity number 802052 in England & Wales and SC039557 in Scotland)

To order a copy of Did I Tell You? please click here to order online or send a cheque for £12 (includes £2 p&p), made out to our publisher Categorical Books, to 70 Margate Road, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 7BH. You can also order 3 copies at the special price of £27 (includes £2 p&p).  Please allow 2 weeks for delivery.