Sardonic, arresting and fiercely feminist: split ends/rooms and the blue room published today

 

Last Thursday we kick started 2020 with a sold out reading event at Pages Cheshire Street to celebrate the first two New Words titles; the blue room by Eloise Hendy and split ends/rooms by Alanna McArdle. Two rising female voices in UK poetry, Naomi Morris and Karen Correa da Silva also delivered astonishing readings. >>> Order today w/ free postage<<< Upcoming titles include new works by a host of distinctive voices, including poets (A.K. Blakemore, Emily S Cooper, Angus Carlyle) writers, translators (Michelle Steinbeck, Jen Calleja, Maike-Hale Jones, Middex) and many others. Sometime last year I started a process to try and make a new shape of book that would be less standardised than our previous titles one that could house a new series, New Words. After a false start and many book dummy’s we ended up with something new and exciting an oversized, wider pamphlet that gave more space for text and bold design with a loop binding. The series has been printed on heavy-stock recycled paper and was beautifully designed by Frontwards Design who took my flimsy brief to draw inspiration from a 6×7 medium-format photo frame and made something really exciting. Anyway, I couldn’t be happier about this series and I hope you like it too. They are in the shops soon via Cornerhouse and on our site with free UK postage. **Scroll down for our 4 books for £20 flash sale.** Eloise Hendy: the blue room Eloise Hendy’s debut is a candid collection of poems that are sardonic, arresting and fiercely feminist. the blue room is dotted with sharp imagery—the heart rate of smashed glass, a dentist with stiff fingers, regurgitating confetti. Hendy’s brilliant voice seems to relish the role of both salvager and confidante of memory. Retold glimpses punctuate the narrative, from the unpredictability of cyclical relationships to the rhythm of the things we grasp. >>>Order today w/ free postage<<< Alanna McArdle: split ends The residue of trauma is ever present in Alanna McArdle’s stunningly-achieved debut poetry collection split ends. These are 12 confrontational poems that swell and contort perspective, conversing with and following one another. McArdle’s words are emotional, arresting, and obtrusive. She writes, “crepuscular, fetid, she sniffs like a fox / screams like a fox” and as the ripples retreat, she leaves readers to decide which way they view the conversation. >>>Order today w/ free postage<<< “Alanna McArdle’s poetics carves for itself a place between insouciant wit and the stingingly vulnerable. It claims agency and reclaims symbolic space over the terrible, the oppressive, by biting down hard on the articulate nerve of the thing. I’m excited by this pamphlet, and so so glad it exists.” —Wayne Holloway-Smith Eloise Hendy is a poet and writer living in London. Her work has appeared in Ambit, Frieze, The Tangerine, and The Stinging Fly, amongst others, and she was recently shortlisted for The White Review Poet’s Prize 2018 Alanna McArdle is a writer from London. She has had poetry published in print and online in Shabby Doll House, Prelude Magazine, Poems in Which, For Every Year, and The Chapess, among others, and she was recently included in episode three of the podcast Poets In Bed. Her non-fiction and journalism has featured in Pitchfork, Crack Magazine, The NME, The Talkhouse, Noisey, and Broadly. Her short story ‘Butter’ was shortlisted for the 2018 Desperate Literature short fiction prize. Flash sale! Click the image below to get all four of our books for £20, UK postage paid Thank you for all your support last year Robin x

 

NEW WORDS!

split ends and the blue room Pre-order both books today for £15 with free UK postage We are delighted to introduce two stunning debut poetry collections by Alanna McArdle and Eloise Hendy! Both titles are oversized full-colour pamphlets with loop binding designed by Patrick Fisher. These are the inaugural releases of our ambitious New Words series—celebrating independent voices in poetry, fiction and prose! ***Scroll down for full details and Pages Cheshire Street launch details*** Eloise Hendy: the blue room Eloise Hendy’s debut is a candid collection of poems that are sardonic, arresting and fiercely feminist. the blue room is dotted with sharp imagery—the heart rate of smashed glass, a dentist with stiff fingers, regurgitating confetti. Hendy’s brilliant voice seems to relish the role of both salvager and confidante of memory. Retold glimpses punctuate the narrative, from the unpredictability of cyclical relationships to the rhythm of the things we grasp. Alanna McArdle: split ends The residue of trauma is ever present in Alanna McArdle’s stunningly-achieved debut poetry collection split ends. These are 12 confrontational poems that swell and contort perspective, conversing with and following one another. McArdle’s words are emotional, arresting, and obtrusive. She writes, “crepuscular, fetid, she sniffs like a fox / screams like a fox” and as the ripples retreat, she leaves readers to decide which way they view the conversation. “Alanna McArdle’s poetics carves for itself a place between insouciant wit and the stingingly vulnerable. It claims agency and reclaims symbolic space over the terrible, the oppressive, by biting down hard on the articulate nerve of the thing. I’m excited by this pamphlet, and so so glad it exists.” —Wayne Holloway-Smith Alanna McArdle is a writer from London. She has had poetry published in print and online in Shabby Doll House, Prelude Magazine, Poems in Which, For Every Year, and The Chapess, among others, and she was recently included in episode three of the podcast Poets In Bed. Her non-fiction and journalism has featured in Pitchfork, Crack Magazine, The NME, The Talkhouse, Noisey, and Broadly. Her short story ‘Butter’ was shortlisted for the 2018 Desperate Literature short fiction prize. Eloise Hendy is a poet and writer living in London. Her work has appeared in Ambit, The Tangerine, and The Stinging Fly, amongst others, and she was recently shortlisted for The White Review Poet’s Prize 2018 NEW WORDS Launch at Pages Cheshire StreetMakina Books invites you to the launch of the blue room, split ends and the New Words series at Pages Cheshire Street on Thursday 16 January from 7pm to 9pm. Readings from Eloise Hendy, Alanna McArdle + more TBA! The Lisa and John Slideshow at Martin Parr Foundation and in the BJP! I had a great time running a table at BOP Bristol 19′ Photobook Festival. Huge thanks to Jenni, Nathan and everyone at MPF and RPS for having me there. Copies of Lisa and John are now in good book shops (distributed by Cornerhouse) including Tate Modern and The Photographers’ Gallery—and with 20% off in our online shop—it makes a great gift! Marigold Warner wrote a nice piece about the project in the British Journal of Photography, you can read that here   David was also a guest on Ben Smith’s excellent podcast, A Small Voice, which you can listen to here and on all podcast platforms.Lastly, I’ll be at the London Centre of Book Arts BOOK FAIR this Sunday 1 December, 11am–6pm, at the London Centre for Book Arts. Last year they welcomed more than a thousand visitors to their beautiful studio in east London to celebrate artist books and publications by independent publishers. Where: LONDON CENTRE FOR BOOK ARTS an artist-run print studio and bindery housed within one of the few remaining Victorian industrial buildings in Fish Island E3 OK thats it. Thank you for reading! Robin x

It was always hectic, but in a nice way …Autumn news from Makina

I’m typing this in Devon and where I just took the train along my favourite stretch of railway. The best part of the journey is between Exeter and Newton Abbot where you pass mud, fairground and sea over 18 minutes. Its been a really busy month working on Portrait of A London Road a new show I’ve curated that which was featured in the Evening Standard yesterday (thanks for making that happen, Jake May) and of course, launching David’s excellent book, The Lisa and John Slideshow at Calder Bookshop and Theatre. What an amazing night that was and such a powerful performance from Sarah Toogood and Alan Mosley. I enjoyed listening to Paul Graham discussing his new book, Mother at Foyles and Kharanni Barokka‘s excellent reading at Burley Fisher for The White Review. Lots of things are happening and I hope to be in touch soon with news of two new poetry titles. Do come and say hi if you are in Bristol this weekend and thanks for reading this ramble..

BOP BRISTOL 19′
David Moore and myself are taking part in BOP Bristol—a brand new photobook festival hosted by Martin Parr Foundation and The Royal Photographic Society, which will be based at Paintworks, Bristol. It’s all happening at the Martin Parr Foundation and Royal Photographic Society. David will be signing copies of Lisa and John at our table on Saturday from 3.30pm. Please come and say hi. The full programme of talks, signings and events is here.

LISA AND JOHN IN THE BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY
The British Journal of Photography have just published an excellent piece on The Lisa and John Slideshow here.

A SMALL VOICE PODCAST
David will be featured on the next episode of A Small Voice Podcast, released tomorrow (Wednesday). You can subscribe to that here…

Buy the Lisa and John Slideshow today for £12.00 (20% off)

The Lisa and John Slideshow by David Moore with Essay by Val Williams • ISBN: 978-1-9160608-1-4 • Paperback • 210 x 148 mm • 64 pp • October 2019 • Munken Lynx, full-colour offset litho, section sewn binding

The Lisa and John Slideshow | New Podcast

Pre-order today for £12.00 (20% off)

In 2012, photographer David Moore returned to the site of his celebrated 1980s colour documentary series Pictures from the Real World. Moore offered the full archive of the project to Lisa and John, two subjects of the original series and asked them to make their own selections. The outcome released many previously unseen photographs and became the acclaimed script and play The Lisa and John Slideshow – a contemporary piece of documentary theatre addressing family memory, loss and the everyday.

The Lisa and John Slideshow (148 x 210mm, 64pp, full colour) is the first title in our new Makina Archive series, it’s out on 27 September and available to preorder online. It features an introduction from writer and curator Val Williams, the full script to The Lisa and John Slideshow play and more than 40 previously unpublished colour photographs. The book is unlike anything else and essential (in my opinion) for anyone interested in British colour photography, theatre and the documentary archive and family memory.

£12.00, Scroll down for launch details

Launch Party

The book will be launched on September 26 at Calder Bookshop and Theatre—one of the most amazing shops and spaces in London. We’d love to see you there! There will be drinks and a reading from actors Sarah Toogood and Alan Mosley, who starred in the original production of The Lisa and John Slideshow at Format Festival. David and myself will introduce the book and signed copies will be available on the night. Please note that space is very limited so please RSVP via Eventbrite here if you’d like to join us so I can keep track.

Praise for The Lisa and John Slideshow

‘Poised between one form of documentary and another, a pivotal place where social realism meets an altogether more provocative approach.’
—Sean O’Hagan, The Guardian

‘A photographic documentary archive from it’s very insides, where content is redrawn with the subjects’ own words.’
—Karen McQuaid, Senior Curator, The Photographers’ Gallery

‘The 80s were a great decade for British colour documentary photography. The Lisa and John Slideshow is unique as it brings to life photographs of the family first seen in Pictures from the Real World and as such is a valuable contribution to understanding this decade.’
—Martin Parr, Photographer

The Makina Books Podcast!

After what feels like years of saying I would do one, I took the microphone I bought last year out its box and recorded the first episode of a podcast exploring narratives in publishing. Episode 1 is with David Moore, it’s 36 minutes long and you can click here to listen on Soundcloud.

 

New Words

We are busy working on the upcoming New Words series which we are launching later this year. New Words is a new affordable series of oversized pamphlets celebrating independent voices in poetry, fiction and prose. Patrick Fisher at Frontwards Design has created an oversized pamphlet, inspired by a 6×7 medium format photo frame. They look great and I can’t wait to start sharing them soon.

 

Livia Franchini’s Shelf Life

Congratulations to Livia Franchini on her incredible debut novel, Shelf Life which is published by Doubleday this month and is quite rightly picking up great reviews! Livia is part of an evening of Magic and Witchcraft with Rebecca Tamás at Storysmith Bookshop in Bristol on Thursday 22nd August. We still have a few copies of Livia’s stunning poetry collection, Our Available Magic available for £5.00—but you need to be quick!

 

Thanks so much for reading and please support these amazing sellers: Books Peckham, Burley Fisher Books, Camden Arts Centre, Chener Books, Foyles, Good Press, Housmans, London Review Bookshop, Minnow Books, Pages of Hackney, Specialist Subject Records, Storysmith Books, Ti Pi Tin, Tome Records

Makina publishes Livia Franchini’s ‘Our Available Magic’

We are so excited to announce Livia Franchini’s first poetry collection—and our twelth title—Our Available Magic. In Our Available Magic, poems and short poetic prose fold across 42 carefully observed pages that are insightful, fresh and craftily bold.

In August the dust was deafening, all things dry. Small anxieties of high summer. Drops of water from your plastic bottle cutting circles like coins on the pavement. Eating a tomato from the hand in an empty apartment. Stand in the corridor, think of all the other flats stacked below you, the ones above you, all empty. When you hear her car pull in, cross the street running.
—from Estate

Livia Franchini is a writer and translator from Tuscany, Italy. She has translated Natalia Ginzburg, James Tiptree Jr. and Michael Donaghy among others. Her poetry has appeared in 3 a.m. magazine, Funhouse, LESTE, Spells: 21st Century Occult Poetry (Lingua Ignota, 2018), Wretched Strangers (Boiler House Press, 2018) among others. Her debut novel Shelf Life will be published in English by Doubleday in August 2019 and in Italian by Libri Mondadori in Spring 2020.

THE LAUNCH
The book will be launched with a reading from Livia and special guests on Tuesday 9 April at Pages of Hackney—one of the best independent bookshops in London. We’d love to see you there! Please note that while this event is free to attend, space is limited so please RSVP via Eventbrite here if you’d like to join us.

PREORDER TODAY
The first 50 preorders will ship with a 58mm badge and Makina bookmark. We also offer a Collect from Makina option via the website for local customers.

I’ve been busy working on a number of projects this year including upcoming titles with David Moore, Maike Hale-Jones, Martha Orchard and Angus Carlyle.

Good friends of Makina, Tome Records told me about an interesting collection currently being published online as the Dalston Rio Tape/Slide archive. The account is updated most days and is full of wonderful ’80s work by photographer Alan Denney—I am hooked! The photographs (which were recently discovered in the basement of the Rio Cinema) have so much joy and fun within them.

I have been looking forward to Paul Reas’ monograph Fables of Faubus (GOST publishing) for what feels like years now. I first saw his documentary photographic work for the project I Can Help on a poster at work about 15 years ago and it felt electrifying. The book is very beautifully put together with several great essays and includes earlier projects by Reas in large colour reproductions that do so much justice to his works—much of them lit with bright flash in daylight on a medium format camera.

The People on the Street is an interesting new bookwork by photographer Nigel Shafran that tackles homelessness in London but without showing a single homeless person in it. The book is bound in polystyrene and contains 52 images. You can buy a copy (all proceeds to homelessness charities) here.

Richard Phoenix‘s DIY as Privilege (published by The Fringe and Underground Music Group at Goldsmiths) pamphlet is an essential 13 point read of what Phoenix has “learnt over the past 12 years being involved with supporting people with learning disabilities”. Buy this, share it widely and put it up at work  on the noticeboard.

I just got a parcel from the essential Dostoyevsky Wannabe publishers (amazing project using print on demand models) and am currently reading the writer and critical theorist Isabel Waidner’s We Are Made Of Diamond Stuff and now I can’t wait to read Gaudy Bauble. Give Dostoyevsky Wannabe everything you have!

Lastly, we are delighted that Patrick Doyle‘s book, Max was recently featured on It’s Nice That and obtained by The Whitney Museum of American Art. Thank you to all who supported the project—in particular Marion Herbain and Owen Myers who helped coordinate the book and also to Paul Sammut, Roxanne Clifford, Helen Skinner, Good Press and Monorail and The White Cubicle Gallery. Keep your eyes peeled for a reprint (again with proceeds to the LA LGBT Center). We love you Patrick.

Thank you for reading

Robin x

Thank you for coming out to the launch of MAX at White Cubicle Toilet Gallery! Special thanks to Patience and Helen Skinner for playing records and to Paul Sammut, Marion Herbian and Owen Myers for helping us organise such a special event.

Patrick Doyle: MAX

Thanks to ‘It’s Nice That’ for covering our latest book, MAX by Patrick Doyle.

We are honoured that Patrick’s book is now held in the library collection of Whitney Museum of Modern Art!

We have sold out of copies but there are still some available from Good Press (Glasgow) and Printed Matter (NYC)—both sell online too. Thanks to all who bought one and to the staff and organisers at Monorail, Strange Perfume, White Cubicle Toilet Gallery, Marion Herbain, Owen Myers, Roxanne Clifford and Paul Sammut for all their help getting them out into the world.

Screaming Fatal Truths

Happening at TOME Records! Exhibition! Book launch! Readings!

Outskirts Exhibition and Talk at Counter!

In the week leading up to, and during, the Counter Plymouth Art Book Fair Makina Books presented oversized pages from Flo Brooks’ ‘Outskirts’ publication in the Column Bakehouse cafe/gallery.

Robin Silas Christian (Makina Books) and Flo Brooks discussed ‘Outskirts’ and Makina as an ongoing project and archive at Ocean Studios.

Thanks to Vickie, Paul and Maddy for organising such a positive event.

—

Swimmer’s Club

Exeter Phoenix

Plymouth Art Weekend

We were lucky to be able show our project at the Athenaeum in Plymouth this weekend. The Athenaeum is a beautiful building located in The Barbican. The original building was destroyed during The Blitz in 1941, resulting in the loss of the insititution’s library, art and museum collections. It was rebuilt after the War in the exact location of its pre-Blitz home. Great to see it being used as part of the Plymouth Art Weekend and to meet Owen, the Secretary there who cares for it so much and kindly showed us around!