Bücher veröffentlicht von Valley Press

In Queen Palm, internationally-published poet Nancy Anne Miller takes readers on a captivating journey into the rich iconography and metaphors of the Christmas season. Through four distinct sections, Miller explores the unique blend of African/English influences found in Bermudian customs, the vibrant and sometimes extravagant American celebrations, the symbolism of Advent, and the poet's personal creative process. The book concludes with a thought-provoking selection of Biblically-inspired poems.While delving into the exploration of language and imagery, the poems also carry a spiritual undertone, inviting readers to embark on both a poetic inquiry and a sacred quest. Queen Palm celebrates the power of Christmas as a transformative and introspective time, where the boundaries of poetry and spirituality merge seamlessly.

York Literary Review is an annual creative writing anthology designed to showcase diverse work from talented writers. Since its inception in 2016, the review has featured trailblazing fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and prose.This year's beautiful collection of writing includes thirty-five talented authors from around the world, who have responded to the theme of 'voices' with pieces including a diverse range of subjects, such as voices from the past, the voice of trees, and absence of voice.* * *"The world of the twenty-first century, awash with social media and 24-hour newsreels, is bombarded by voices, all vying for attention, a colossal storm of endless communication. It is easy to get lost. To have your voice subsumed by countless others. The anthology's theme grew out of this concern but manifested in other wonderful ways too ... There are personal memoirs. There are voices within landscapes. There are ruminations on how voice connects to personal identity. This year's anthology contains creative writing of great power and significance. I congratulate the team and thank the contributors for giving us their voices. We are all the better for it!"- Dr Rob O'Connor

Beginnings & Other Tragedies is a powerful book-length poem, offering a choral experience of a present-future where almost all hope seems lost - except for that offered by poetry itself, and the "beginners" who care about our planet and dream of making a change. In the background, the landscape of Venice, the sinking city.Drawing on nature poetry, dystopian fiction and Greek tragedy, Ilaria Boffa reimagines scientific and ecological language as sites of beauty, with the power to change reality; seen here as something malleable and unstable, to be made and remade. Published in a bilingual English/Italian edition, with both texts written by the original poet, readers are offered a rare opportunity to compare the two languages at their absolute best.Through confronting the most painful, discomforting parts of the world and ourselves, Boffa reminds us why "it's good to think difficult things", and why it may be time to repurpose ourselves and start again - a call-to-action which murmurs in our ears both as we read and long after we set the book down.

Narratives of the body are versatile ¿ and From the Body demonstrates this.Here, there are confessions, recollections, and love letters, all dealing with topics as wide-reaching as eating disorders, disability, and gender dysphoria. In this collection of personal essays and creative nonfiction, its contributors have responded to food and the body in intimate but universal ways, sharing experiences that will resonate with readers.Featuring the award-winning poet Andrew McMillan and dedicated mental health campaigner Cara Lisette, From the Body is a tender and honest discussion of how we feed and fuel our bodies ¿ and how we may, in time, come to treat them a little kinder.

"One eveningwhen they are sitting quietly togethershe breaks the silenceand starts to talk"Dorothy tells the complete story of a Yorkshire woman, in verse, from her birth early in the last century to her death in the first years of this. Like so many of her generation, she lived a life both ordinary and extraordinary; shaded by grief, troubled by family dynamics, and restricted by the realities of class, location and gender. Hers was a life where survival itself, the simple act of continuing, was a victory to be celebrated - but one where the reminders of why we continue, the blinding moments of sunshine when the clouds part, were that much sweeter because of it.Tender and insightful, harrowing and uplifting, Dorothy is a stunning act of empathy from a son towards his mother. Her story, told through the author's assured, unpretentious verse, is both specific and universal enough to resonate with all who encounter it; to challenge some, heal others, and leave a lasting impression on the world Dorothy came to love.

With his first collection, Matt Riker takes us on a journey where we cannot be sure if we're awake or dreaming - if what we perceive is real or imagined. Circling love and family, nature and society, science and mythology, these poems bring both the surprising and the miraculous into sharp focus. But like words, all things are subject to change - some are lost, others gained. Riker looks inwards and outwards, to distant places and times, to the essence of consciousness. In poems both personal and philosophical, the intimate and the cerebral are entwined with the richness and ambiguity of existence.

Inside is a book that lives and breathes in its confinement.It places a brief account of the patients of a hospital assessment ward (catering to those in the process of being diagnosed with dementia) in contrast to the inmates of a broad spectrum of prisons.Holding these strands together is the voice of a single poet who doesn¿t hold back from telling it as it is.In sharply observed and pointed language, the whole carries a message for politicians and the public alike.

Longlisted for the 2023 Laurel Prize and Highly Commended in the 2023 Forward PrizesIn 1992, a group of young people began to protest against the extension of the M3 motorway through Twyford Down outside Winchester - a new road that would, by the hands of the Conservative government, cut seven minutes off the journey time between London and Southampton, whilst carving through the chalk hill in one of England's 'protected' Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Dongas Tribe, as they would later be known, named after the Matabele word for 'gully', radically altered the UK environmental movement, lauded by the Guardian as having 'kickstarted a major shift in green attitudes in both government and the public.' Twyford Down became a symbol for a further 1,000 protected heritage sites across the UK which were planned to undergo the same process, removing idiosyncrasy from the landscape and presenting an ideal for a country based on mobility and so-called 'progress'. Emma Must was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her efforts towards land protection, including a period of detention in Holloway Prison as one of the 'Twyford Seven'. Must's searing collection, published 30 years after the Twyford protests, considers the role that language plays as witness to our actions on Earth. These powerful, moving and honest depictions of the Twyford protests explore the ways in which language reaches us, saves us, and fails to convince us. Here, the land reveals its histories to the reader, whilst protest actions entwine themselves around judicial statements, teetering between the active and passive voice, the human and non-human.* * *Royalties from each sale of this book will be donated to Transport Action Network and the A36/A350 Corridor Alliance.

Quick is the first collection of poems by Peter Spafford; a professional writer for more than twenty years, appearing in print here for the first time.By day, Spafford writes scripts for theatre, radio, musical theatre and opera. His poems are, out of necessity, creatures of the night; all the pieces in this collection dodged the searchlights and crept under the wire in the last five years.They are drawn from family relationships, friendships, a love of language and from the varied settings of his work: in prisons, schools, museums, hospitals and on the streets. Most of them have a story at their heart; stories which can now be told.

Put a barrier in the way of a writer and they will always find a way to tunnel under it, vault over it or blast through it. Beyond the Walls 2022 gives a new generation of talented writers the opportunity to do just that.York St John University''s Creative Writing students exemplify the talent that has arisen from the pioneering ''York Centre for Writing'', a beacon for independent Northern publishing. With an impressive blend of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, the latest edition of this much-loved anthology will showcase the power of new writing. Are you ready to have your expectations demolished and your hopes restored?

A meticulous, loving tribute to the language, structure and themes of the Brontës¿ own works, as de la Motte at times weaves the very words of their correspondence, novels and poems seamlessly into his lively narrative.Oblivion traces Branwell¿s meandering journey across the north of England, from the Fells of the Lake District to the ocean cliffs of Scarborough, from the smoky streets of industrial Halifax to the windswept moors above Haworth, encountering such notables as Hartley Coleridge and Franz Liszt. Through him we meet poets, sculptors, booksellers, prostitutes, publicans, railway workers, farmers, manufacturers and clergymen; through his experiences we contemplate the ineffable but fleeting ecstasy of sex, the existence of God, the effects of drugs and alcohol and the nature of addiction itself, the desire for fame, and the bitter resentment of artists and intellectuals who feel unappreciated by an increasingly materialistic, mechanised society.This sprawling story is a moving, thought-provoking page-turner that seeks not only to understand the roots of Branwell Brontë¿s tragic end but also to unearth the striking similarities of character between him and his now-famous sisters.

In Caroline Hardaker's first full-length collection of poetry, readers will find tales of human evolution and natural laws, of technology, of the world's problems and the twisted inventions we create. Each encounter takes a host of characters to the brink of epiphany ¿ sometimes they¿ll burn bright, and sometimes they¿ll fall apart.Step into a world of explorers, philosophers, automatons, wild things, and the ghosts that dwell deep in the heart of the earth itself.From the author: "The poems in this collection have been developed over a three year period, in which I wanted to explore the nature of discoveries, and how they impact our every day lives. One of the main topics I write about is memory and cultural memory, and I wanted to explore how folklore and history is repeated throughout time. Humanity is currently at a turning point in environmental terms ¿ and I think it¿s important to understand mistakes of the past so we can try to not repeat them. I¿ve balanced these larger questions with everyday ¿kitchen sink¿ encounters, to demonstrate that both have a huge impact on our lives.""Hardaker is a rising talent, she hunts for what it means to be human. This first collection looks at the world and the creations we make to keep moving through the little quakes that shake every day. Clear, concise, inventive and sharp, these poems burn like shooting stars." ¿ Angela Readman

Hidden Music is a collection of poems that listens and responds to Ralph Dartford''s lifetime obsession with song, and which subsequently allows his singular poetic vision to take flight. From Nick Cave to Lee Morgan, and Ella Fitzgerald to Radiohead, these poems search and reveal the untold stories within a dyslexic and melodious imagination, and like the most intoxicating music, gifts ownership to both the listener and the reader.

For writers, walls are challenges to be overcome: put a barrier in their way and they will tunnel under it, vault over it or simply blast their way straight through it. In Beyond the Walls 2021, a new generation of writing talent will be given their chance to do just that.In the latest edition of this much-loved anthology, Creative Writing students from York St John University present the very best fiction, non-fiction and poetry to emerge from the revolutionary 'Centre for Writing' initiative; a beacon for independent literary publishing in the North. Readers, prepare to have your expectations demolished and your hopes restored...

Recovery Songs is a cycle of narrative poems that focuses on the fall and rise of the human condition. These are stories of love, abandonment, abuse, addiction, loss, and by the end, a redemption earned. Unflinching and funny at times, this collection takes its reader through a life lived in the margins, and asks: how do we recover when everything appears lost?

This is a book of two halves, and many journeys. The first part sends us throughout the world and across history, finding the poetry in James Joyce's short-lived cinema, Dana Scully's oarless rowboat, the Cerasi Chapel, a Hindu temple, the Cardiff Mod scene and a Bowie-singing log delivery man - all painted with Lodge's trademark understated humour, striking imagery and careful observation.The second part is a lengthy sequence responding to Captain James Cook's first voyage aboard the Endeavour. Not a work of biography, or a history, this is an effort to capture the imaginative power of Cook's journey into the unknown through a squint view of his companions, the cultures he encountered and the events which unfolded. As a whole, Remarkable Occurrences is a deeply impressive literary achievement which will leave a lasting impression on all those who encounter it.

Science and poetry cross paths in this 10th-anniversary edition of Swain's debut collection, now featuring 20 pages of new work.Darwin¿s Microscope, Swain¿s debut volume of poetry, was first published in 2009 by Flambard Press. It is now in a tenth-anniversary volume from Valley Press, to celebrate the song cycle Endless Forms Most Beautiful, composed by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, of which a selection of the poems comprises a significant part. In the decade since her first publication, Swain has continued to inhabit the liminal space between science and poetry, working as a celebrated poet and art critic specialising in both ecological and medical topics, including a year as one of the first three poets-in-residence at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.With a section of new poems, Moult, exclusive cover art by artist Katherine Child, and an introduction by Luz Mar González-Arias, this edition gives readers the opportunity to revisit Swain¿s debut collection in the context of international debates on the current geological era, the Anthropocene, characterised by overwhelming evidence on climate change. With demonstrations of ecological grief taking place worldwide, there is now an urgency to search for reciprocal ways of relating to our environment. Darwin¿s Microscope contributes to the search from the vantage point of experiencing two worlds at the same time: in other words, by inhabiting the space where magic happens.

York is a city that is impossible to define. A city that contains Roman ruins, Viking remains, a Gothic cathedral and Victorian splendour crisscrossed with medieval cobbles; the identity of York is an ever-shifting thing. Likewise, nestled beyond the ancient walls, York St John University has an identity in flux. Starting life as a Victorian teacher training college to become a vibrant, tight-knit university community with a hotbed of creative talent, the students of York St John are just as in flux as the city. This anthology explores the multi-faceted question of identity, from what you are willing to give up to regional folklore. Beyond the Walls 2019 moves beyond the walls of our city to look at who we are, what we believe in, and the things that scare us. Who will you become after venturing Beyond the Walls?

"We are delighted to welcome you to the third annual edition of York Literary Review. This edition marks the beginning of a collaboration with Valley Press, a trailblazing publisher based close by in Scarborough. It is also the first year that the magazine is housed within York Centre for Writing, a hub for brilliant and innovative new writing led by the Creative Writing team at York St John University. Once again, the editorial process has been driven by a group of talented postgraduate students, who read through the huge number of submissions we received this year and argued passionately for the inclusion of the pieces here. This year we had a high number of very compelling pieces of creative non-fiction, and we're pleased to include more of these than in previous years. The selected contributors come from close to home (we are glad to publish the work of two former students and a York-based geographer) and much further afield - from Canada, the US and across the United Kingdom. We hope that you enjoy their varied and accomplished work." - The Editors

Writers have always regarded walls as a challenge to be overcome. Put a barrier in their way and they will tunnel under it, vault over it or simply blast their way straight through it. In Beyond the Walls, creative writing students from York St John University continue this laudable tradition with a collection of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction that adroitly demolishes preconceived ideas about their so-called 'snowflake' generation. Tackling global issues like war, the environment and animal cruelty as well as more intimate, human-scale subjects like grief, depression and transformation with crystalline clarity, their collective vision is unflinching, informed, aware and, ultimately, compassionate.

They is the first English-language collection from award-winning poet Arvis Viguls. One of the most prominent voices in 21st-century Latvian literature, Viguls' three collections to date have garnered several national prizes, and in 2017 he was named as one of Literature Across Frontiers' "Ten New Voices", a scheme intended to find "the most interesting writers working in Europe today". His work has been translated into more than twenty languages, with full collections published in Spanish, German, Serbian, and now ¿ thanks to the thoughtful translation work of Jayde Will ¿ English. Readers encountering his work for the first time will encounter moments of reality too strong to be stored on film, the body as a book written in scars, truths only seen on the face of a sleeping man, and question marks sharpened like knives. They will visit the hairdressers, the laundrette and the dentist, and in each place find profound insights into the human condition.Filled with beauty, sorrow and yearning, this is poetry that both transcends and honours the time, place and language of its creation ¿ and is now set to be enjoyed by readers throughout the English-speaking world.

In this collection of eerie, beautifully crafted stories, lives are lived slightly out of sync with the ordinary world. From a man who makes sock puppets to elderly Italian craftswomen and hens at a taxidermy party, family stories are seamlessly woven with folklore, journeys and natural phenomena to examine the quirks, pain and resilience of human existence.Framing her tales in the nebulous, shimmering concepts of sky, light and rain, Judy Darley deftly explores our relationship with the natural world and one another, reminding us that however far we travel, some connections remain unbreakable.

Madame Spots is lauded for setting up a free school in her village, but her seductive silk qipao and obvious wealth elicit deadly envy as well as admiration. The Phoenix Widow finds a jar of ingots but loses her precious son to wily and, ultimately, unwise kidnappers. Little Spoon stumbles into Running Cow Valley Village with two pails on her water pole and inadvertently becomes a hero to people parched of leadership. Feng Laicai, a diminutive farmer with a life of bad luck behind him, is suddenly thrust into the spotlight, thanks to a scholarly goat.Set in the counties of the Western Plain, these bleak yet beautiful stories shed an incisive light on the extraordinary lives of colourful people. While closely observing the triumphs and tragedies of a cast of unforgettable characters, the ten stories that make up this important collection also bear witness to the evolution of rural China from the early days of the 20th century to the late 1980s, skillfully illustrating the often brutal battle between tradition and progress.

A man does battle with a wolf, two sworn brothers lock horns - literally - as they drink and brag the night away and an old man turns to his flame-bellied stove for comfort when facing a bitter winter alone.These are just some of the fascinating folk who inhabit the magical stories of Hong Ke. Set in Xinjiang, the gateway between China and Middle Asia, The Howl of the Wolf paints a colourful picture of frontier life in all its earthy glory.

This is a book for people who like to gorge on language; a meal too big for people who hate to throw away their food. It is about life's extremes - those times when you do things to excess, and those when you avoid doing anything at all. Sometimes political, sometimes sexual and always hungry, this visceral, arresting debut pamphlet marks the arrival of an unforgettable new 'mouth' in UK poetry.