Bloodaxe Books

Bloodaxe Books is a British specialist publisher whose list is centered on contemporary poetry, translated poetry, poetry anthologies, criticism, handbooks, lectures, and multimedia editions. Neil Astley founded the press in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978 and has remained its editor and managing director, making the company closely associated with a distinctive editorial approach to modern poetry and with the development of a substantial independent poetry list. The press grew during a period when specialist poetry publishers played an important role in bringing new British and Irish poets to readers. Bloodaxe has published established writers, emerging poets, international authors, translators, critics, and poets whose work crosses cultural and linguistic boundaries. Its list has included European, American, French, Irish, British-Caribbean, South Asian, and other international voices. It has also been notable for the breadth of its publishing of women poets. Anthologies such as Jeni Couzyn's Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Women Poets, Carol Rumens's New Women Poets, Linda France's Sixty Women Poets, and later collections helped widen access to poetry by women at a time when such work was comparatively underrepresented in readily available anthologies. Bloodaxe's publishing has extended beyond individual collections. Its anthologies and reference-oriented books have been used to introduce readers and students to broad movements and periods in poetry. The New Poetry, edited by Michael Hulse, David Kennedy, and David Morley, became an important representation of a younger generation of British and Irish poets and was adopted as a school set text. The Bloodaxe Book of 20th Century Poetry from Britain and Ireland, edited by Edna Longley, presented the work of 60 poets, while Strong Words: modern poets on modern poetry gathered essays by poets about the art and practice of poetry. The Staying Alive anthology, edited by Astley, sought to connect contemporary poems with readers beyond specialist literary audiences. The press has also published books that generated public debate beyond the poetry community. Tony Harrison's book-length poem v., set in a vandalized Leeds cemetery during the miners' strike, became a prominent example of politically and socially engaged British poetry. Its later television adaptation provoked controversy over language and broadcasting. Other politically charged and critical works on the list have similarly demonstrated Bloodaxe's willingness to publish poetry and literary writing addressing conflict, class, identity, language, and cultural history. Bloodaxe has developed educational and public-facing activity alongside its books. In 2000 it received Millennium Festival and National Lottery funding through Arts Council England for an initiative intended to strengthen awareness of twentieth-century poetry. The program supported publications including Longley's anthology and Strong Words. The Newcastle/Bloodaxe poetry lectures, begun in 2001 at Newcastle University, created a public forum in which poets discussed poetic craft and practice; a number of the lectures were later published. The press has also supported reading-group and library activity and participated in touring live-poetry projects in Britain. Its experimentation with formats has included DVD-books and books accompanied by audio or video. In Person: 30 Poets, issued for Bloodaxe's thirtieth anniversary in 2008, combined an anthology with two DVDs containing readings by 30 poets. Subsequent multimedia publications featured poets including John Agard and Samuel Menashe, while audio-enhanced editions included work by Sarah Arvio, Jackie Kay, Galway Kinnell, and Basil Bunting. These projects extended the press's role from print publishing into recorded performance and accessible digital presentation. Bloodaxe moved its editorial office to Northumberland and its finance office to Bala, North Wales, in 1997. In 2013, Astley deposited the Bloodaxe Books archive at Newcastle University's Robinson Library, Special Collections, preserving material relating to the press's publishing history. Bloodaxe remains identified with independent, internationally oriented poetry publishing, although detailed current ownership, staffing, and financial information is not publicly established in the supplied reference material.

Bloodaxe Books was established in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978 by Neil Astley, who has continued as the press's editor and managing director. From its beginning, the company focused on poetry rather than operating as a general trade publisher. Its development coincided with the expansion of independent specialist poetry presses in Britain, which provided publication opportunities for writers who might not have found room on larger commercial lists. The press built a broad contemporary poetry program encompassing British and Irish writers, poets from Europe and the United States, French and translated poetry, British-Caribbean and South Asian diasporic writing, and poets from other regions. It also published writers at different stages of their careers, including poets receiving their first book publication and established poets previously associated with other imprints. This combination of new writing, international work, and selected earlier poets became a central feature of the Bloodaxe identity. A major part of the press's cultural contribution has been its work in publishing women poets. The Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Women Poets, edited by Jeni Couzyn and published in 1985, appeared when poetry by women was less visible in widely available anthologies. It was followed by several other collections and critical or historical projects, including New Women Poets, Sixty Women Poets, Making for Planet Alice, Eliza's Babes: four centuries of women's poetry in English, and Modern Women Poets. The press has described its poetry list as broadly balanced between male and female poets, presenting this as an outcome of editorial selection rather than a formal positive-discrimination policy. Bloodaxe's anthologies also helped shape the way contemporary poetry was introduced to students and general readers. The New Poetry, edited by Michael Hulse, David Kennedy, and David Morley in 1993, presented a younger generation of British and Irish poets and became a school set text. Sean O'Brien's The Deregulated Muse, published in 1998, offered essays on post-war British and Irish poetry. In 2000 Edna Longley's Bloodaxe Book of 20th Century Poetry from Britain and Ireland brought together work by 60 poets. That same year, Strong Words: modern poets on modern poetry, edited by W. N. Herbert and Matthew Hollis, collected poets' reflections and essays on poetry. These projects combined literary advocacy with reference and educational uses. Several Bloodaxe publications entered wider public debate. Tom Paulin's Ireland & the English Crisis was attacked for its political position by Enoch Powell. Tony Harrison's v., a book-length poem set in a vandalized cemetery in Leeds during the United Kingdom miners' strike, became especially prominent. A film adaptation by Richard Eyre led to a national broadcasting controversy two years after the poem's publication, with Mary Whitehouse and Conservative members of Parliament objecting to the language used by the poem's skinhead character. The second edition of v. documented the media response. The publisher developed public programs as well as books. In 2000, Millennium Festival and National Lottery funding distributed through Arts Council England supported an educational initiative intended to build stronger awareness of twentieth-century poetry. In 2001 Jo Shapcott delivered the first Newcastle/Bloodaxe poetry lecture at Newcastle University. The lecture series subsequently brought poets to public audiences and produced a book series based on ten lectures. Bloodaxe also worked with reading groups in Nottingham and libraries across the West Midlands. In Birmingham, Book Communications produced touring theatre shows using poetry from Bloodaxe books, including Staying Alive, Being Alive, and Changing Lives. The press expanded into multimedia publishing in the late 2000s. For its thirtieth anniversary in 2008, it issued In Person: 30 Poets, combining an anthology with six hours of filmed readings on two DVDs. Later projects included DVD-books featuring John Agard and Samuel Menashe and books accompanied by audio CDs, including editions involving Sarah Arvio, Jackie Kay, Galway Kinnell, and Basil Bunting. These formats reflected Bloodaxe's interest in preserving and presenting poetry as performed speech as well as printed text. In 1997 the editorial office moved to Northumberland and the finance office to Bala, North Wales. In 2013 Astley deposited the company's archive at Newcastle University's Robinson Library, Special Collections. The archive deposit reinforced the press's association with Newcastle while documenting its evolution as an independent specialist publisher. Based on the supplied reference material, Bloodaxe continues to operate as a poetry-focused publishing house; current ownership, financial performance, and a complete current executive roster are not established here.

• 2013

  Bloodaxe archive is deposited at Newcastle University

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  The press's archive is placed in the Robinson Library's Special Collections.

• 2008

  In Person: 30 Poets introduces the DVD-book format

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Bloodaxe publishes an anthology accompanied by two DVDs of filmed poetry readings as part of its thirtieth-anniversary program.

• 2001

  Newcastle/Bloodaxe poetry lectures begin

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Jo Shapcott gives the first lecture in a public series developed with Newcastle University on poetry's craft and practice.

• 2000

  Arts Council-backed poetry education initiative

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Funding supports Bloodaxe's effort to strengthen public awareness of twentieth-century poetry and contributes to major anthology and essay projects.

• 1997

  Office functions move to Northumberland and Bala

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Bloodaxe moves its editorial office to Northumberland and its finance office to Bala in North Wales.

• 1993

  The New Poetry is published

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Michael Hulse, David Kennedy, and David Morley edit an anthology representing a younger generation of British and Irish poets; it later becomes a school set text.

• 1985

  Publication of Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Women Poets

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Jeni Couzyn edits an influential anthology of women poets, helping broaden the visibility of contemporary poetry by women.

• 1985

  Bloodaxe publishes Tony Harrison's v.

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  The press publishes Harrison's politically charged book-length poem set in a vandalized Leeds cemetery during the miners' strike.

• 1978

  Bloodaxe Books is founded

  [1]Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org

  Neil Astley establishes Bloodaxe Books in Newcastle upon Tyne as a specialist poetry publisher.

Independent, specialist, internationally minded poetry publisher with a strong emphasis on contemporary voices, anthologies, literary discovery, women poets, public engagement, and innovative print-plus-audio or video formats.

• Poetry books · 1978

  Contemporary poetry collections

  Bloodaxe's core publishing activity is the release of individual collections by contemporary poets. The list spans British and Irish writers, international authors, translated poetry, emerging poets, and writers whose work engages with social, political, cultural, and formal questions. The press has also provided first-book opportunities to poets alongside books by more established authors.

• Anthologies · 1985

  Bloodaxe poetry anthologies

  The anthology program introduces readers to groups of poets, periods, national and linguistic traditions, or particular themes. Examples include Bloodaxe Book of Contemporary Women Poets, The New Poetry, the Bloodaxe Book of 20th Century Poetry from Britain and Ireland, and Staying Alive. These books have served literary, educational, and general-reader purposes.

• Literary criticism · 1993

  Poetry criticism and handbooks

  Bloodaxe publishes essays and practical or introductory works about poetry, including Strong Words: modern poets on modern poetry, The Deregulated Muse, poetry handbooks, poetry introductions, and books associated with the Newcastle/Bloodaxe lecture series. These publications position the press as both a publisher of poems and a source of critical and educational material about poetic practice.

• DVD-books and audio-enhanced books · 2008

  Multimedia poetry books

  The multimedia line combines printed poems with recorded readings, films, or audio discs. In Person: 30 Poets paired an anthology with two DVDs of filmed readings, while later projects featured poets such as John Agard and Samuel Menashe and audio-enhanced editions involving Sarah Arvio, Jackie Kay, Galway Kinnell, and Basil Bunting. The format emphasizes poetry as a performed and heard art.

• Translated poetry

  Bloodaxe Contemporary French Poets

  This series forms part of Bloodaxe's international and translated-poetry publishing, bringing contemporary French poetic writing to English-language readers. It sits alongside the press's wider work with European, American, Irish, Caribbean, South Asian, and other international poets.

• 2001Newcastle/Bloodaxe poetry lectures

  United Kingdom

  Bloodaxe and Newcastle University established a public lecture program in which poets discussed the craft and practice of poetry.

  Outcome. The program continued beyond its first lecture and led to the publication of a series based on ten of the public lectures.

  Source
• 2000Twentieth-century poetry education initiative

  United Kingdom

  Bloodaxe used Millennium Festival and National Lottery funding distributed through Arts Council England to support an initiative designed to increase awareness of twentieth-century poetry.

  Outcome. The initiative supported the publication of Edna Longley's Bloodaxe Book of 20th Century Poetry from Britain and Ireland and Strong Words: modern poets on modern poetry.

  Source
• Reading-group and library outreach

  United Kingdom

  Bloodaxe worked with reading groups in Nottingham and libraries across the West Midlands to introduce contemporary poetry to wider audiences.

  Outcome. The activity formed part of the press's broader effort to connect specialist poetry publishing with community and general-reader audiences.

  Source
• Touring poetry theatre projects

  United Kingdom

  Book Communications produced touring theatre shows using poems from Bloodaxe publications, including Staying Alive, Being Alive, and Changing Lives.

  Outcome. The productions brought live poetry performance to venues across Britain.

  Source

• 2013

  Preservation of the Bloodaxe Books archiveStrategy

  Background

  The press's long publishing history created a substantial archival record associated with its books, editors, and authors.

  Action taken

  Neil Astley deposited the Bloodaxe Books archive at Newcastle University's Robinson Library, Special Collections.

  Aftermath

  The deposit made the company's historical materials available for preservation and research.

  Source

• 2008

  Launch of the In Person poetry DVD-bookProduct launch

  Background

  Bloodaxe marked its thirtieth anniversary while continuing its interest in presenting poetry through recorded performance.

  Action taken

  It published In Person: 30 Poets, combining an anthology with two DVDs of filmed readings.

  Aftermath

  The project extended the press's digital and multimedia publishing program, which later included additional DVD-books and audio-enhanced editions.

  Source

• 1997

  Relocation of editorial and finance operationsStrategy

  Background

  As the press developed beyond its original Newcastle base, it reorganized the location of its operating functions.

  Action taken

  Bloodaxe moved its editorial office to Northumberland and its finance office to Bala, North Wales.

  Aftermath

  The press retained its regional British identity while operating its editorial and financial functions from separate locations.

  Source

1. 1Bloodaxe Booksen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bloodaxe Books official websitebloodaxebooks.com