The Greville Press

The Greville Press is a small, Warwick-based British poetry publishing imprint founded in 1979 by Anthony Astbury, a poetry-loving teacher at a private school in Warwick, and his friend Geoffrey Godbert. The press was launched with a reading at the Purcell Room in September 1979, at which George Barker, William Empson, David Gascoyne, W. S. Graham, John Heath-Stubbs and John Wain all read from their work; the playwright and poet Harold Pinter chaired and compered the evening. Pinter became a central supporter of the press, co-editing two of its anthologies — 100 Poems by 100 Poets and 99 Poems in Translation — formally joining its board in 1987, and privately financing some twenty volumes of poetry as well as paying for launch parties. The press publishes poetry in pamphlet form and has issued work by poets including Edna O'Brien, who has been published three times by the imprint. It remains a small independent poetry publisher, described by O'Brien as 'a ray of hope at a time when poetry is in dudgeon.'

The Greville Press was founded in 1979 by Anthony Astbury, a poetry-loving teacher at a private school in Warwick, and his friend Geoffrey Godbert. The idea grew out of a 1975 poetry reading at the Warwick Gallery, where Astbury invited Harold Pinter to read his own work. The evening was a success, and the two men discovered shared tastes in poetry. When Astbury and Godbert decided to set up a small publishing imprint, Pinter gave it his enthusiastic support. The press was launched with an event at the Purcell Room in September 1979, at which George Barker, William Empson, David Gascoyne, W. S. Graham, John Heath-Stubbs and John Wain all read from their work; Pinter chaired and compered the evening. Over the years Pinter devoted time, energy and money to the Greville Press. He co-edited two anthologies, 100 Poems by 100 Poets and 99 Poems in Translation, formally joined the board in 1987, and privately financed some twenty volumes of poetry, as well as paying for launch parties. The press has published poets including Edna O'Brien, who has been published three times by the imprint. It remains a small, Warwick-based poetry press.

• 1987

  Harold Pinter formally joined the board of the Greville Press.

• 1979

  The Greville Press was launched with a reading at the Purcell Room; George Barker, William Empson, David Gascoyne, W. S. Graham, John Heath-Stubbs and John Wain read, with Pinter chairing.

• 1975

  Anthony Astbury invited Harold Pinter to give a poetry reading at the Warwick Gallery; the two discovered shared tastes in poetry.

Small independent poetry press specialising in pamphlets and anthologies, associated with Harold Pinter.

• 100 Poems by 100 Poets

• 99 Poems in Translation

1. 1www.haroldpinter.org - Greville Pressharoldpinter.org
2. 2The Greville Press - Wikidatawikidata.org