Saturday 22 January 2011

Poetry Monthly scuppered

After running the ship on the reserve tank for some time Martin Holryod has finally pulled the plug. Poetry Monthly and Poetry Monthly Press are to close forthwith. The last edition, a PDF file, is online.

Martin Holroyd was captain, first mate and bottle washer and provided myself and others with a forum and some much needed encouragement over the years. I chose Martin to be my publisher because I knew I could depend on him to navigate me through my first book and together we won 1st prize in the 2008 Purple Patch Small Press Awards for Best Individual Collection.

Several well-known poets, household names such as Geoff Stevens, were also to be found publishing their work at Poetry Monthly.

I suspect that what finally knocked the wind out of Martin Holroyd's bardic sail was not any of the reasons he has put forward in his last editorial. Martin you are made of sterner stuff! But it is I think something more personal.

The death in July 2009 of Dylan Thomas's daughter, Aeronwy Thomas, also a Poetry Monthly Press poet, and a co-organiser of the Laugharne Festival was a blow. She was more than a contributor for Martin Holroyd. She was a personal friend too. I think Martin never really recovered the enthusiasm for 'the job' that he lost at that time.

Good luck Martin with whatever you turn your hand to next!

2 comments:

  1. Yes, Gwilym, it is indeed a shame! Poetry Monthly was the home of many a poet on their first steps into the published world.

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  2. Yes, Martin has been a good servant to grass roots poetry for many years.

    I wonder if anybody will ever resurrect the printed version?
    Maybe a monthly journal is too much to take on as a one man production? I suppose monthly postage and printing costs are also prohibitive these days.

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