Indie Literary Market (Toronto) & the bpNichol Chapbook Award

This past Saturday, I attended and exhibited at the Meet the Presses Indie Literary Market. The picture above is of Michael Sikkema's book THE SKY THE which I published through my serif of nottingham editions. If you'd like a copy, write me here or at my email address and it can be yours for the low low price of $5.00.



It was a great day. Lots of interesting writing and publishing, and much sense of friendship and community, and many engaging discussions and catch-ups. I met people I'd only corresponded with or whose work that I'd read. For example, Ron Silliman was in town and it was a pleasure to meet him and to give him NF Huth's great little chapbook 3 Words which I published last year. And jeez, to think that I've been attending and exhibiting at this market in some incarnation or another for the last 30 years! I'm very pleased to be part of the organizing collection.

And this year, our collective took over administering the bpNichol Chapbook Award. It was awarded to Mimic by Adrienne Gruber (Lanzville, BC: Leaf Press.) An anonymous donor was kind enough to contribute the $2,000 prize to the writer. And the great Jim Smith (read his latest book, listed below--it's amazing! a revelation! a virtuoso whirlwind of invention, incision, and fun! Really!) contributed $250 which goes to the publisher of the winning book. I was honoured to be able to design to logo and certificate for the award. Honoured because I so greatly value the small press, chapbooks, this market, and the contribution and inspiration of bp, and the efforts, energy, commitment, and enthusiasm of my fellow members of this collective.

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Here are the books that I picked up at the market--most of them purchased, some traded for, some kindly given to me by their publishers.

Sunnysideout Press (Buffalo)
Settlement by Micah Ling
State Sonnets by BJ Best

Leaf Press (BC)
Mimic by Adrienne Gruber

aboveground (Ottawa)
Opening the Dictionary by Hugh Thomas

Peaches & Bats 7 (Winter 2011) (Portland, Oregon)
Lines on Canvas by Sam Lohmann (c_L 2011, Portland)
Commonly by David Abel (airfoil, Portland)
porous, nomadic (airfoil, Portland)

Ferno House (Toronto)
Demons by Matt Laporte
Skullambient by Liz Howard

Laurel Reed Books (Mount Pleasant, ON)
Shortcuts by Kemeny Babineau
Pretty in Pink by Kemeny Babineau
After Progress by Kemeny Babineau
The Further Adventures of Hairy Tragus and the Ork Drow by Kemeny Babineau
The New Chief Tongue #10 (Kemeny Babineau, ed.)
Chortling American Show Goo by Daniel f. Bradley

Proper Tales Press (Toronto)
Rich and Dead as Dogs by Tom Walmsley
The Continous Present by Nelson Ball

Mansfield Press (Toronto)
Happy Birthday, Nicanor Parra by Jim Smith

Puddles of Sky Press (Kingston)
cemantics by Michael e. Casteels
Untitled (for Billy Mavreas) by derek beaulieu
Of the Body by Amanda Earl

David Peter Clark, feathereDinosaurs (shuffaloff/Eternal Network)

Rampike Vol. 21 No. 2, ed. Karl Jirgens
Rampike Vol. 18/2, ed. Karl Jirgens

Emergency Response Unit (Toronto)
Coordinating Geometry by Julie Cameron Gray
Actual Girl by Nicholas Lea
Don’t Break the Mailman by Dion McGregor
Thoughts While Walking Home by Linh Dinh

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And now, I repair to my chaise lounge to begin the long read of all these marvels.