Poet and artist Juliet Fossey presents poems and artwork inspired by the members of the Franklin Expedition of 1845, lost on their mission to find the Northwest Passage. The collection focuses on the Franklin Relics - the everyday objects left behind by the crew in the frozen landscape.
The 72-page book is beautifully illustrated and is ethically produced and printed in the UK with environmental consideration.
Published by Caldew Press in 2025.
RRP £15.00 (plus postage and packing).
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In Search of the Missing
by Juliet Fossey
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SpeakEasy Magazine
Issue No.5
An anthology of work from poets, writers, artists who share work at the SpeakEasy open mic nights in Carlisle. The collection covers the return of the evenings to The Source, socially distanced gatherings online during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the 20th anniversary celebrations of 2024.
Over 60 contributors present poems, stories, flash fiction, artwork, songs, video links, and tributes to much missed friends and talented poets. The book is 194 pages, includes dozens of colour images, is a celebration of all things SpeakEasy in 'the bumper-est edition so far'.
Includes a foreword by John Hegley.
Published by Caldew Press in 2025.
RRP £12.00 (plus postage and packing).
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They Say I Am A Poet
by Philip Hewitson
The poems in this collection come from the imagination, sometimes they are funny, sometimes poignant, often with tongue in cheek or an attempt to paint with words. These pieces were written between 2016-2018, and seemed to provoke a response, often positive, when read aloud at open mic events. I am reminded of when they were written, sometimes where they were read, wonder what I was trying to say in that moment, and think there might be something in those words after all.
Phil is a writer, poet, illustrator and filmmaker, born and raised in Carlisle. He makes films for Tolivar Productions, hosts SpeakEasy spoken-word open mic, chairs Brampton Poets' meetings and publishes books through Caldew Press.
Published by Caldew Press in 2025.
RRP £5.00 (plus postage and packing).
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A Year in the Cathedral
by David Simmons
David Simmons documents a year in the life of Carlisle Cathedral, distilling each service into haiku, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Several illustrations are included and screenshots from the online services appear with kind permission of The Chapter of Carlisle Cathedral.
The 300-page book also documents his Carlisle in Haiku form project and his reflections on belief, faith and a post-pandemic world.
Published by Caldew Press in 2025.
RRP £15.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Aubade
A reflection on a life well lived
by Geoff Smith
After losing both a partner J. and a son W. within the space of a year, Aubade is a highly personal reflection on the many layers of grief and the pain of loss.
In this intimate collection of prose poems Geoff Smith shares his thoughts on the death of those we love and reflects on the current assisted dying legislation currently being debated by Parliament.
You can find more content at Geoff’s blog: www.myreversingmirror.blogspot.com
Published by Caldew Press in 2025.
RRP £7.50 (plus postage and packing).
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No Borders
A Brampton Poets Anthology
This anthology, Brampton Poets' sixth, is comprised of work with no particular theme but there are parallels between pieces; much of it thought-provoking, sparking images in the mind, conjuring a time or place. 'No Borders' showcases quality poems from the talented poets who share their work, and the work of others, each month with the group at the Brampton Community Centre.
The collection includes pictures and artwork which accompany work by 19 poets across 160 pages.
Cover photograph is of the aurora borealis that occurred over Brampton on the evening of 10th May 2024 by John S. Langley, poet and Brampton Poets group member.
Published by Caldew Press in 2024.
RRP £8.00 (plus postage and packing).
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A Pease Myers Pastoral
by Liz Haynes
'A Pease Myers Pastoral' is a collection of powerful poems that reflect life on a farm in County Durham, that capture the rawness and dark side of farming as well as the beauty of nature, landscape and wildlife. The 72-page book also includes over two dozen colour photographs of the stunning countryside, and is available now.
Praise for the collection has already come from some notable names in contemporary poetry; ”Liz Haynes has written a fierce meditation on the ways a landscape is physically worked and worked into words. This is a gripping debut." - Jacob Polley.
Published by Caldew Press in 2024.
RRP £10.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Robbie and the Agents of
Corliol
by Michael Manley
Robbie discovers the cathedral comes to life at night, he stumbles into a whole new world and gets caught up in adventures with talking mice and a gang of nefarious cats who are set on discovering the power of the starlight ceiling!
The book is aimed at readers aged 6-12, but anyone of any age will enjoy Robbie’s adventures and may recognise many places in and around Carlisle that feature in the story. You can purchase your copy from Carlisle Cathedral gift shop.
Published by Caldew Press in 2024.
Hardback edition RRP £12.99 (plus postage and packing).
Paperback edition RRP £7.99 (plus postage and packing).
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Red Kites and Haiku
Poetry of war and pandemic
by Geoff Smith
Poet and author Geoff Smith shares a number of poems provoked by the invasion of Ukraine beginning in 2022 and work produced during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Geoff is a retired Anglican Priest who is now a writer. He was poet in residence at Carlisle Cathedral. He has also published a poetry anthology The Poem Must be Spoken, a novel Holy Disorder and his new novel The Gorton Gospel will be published in 2024 by Foreshore Publishing.
You can find more content at Geoff’s blog: www.myreversingmirror.blogspot.com
Published by Caldew Press in 2024.
RRP £8.00 (plus postage and packing).
NOW AVAILABLE
77 Days In My Head
A Mental Health Journey
by Citizen F
Citizen F's 2020 Covid-19 lockdown journal '77 Days In My Head' is a diary and social commentary with poems, photos, paranoia, nightmares and conspiracy.
Discover how the experience affected this Cumbrian man and his family living in West Cumbria during very unusual times...
Published by Caldew Press in 2024.
RRP £14.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Back and Forth
Poems by Tony Hendry
'Back and Forth' is not only a fine collection of beautiful poems, but this volume also presents many other works by Tony Hendry collated together for the first time in celebration of a talented writer, much missed by all who knew him.
The collection contains 90 poems over 150 pages, with illustrations by Hunt Emerson, returning to collaborate after the success of Tony's 2019 collection 'Fresh Air'.
Tony Hendry’s magical words continue to live on.
Published by Caldew Press in 2024.
RRP £10.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Beyond Borders
A Brampton Poets Anthology
A collection of 100 poems produced by Brampton Poets inspired by the local landscape and the local people who live on or near Hadrian's Wall. Many pieces were inspired by the Wall.Three.Words project that marked the 1,900th anniversary of Hadrian's Wall in 2022. These poems look at the concept of borders and beyond...
The collection includes over 50 pictures which accompany work by 19 poets across 160 pages.
Cover artwork is by Kat van Hookens, artist, poet and Brampton Poets group member.
Published by Caldew Press in 2023.
RRP £7.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Peace for Ukraine, Now!
By Dr Richard Cook
Dr Richard Cook shares poems written since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including a number of pieces provoked by the conflict.
Richard shares 54 poems in his often quirky style which cover a variety of subjects from musings on everyday life, pondering collective nouns, and trying to answer mysteries of the universe.
Proceeds from sales will go to charities supporting Ukraine.
Published by Caldew Press in 2023.
RRP £8.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Living is easy with eyes closed
art and environmental crisis
By Fliss Watts
An essay on art, economics and environmental crisis, originally developed in a series of art exhibitions in Cumbria.
Fliss Watts examines the biggest crisis facing the world today and, using her artwork, explores how art can and perhaps should engage with the issue. She questions the separation of the human from nature, discusses the idea of unending economic growth, and asks if we can imagine alternatives to the environmental crisis into which we appear to have sleepwalked.
Published by Caldew Press in 2022.
Price £6.50 (plus postage and packing).
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Dance for those who'd rather not / What's it like for you?
By Crysse Morrison & Hazel Stewart
Crysse Morrison and Hazel Stewart share their musings as Live and Lippy.
Crysse is the older one who brags about being a crone and writes snippy stuff mostly meant to be witty while Hazel is the dreamy lyricist.
They share a passion for exploring the limit of words to connect with experience and a love of liquorice. Actually no, not liquorice, liquor. And Lorca, of course.
Hazel is happy to take ‘dreamy lyricist’ but she’d like to be more of an ageing psychedelic Tinkerbell, with Iggy Pop as her inner critic. But whatever else, she’s a practitioner of word magic and a fan of Celtic mysticism.
Together they are definitely alive, and certainly lippy.
This publication combines two collections in one, Dance for those who'd rather not / What's it like for you?, and features artwork by Mel Day.
Published by Caldew Press in 2022.
Price £7.50 (plus postage and packing).
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Into The Wild
By Nick Robinson
This poetry collection is inspired by the glory of nature from many forays into wild locations. Nick Robinson has captured many bewildering concepts focusing largely on the Lake District
and surrounding area, including: the idea of the sublime, fauna in nature and human perception of the wild.
Through a series of gently crafted poems, and illustrations,
Nick shares his personal affection for the landscape of
Northern England in a collection also dedicated to a wonderful and much missed mother.
Published by Caldew Press in 2022.
Price £5.00 (plus postage and packing).
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SpeakEasy Magazine Freiraum: Phase 2
A collection of stories, ideas and dreams in poetry, prose, songs, art, photos, film and life – following on from the Goethe-Insitut's Freiraum project in 2018 in which SpeakEasy explored the themes of Isolation, Over-coming Isolation, and Freedom. Phase 2 revisits these themes and also examines Art and Creativity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of the pieces in this book were incorporated into the SpeakEasy meets Freiraum film which premiered on YouTube on 31st October 2020.
Published by Caldew Press in 2022.
Price £10.00 (plus postage and packing).
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A Scarcity of Biscuit
By John Hegley
John Hegley weaves a colourful collection of musings, drawings and dialogues around the poems, letters and loved ones of John Keats. If you are a lover of Keats’ poetry, or are newer to the poet and want to explore his work, this collection allows the reader to share in the author's enthusiasm and passion for one of Britain's best loved literary figures.
John Hegley was born in Islington, North London, in 1953 and currently lives in the neighbouring borough of Hackney. He was educated at schools in Luton and Bristol before studying Sociology/European Literature and the History of Ideas at the University of Bradford. His livelihood has mainly been made by creating and performing content for workshops, festivals and theatre and radio. This has consisted of songs, poems, drawings, and other activities, including French baroque dance.
He was the Keats House poet in residence in 2012.
Published by Caldew Press in 2021.
Price £8.00 (plus postage and packing).
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GRID: An outside inside journey through Cumbria
By Mark Griffiths
GRID is a collection of site-specific poems, songs, prose and images concerning Cumbria and the Lake District. It is the artist’s meditations on his life-long relationship with this part of North-West England, and it offers a thoughtful companion for all who feel a strong sense of place and fraternity with the landscape.
Mark Griffiths is an artist, writer and musician living and working in the Eden Valley, Cumbria. He has performed his work extensively, sometimes under the pseudonym of Fernando Smith, and his work has appeared in collections, journals and pamphlets across the UK. His first collection of poetry Welcome to the Golden Life was published in 2010.
For over 35 years he has worked with children and families experiencing difficulty and trauma, often by making use of the arts and the outdoors.
Published by Caldew Press in 2021.
Price £8.00 (plus postage and packing).
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Lockdown Town
By Philip Hewitson
A collection of funny and angry poems written during, and as a response to, the COVID-19 pandemic. Various topics come under scrutiny including; the handling of the crisis by the UK Government; the slightly strange and often surreal experience of living in lockdowns; other news and events during these unusual times; and the hopes that a vaccine might lead us tentatively towards a return to ‘normal’.
Phil is a writer, poet, illustrator and filmmaker, born and raised in Carlisle. He makes films for Tolivar Productions, organises Film Fling festivals, hosts SpeakEasy spoken-word open mic night and publishes books through Caldew Press.
Published by Caldew Press in 2021.
Price £5.00 (plus postage and packing).
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An anthology from Carlisle Writers' Group, showcasing poetry, fiction and memoir writing. The group continues to successfully encourage new writing in Carlisle.
Write Up Our Street! takes you on a journey, from their street to fairyland, through your imagination, under water and across the sea, over the fields and far away, to the confines of a garden. Travel with them via poetry, short story and memoir.
"Each poem, each story stands up on its own... Enjoy."
- M. W. Craven
NOW AVAILABLE
Carlisle in Haiku Form: First Impressions
By David Simmons
Poet, David Simmons, shares his affection for the Great Border City, and the surrounding area, in 'Carlisle in Haiku Form'. Seventeen illustrations accompany over a hundred handcrafted haiku which make up the collection providing a unique take on the city and its history. From Roman cricketers and Cracker Packers to Olympic hopefuls and Lady Gaga, there's a bespoke Carlisle haiku connection!
Published by Caldew Press in 2021.
Price £8.00 (plus postage and packing).
To order your copy contact Carlisle in Haiku Form on Facebook
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From diagnosis, through treatment to remission, poet Martyn Halsall shares reflections on life with cancer. In dialogue with religious faith, and reactions to medical care, these are set against the backdrop of Cumbria, and the Scottish islands.
Published by Caldew Press in 2020.
The latest anthology from Carlisle SpeakEasy. featuring Cumbrian poets, writers, artists, film makers and designers.
First Published in 2020
An anthology of words and images collated from many of the regular contributors to the SpeakEasy open mic nights.
"SpeakEasy continues to attract all ages and stages of writers, performers, observers, and we hope we reflect the richness of their experience in this cut."
This issue was edited by Jean Hill and James Scott Riddick and the pieces are woven together through a narrative arc and reflect on the time SpeakEasy had been hosted by Becca Roberts at Foxes Cafe Lounge in Carlisle.
This edition also feature QR codes and online links to films of the first and last SpeakEasys held at the cafe.
R.R.P £10.00
Posted on April 25, 2019 by darkhorsepicture
As you will already know from these pages, Annie Foster’s pamphlet Solway Songs will be published by Caldew Press and launched at the Poetry Symposium on May 18th. Below is an interview with Susan and Phil, the editors at Caldew Press – as it is very much our local small press, you will want to know more about them and what they do. You can come along and meet them at the Poetry Symposium, too.
What made you take up the reins of Caldew Press?
Susan: The reins were left sadly flapping. The ‘Freiraum’ event needed a publication to accompany it and I took on the task. The impetus to continue the publication of the Speakeasy anthology which had been started was the next task and as I had experience of the process I assisted with that. I like collating the work of the talented people I’m lucky to know and am keen to continue Nick’s work in providing a platform for emerging writers alongside more established writers.
Annie Foster reads from 'Solway Songs'
Phil: Nick Pemberton and I were working on the ‘Freiraum’ project in collaboration with Goethe Institut, AWAZ Cumbria and many others in the arts scene in Carlisle and the surrounding area. Nick had agreed to put on a special SpeakEasy event to showcase the work produced around the themes of ‘Isolation’, ‘Overcoming Isolation’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘European Identity’. Nick sadly passed away in September 2018 before the project was finished and as I had been documenting the progress of the project, and discussing things with him, I found myself inheriting the delivery of the SpeakEasy event. This included a publication of work produced by local writers, musicians and artists...
