Gifts from the past

 

The late Subhankar Das was a generous soul, and in the good old days when the South African Post Office still worked we would send books to each other. These are two much-treasured books that he sent to me.

Travelling the stark electric space ...

The book that brought Subhankar Das and I together - the stark electric space: an international anthology of indie writers, published by Graffiti Kolkata.

Two of my collections published by Subhankar Das' Graffiti Kolkata

 

Two of my poetry collections published by Subhankar Das of Graffiti Kolkata, India. Sky dreaming was published in 2011 (cover design by Jenny Kellerman Pillay) and Somewhere else in 2024 (cover art and design by Paul Warren). It was an honour to be published by Subhankar. RIP my friend. 

Hambe kahle Subhankar Das

I am devastated by the news that Kolkata poet, publisher and friend Subhankar Das has passed. He was 61. He was rushed to hospital on Sunday night with a heart attack and passed on today, 22 May 2024.

He recently published my new collection of poems, Somewhere else, and had also published my collection Sky Dreaming in 2011. He has also published poems of mine in various journals and used my artwork on covers of his poetry journal Graffiti.

The above photo shows a joyous Subhankar holding an original artwork by Pascal Ulrich, in January 2023. Photo courtesy of Robert Roman.

In human form

 

Alan Finlay to read at The Red Wheelbarrow

Dye Hard Press poet Alan Finlay will read from new poems at The Red Wheelbarrow this evening. Dye Hard Press has published the following collections by Alan Finlay: Burning Aloes, The Red Laughter of Guns in Green Summer Rain (with Philip Zhuwao), pushing from the riverbank and The cactus of a bright sky.

 

Who was Sinclair Beiles? heads to Poland

For anyone who will be at the European Beat Studies Network conference in Poland next week, just to let you know that Eva Kowalska, the co-editor of Who was Sinclair Beiles?, will be there and will have some hard copies of the revised and expanded 2014 edition for sale.

A Christmas card from Gus Ferguson in 1997

 

A Christmas card from the late Gus Ferguson, in 1997. Ferguson was a renouned South African poet, cartoonist and publisher.

Invite to the launch of When Apollinaire Died in 1996

 

The invite to the launch of When Apollinaire Died by Gary Cummiskey and Unmitigating Circumstances by Marc Glaser, both published by Firfield Press, at Walter Saunders' bookstore Hooked on Books, in Rosebank, Johannesburg. Firfield Press was run by the late Gus Ferguson - poet, cartoonist, publisher.

That's Somewhere else!

 

My latest poetry collection Somewhere else, together with other titles by Graffity Kolkata. Thank you to my published Subhankar Das and British artist Paul Warren for cover art and design.

Green Dragon 4

 

On a day of reminiscing, I was just thinking about Green Dragon, which was a journal of poetry and prose published by Dye Hard Press that ran to six issues, from 2002 until about 2010.

Green Dragon #4 had 90 pages, which contained poetry by Gakwi (Goodenough) Mashego, Michelle McGrane, Colleen Higgs, Philip Hammial, Allan Kolski Horwitz, Mxolisi Nyezwa, Amanda van Rooyen, Liesl Jobson, Les Merton, Mkhosazana Xaba, Kobus Moolman, Aryan Kaganof, Joop Bersee, Haidee Kruger, Gus Ferguson, Bernat Kruger, Tania van Schalkwyk, Alan Finlay and Richard Fox, as well as prose by Allan Kolski Horwitz, Arja Salafranca, Haidee Kruger, Silke Heiss and Gary Cummiskey.

The cover design was by Arja Salafranca.

Dye Hard Press celebrates 30 years of publishing anti-bestsellers!

Wow, I have just realised that Dye Hard Press is 30 years old this month! That's 30 years of publishing anti-bestsellers! While it would not be an overstatement to say that Dye Hard Press is on life support, we are stilll around!

Thank you to all those who have supported us throughout the years.

Below are two of our most successful titles:

Somewhere else for sale in South Africa

Copies of my latest poetry collection, Somewhere else, published by Graffiti Kolkata (India), are for sale in South Africa.

The collection consists of 26 poems.

The cost is R180, including courier to your door.

Email cummiskeyg@gmail.com to order.

Regret South Africa only (our post office is still in business rescue and I don't see it recovering).