To all friends and supporters, Away Publications is changing. The micro press I established ten years ago featured my quartet of Holine travel books. These were a passionate rather than a commercial statement, and received critical acclaim from the fringe reviewers. The books made me many friends, and yet I felt there was something missing in their production. I wanted the books to be more talismanic, visually charming and quirky. Something which would be a pleasure to touch and to keep. Something more individual, without being too arty and exclusive—and expensive! I wanted to combine the old and the new technologies. I went to many courses last winter on hand-made books and sought out personal mentors, such as the artist Sean Borodale. I had great fun learning to cut papers, fold them with the grain, use kettle stitches to bind them into signatures. So these are my latest offerings—hybrid books combining hand-made features, such as block-printed covers, mould-made papers, with the flexibility of digital-Tec printing.

Find out more about the Clattinger and Concertina books here >>

This is based on the week-long residential course I co-led with the writer John Moat at the Arvon Foundation in 2007. It’s a base camp for all writers, beginners and experienced. I have been keeping intimate journals for 35 years. All my work starts here. The course is about learning to relax with writing, as we do to learn swimming. About trusting our distinctive voice, with its own history, speech rhythms and recall. By listening better we can access our deeper responses, our writing nature. Here is the source material for other literary forms. This course can be adapted for a half day/day/ or longer. A special emphasis is on reclaiming the ordinary things that we pass by in nature, in ourselves. With tutorials and readings.

email: peteralfredplease@hotmail.com

I will be travelling in France, Italy, the Mediterranean and Turkish coastline in spring/early summer (2009), with my companion Kirsten Bolwig. We are keen to trade informal performance/readings/stories (in English!) for food and accommodation, in your own home, with friends. The emphasis is on enjoyment and dialogue.

More travel details from: peteralfredplease@hotmail.com