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Blackstaff Press 40th Birthday June 2011
The party for 40th anniversary of Blackstaff Press hosted by The Belfast Book Festival at the Crescent Arts Centre was a great success! Speakers such as Patsy Horton, the Managing Editor of Blackstaff Press, Anna Tannahill, Michael Longley and Geoff Hill took us through the history of Blackstaff from its early beginnings to its position as Northern Ireland’s leading publishing house.
The Wireless Mystery Theatre gave the audience a sneak preview of their performance of W. R. Rogers, The Return Room on Friday and afterwards we all enjoyed an amazing cake made by The Yellow Door!
Here are some pictures of the event:
Here's to the next 40!
Belfast Book Festival
The time of year has come again for Belfast Book Festival! Hosted in various venues around the city, including the newly refurbished Crescent Arts Centre near Queen’s University, the Linen Hall Library in the city centre and The Black Box in the Cathedral Quarter, the Belfast Book Festival is a showcase of the brilliant work by established and upcoming writers.
Blackstaff is involved in a number of events this year, including a discussion on the importance of memoirs and their power within today’s society, a live performance of The Return Room by W. R. Rogers, a theatrical reading from Stephen Douds’ The Belfast Blitz: The People’s Story and of course the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Blackstaff Press.
Sit down with three recent memoirists Tony Macaulay, Tim Brannigan and Malachi O’Doherty looking back through their own lives and reminiscing over childhood memories as they discuss the importance of memoirs.
Crescent Arts Centre, 15th June, 20:00
W. R. Rogers’ The Return Room is going to be performed live for the first by Wireless Mystery Theatre next week. Recreated with sound effects of original radio broadcasting, this is a special performance not to be missed at one of Belfast’s most historic landmarks.
Linen Hall Library, 17th June, 19:30
Described as a “searing, immediate and enthralling account” (The Guardian), The Belfast Blitz: The People’s Story tells the tales of the civilians caught up, and killed, in the bombings of Belfast in 1941. The author, Stephen Douds, will be at the Crescent Arts Centre to introduce and theatrically read the testimonies from his book that was recently published by Blackstaff Press.
Crescent Arts Centre, 15th June, 16:00
Come along for a slice of cake and a glass (or few!) of wine at Blackstaff’s birthday celebrations! With readings from Michael Longley, Patsy Horton, and Geoff Hill, travel with us through the history of Blackstaff Press. There will be a selection of current titles available to purchase on the night.
Crescent Arts Centre, 16th June, 19:30
For more details on the Belfast Book Festival, its upcoming events and how to get tickets, check out www.belfastbookfestival.com
Mike Faulkner and The One Show
We’re all looking forward to seeing Mike on tomorrow night’s One Show – Ben Fogle and a crew visited the island last year, and so it feels like it has been a long wait for the piece to air.
Mike has written a great piece about it all on his blog:
http://thebluecabin.blogspot.com/2011/02/one-show-brian-faulkner-islandmore-and.html#disqus_thread
5 January 2011
Back for 2011 and looking forward to publishing some great books this year. It was also lovely to see lots of our titles featured in Christmas and 2010 round ups. In a piece in the Belfast Telegraph in which local personalities picked their favourite books of 2010, Paul Muldoon chose Hooleygan: Music, Mayhem, Good Vibrations, Donna O’Connor chose Where Are You Really From? and Diane Dodds picked A Time To Speak.
And this weekend Terri Hooley is going to be a guest on Radio 4’s wonderful Loose Ends with Peter Curran. We hear that the other guest will be Mark Thomas and Sandra Bernhard, so it should make a brilliant show. Tune in on Saturday (8 January) at 6.15 p.m.
The Return Room and Arts Extra
Last night's launch of The Return Room at the BBC was a really lovely evening, with brilliant speeches and a great atmosphere. We're hoping to be able to upload the podcast of the event shortly; in the meantime here is the link to last night's Arts Extra programme, featuring W.R. Rodgers's daughter, Lucy, and Douglas Carson, who wrote the introduction to the book.
The Return Room
We're all very much looking forward to this evening's launch of The Return Room by W.R. Rodgers with illustrations by Gerard Dillon. The Return Room was first transmitted as a radio play in December 1955 and was hailed as one of the finest broadcasts ever produced in Ireland. Our limited edition brings the radio script into print for the first time and reproduces the illustrations that Dillon drew to accompany it – many never seen before and most signed by the artist. The book includes a CD of the original recording of the play, featuring Rodgers as narrator and Dillon performing traditional Belfast songs.
The launch is going to feature on Arts Extra, so listen out on Radio Ulster at 6.30.
Geoff and Colin at the NEC
Blackstaff authors Geoff Hill and Colin O'Carroll attended the NEC Motorcycle Show in Birmingham to promote their new book 'Oz: Around Australia on a Triumph' at the weekend. The appearance marked the end of a busy week for them, as their launch took place at the Adelaide offices in Belfast on Wednesday of last week.
Pictured left to right: Colin O'Carroll, Sam Geddis (Director, Adelaide Insurance) Vicki Butler-Henderson (Presenter of Fifth Gear) and Geoff Hill seen on the on the IAM stand at the NEC Motorcycle Show 29th November 2010.
We're back
It has been a long time since we’ve written a blog. But we’re back, and planning to blog much more often. At the moment, we’re looking forward to a few more launch events before Christmas.
Next on the horizon is the launch of Oz: Around Australia on a Triumph by Geoff Hill and Colin O’Carroll. Pretty self-explanatory as titles go: Geoff and Colin, two Triumphs and Highway One make for an unmissable trip (and book).
If you’d like to join us at the launch on 24 November in Belfast, and haven’t already received your invitation, please email us (info@blackstaffpress.com).
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