12 or 20 (small press) questions with Aaron Kent on Broken Sleep Books

Broken Sleep Books are dedicated to works that transcend the page, and are more than just poets writing poetry. We believe the greatest pieces of writing exist outside of expectation, and are written with more than the act of writing in mind. 

We are particularly devoted to minimalist cover designs (such as the wonderful books by presses like Little Island), and wish to encourage more working-class writers to submit.

Our interest lie in the works of J H Prynne, Haruki Murakami, Anne Carson, Ocean Vuong, and Kim Addonizio.

Aaron Kent is a poet from Cornwall, UK. He has had books published with zimZalla, Hesterglock, and Dostoyevsky Wannabe, and has books lined up with Guillemot, and Knives Forks and Spoons. He tweets from @GodzillaKent and is particularly fond of the works of Haruki Murakami and J H Prynne

1 – When did Broken Sleep Books first start? How have your original goals as a publisher shifted since you started, if at all? And what have you learned through the process?

I came up with Broken Sleep last year, and started a website but kept it private. The name related to three things: JH Prynne’s poem Smaller than the Radius of the Planet, my lifelong battle with insomnia, and the birth of my daughter Rue – and the disruption that brought to the sleep of my wife and myself.

Initially the plan was to release pamphlets in cassette cases, and full collections in VHS cases – which we did with the first edition of Chris Kerr’s Citidyll – however that became too costly, too time-consuming, left us with too much plastic waste (which we oppose) and meant we couldn’t take on many poets at all. So we shifted to a print-on-demand model, allowing us to publish more of the work we love.

2 – What first brought you to publishing?

I first began publishing in 2014/2015 with I Came Here Looking For A Fight – I wanted to publish books in a different way so made books with holes cut through them (so the poems relied on the words seen on the pages below), and gave out free poetry voucher booklets (vouchers with poems on them for certain situations). Then I found two manuscripts I love from Zach Jackson and Jodie Matthews and published them. I folded the press a year or so later after doing a couple of digital magazines, I was training to be a teacher and didn’t have the time to commit any longer.

3 – What do you consider the role and responsibilities, if any, of small publishing?

Support other presses, support other writers, and support the poetic world. I would love the poets I publish to go on and make names for themselves at bigger presses, with a biggert reach, or to release with other amazing indie presses. I just want their work to be read – because that’s what it deserves, and that’s why I publish.

4 – What do you see your press doing that no one else is?

We don’t have a set vision or genre of poetry that we exclusively want to publish – all we want is to take on work that we like, whether it needs editorial work to become a stronger piece, or whether it is fully-fledged and ready to go.

5 – What do you see as the most effective way to get new books out into the world?

I like the print-on-demand model a lot, it is both environmentally sustainable, means no pulp or extra-costs for books that may not sell, and you only print what is ordered. This also frees publishers up to focus on the editorial and promotion side – knowing that ordering etc is dealt with.

6 – How involved an editor are you? Do you dig deep into line edits, or do you prefer more of a light touch?

It depends on the book – I am keen to offer feedback, as is my assistant editor Charlie Baylis (who I think is one of the best editors in the poetry game), but  I don’t want to do it for the sake of it. Some poems may have a few suggestions, others none at all – one thing we are constantly aware of is ensuring the books are tight, and don’t have poems that feel they exist just to fill space – I’d rather have twenty great poems, than 50 average ones. 

7 – How do your books get distributed? What are your usual print runs?

We are print-on-demand, so no exclusivity on runs etc. We distribute through Amazon, but we get a little more profit if people go through our website.

8 – How many other people are involved with editing or production? Do you work with other editors, and if so, how effective do you find it? What are the benefits, drawbacks?

It is just Charlie and myself. I do typesetting, editing, promotion, website, social media, submissions (but I usually get Charlie’s advice on this), proofs, release. Charlie almost exclusively does editing, I don’t know if he’d want to get involved with the other side of things but I do know he loves poetry and loves the editorial work.

9– How has being an editor/publisher changed the way you think about your own writing?

I’m more aware of unnecessary phrases, words, or even whole stanzas. I also find that the best way to improve is to read lots, and I get to read a lot through this side of work.

10– How do you approach the idea of publishing your own writing? Some, such as Gary Geddes when he still ran Cormorant, refused such, yet various Coach House Press’ editors had titles during their tenures as editors for the press, including Victor Coleman and bpNichol. What do you think of the arguments for or against, or do you see the whole question as irrelevant?

I’d like to publish one work by myself and one by Charlie, but that’d be it. We’re releasing my pamphlet Angels the Size of Houses in October, and Charlie is doing all the editorial work on that and I’ll do the same for his Drag City in November – I’m fine with editors releasing their own work, but excessively doing so taints the whole press. Maybe stick to one every 5-10 years.

11– How do you see Broken Sleep Books evolving?

I’d like to get our authors award nominated, and to get reviews in journals/magazines etc. I’d also like to eventually do reading events, even if it is only once a year from a selection of our authors that year – we do an anthology of five poems from each release per year, so it’d be great to launch that with the poets.

12– What, as a publisher, are you most proud of accomplishing? What do you think people have overlooked about your publications? What is your biggest frustration?

Starting a publishing press from scratch by myself is one hell of an accomplishment and makes me so very proud. Also, the two books we have released so far are fantastic and make me proud to have given Chris Kerr and sally burnette’s poetry to the world. No major frustrations, I feel the world needs more community via presses and less rivalry though.

13– Who were your early publishing models when starting out?

I love the work Tom Chivers has done with Penned in the Margins, also Little Island Press and Guillemot are wonderful presses.

14– How does Broken Sleep Books work to engage with your immediate literary community, and community at large? What journals or presses do you see Broken Sleep Books in dialogue with? How important do you see those dialogues, those conversations?

We haven’t really done so as of yet – we have only released two books, though our schedule is loaded up until June 2019. I’d like to look at options regarding dialogue with other presses, and see how we can all support one another.

15– Do you hold regular or occasional readings or launches? How important do you see public readings and other events?

Our authors are so global that we can’t really do readings once every two weeks – but we welcome them setting up their own which we will of course promote and advertise. As I said earlier I would love to do a once a year anthology reading – I think readings are very important, I just don’t do them myself.

16– How do you utilize the internet, if at all, to further your goals?

We rely on the internet for a lot: social media, promotion, uploading to print-on-demand, we use InDesign and Photoshop, our website, our Amazon affiliate links.

17– Do you take submissions? If so, what aren’t you looking for?

We do, but we probably publish more from poets we go directly to than submissions. For example I’d read Brian Ng’s work and absolutely loved it, so got in touch after I started the press to ask if he had anything published, he hadn’t had a book published so I suggested we put one together. I’m very excited about his work.

We don’t really go for rhyming poetry – and it’s an instant turn off if all of your work is centre-justified, also no instagram poetry.

18– Tell me about three of your most recent titles, and why they’re special.

We’ve had two released so far:

Chris Kerr’s Citidyll which I did some editorial advice on before I started Broken Sleep. I kept thinking about it over the months after and I knew I had to get it out into the world, it is such a clever, razor-sharp, unique work that I just had to publish it.

sally burnette’s laughing plastic was a rare submission we took on, I read it and instantly sent it to Charlie who also loved it. The clever interplay between identity, queerness, and Barbie/Ken dolls was incredible and necessary. I had to publish it.

Sarah Cave’s An Arbitrary Line is out on 30^th November and I truly believe Sarah is one of the most interesting and brilliant poets in the modern era. She will go on to great things and this is just the start of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if her name is at the forefront of poetry for years to come.

12 or 20 (small press) questions;

12 or 20 (second series) questions with Nisha Bhakoo

Nisha Bhakoo’s writing has been published in numerous literary magazines, and her poetry has been included in anthologies by The Emma Press and Mud Press. In 2015, she was shortlisted for Cambridge University’s Jane Martin Poetry Prize, and was awarded 3^rd Prize in the Ledbury Festival Poetry Competition. She has showcased a selection of her poems at BAFTA, and had a two-week exhibition of her writing and poetry films at Rich Mix, London. She was also selected for GlogauAIR Artist Residency in Berlin in 2015. Her debut poetry collection, You found a beating heart, was published by The Onslaught Press in 2016.

1 - How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?

Relief! A lot of the poems in You found a beating heart were written when I was in a pretty dark place, and although the process of writing them was very therapeutic, I felt a huge sense of relief when the book was published. I felt like I could start a fresh. I definitely see a change in the poems I’m writing now – they are less raw and more controlled, although they still have the same dreamy, uncanny and gothic qualities to them.

2 - How did you come to poetry first, as opposed to, say, fiction or non-fiction?

I have always scribbled down my thoughts, feelings or just strange phrases on paper since I was a teenager. I was obsessed with song lyrics when I was younger, not just the music, the lyrics were of equal importance to me. It was at around 15 that I started to look for poetry outside of the classroom.

3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?

I can write poems very quickly. Some poems come to me in a matter of minutes, and I rarely change poems after a few days of writing the first draft. I feel like I should stay loyal to the particular headspace I was in when I wrote the poem. Even though they come quickly, the process of putting together a collection is quite slow. It takes time to put together a manuscript of poems that you want to publish. A lot of poems get discarded along the way.

Also, I am writing a novel now and even though I finished the first draft very quickly, I know the whole publishing process is going to be painfully slow. Many people don’t realize the length of time it takes to edit a piece, find an agent, edit again, then a publisher, then start the whole editing process once again. It can take years and years until the book is finally published.

4 - Where does a poem usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?

I am always working towards a book, but I am aware that not every poem I write will end up being in the final manuscript. I think it’s important not to force things, the more you force, the harder it gets.

5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?

My work is very personal and quite exposing but I try to agree to every reading I am offered because I think it’s an important thing to do, and even more so because it takes me out of my comfort zone. I also find that poems are so much more powerful when read by the poet, just the act of reading a poem out loud can change the tone or meaning of the poem. 

6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?

I don’t think I’m trying to find answers in my poems, it’s more that I’m trying to work through certain feelings or processes, for example, grief. Nearly all of my poems are based on my own personal experiences. I am very opinionated but I don’t have to write poems that are centred on these opinions. I think you can ruin a poem if you come to it with a carefully plotted agenda, it can take all the humanness out of it.

I think that when you write a poem, your beliefs and values creep into them naturally. For example, I don’t set out to write feminist poems, but because I am a feminist, feminist values are going to be present in my work, even if it’s in a subtle way. You don’t have to hit people over their head with your politics, and just because you come from a minority group, it doesn’t mean that all your poems should be about one particular aspect of your identity. It’s very reductionist, and a bit offensive when people suggest that. The person you are will come through in your work, even if you are writing a poem about a flower!

7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Does s/he even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?

I think the writer’s job is to write honestly about life, even if you are writing fantasy, you can still bring real emotion or atmosphere to it. Writers should expose the parts of themselves that are often kept hidden, because if a poet is dishonest and submits to the status quo, what hope do we have? Of course not everybody is going to like your work, and of course you will upset people, but that’s all part of being a writer, you have to be rebellious.

8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?

I’m really interested in receiving constructive feedback. I have an on-going poetry exchange with another poet, and her feedback has improved my work considerably. I don’t think an outside editor is essential, but it is advisable.

9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?

There is no writer’s lifestyle. Don’t wait to be told what to do, just write!

10 - How easy has it been for you to move between genres (poetry on the page to poetry films)? What do you see as the appeal?

The challenge of finding visuals for my poems is so exciting! Making poetry films and working as a director has been quite an experience, although it’s not always easy. Once I’m set on an idea, I know exactly what I want, and am very focused on bringing it to fruition, however films don’t ever turn out entirely how you expect them to, but in my experience, this hasn’t ever been a bad thing. I am interested in literature, visual art and film, so it made sense to combine these interests.

11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?

As with most writers, there is no such thing as a typical day. I squeeze in as much writing as I can whenever I have a spare few hours. I have commitments outside of writing because I have to pay rent! But writing will always remain my priority, even if it means sacrificing a comfortable life.

12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?

I am lucky because I haven’t ever experienced writer’s block. I seem to have the opposite problem. I have hundreds of ideas at any one time, and take on multiple projects. I am getting way better at saying “no” though.

13 - What fragrance reminds you of home?

There are multiple places that I consider to be home, so this is an impossible question to answer, I’m afraid!

14 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?

All of the above. My poems come from everything that surrounds me. A lot of my poems are closely connected to nature. I have a whole section of water poems in my debut collection You found a beating heart.

15 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?

I read quite diversely, and listen to book podcasts and youtube reviews regularly. I like to expose myself to lots of different types of writing, because I think it’s important to know what else is out there. I think the poet that has had the most impact on my work is Thom Gunn. I wrote my MA thesis on his work.

16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?

I would like to complete my novel. I’m taking a break at the moment to concentrate on other projects.

17 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?

Definitely something related to the arts, perhaps a painter.

18 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?

It’s something I have to do, it’s a coping mechanism for me, and it’s the only activity I can fully lose myself in. It wasn’t really a choice.

19 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?

I am enjoying reading Dream Story by Arthur Schnitzler at the moment – this was the book Kubrick’s film Eyes Wide Shut was based on. I would choose Perdues dans NewYork for the last film I really enjoyed. It’s a strange, poetic film, which is quite similar to a lot of my work thematically.

20 - What are you currently working on?

I want to return to academia soon to do a PhD related to poetry and film, so I am just considering my options at the moment. I am also really excited about finishing my novel.

12or 20 (second series) questions;