Emerging poets will have the chance to be published alongside established writers while gaining invaluable experience of the publishing industry when the University of Huddersfield's Grist imprint returns.
Grist has been publishing poetry and prose from new and established writers since 2009, and its return after a two-year hiatus has been boosted by an award of £15,000 from the Arts Council England.
A new anthology, with the working title 'We're all in it together: poems for a divided kingdom', is in the planning stages for release in 2022 with students from the University involved both in its content and in its publication.
'We want bold, beautiful, surprising writing'
Dr Michael Stewart, Reader and Course Leader in Creative Writing, says the new anthology will reflect a Britain through the prism of fault lines that have widened following Brexit and the country's altered relationship with the rest of the world.
"What we want is the bold, the beautiful, the experimental," says Dr Stewart. "Poems that surprise us, shock us, amuse us and amaze us.
"We want anger, passion and craft. We want poems that dazzle and provoke. What we don't want is objectivity, balance and mediocrity."
New writers will see their work sit alongside well-known names, with previous Grist anthologies having included contributions from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, Ian McMillan and Lemn Sissay.
Discover more about creative writing at the University of Huddersfield
"We have a new vision to develop the Grist imprint, which has been sat dormant for two years. We want to be a strong and diverse literary platform, and an international showcase of the best writing anywhere in English," says Dr Stewart
"Alongside the anthologies of poetry and prose, we will showcase the best writing on a new website and on social media. We'll develop opportunities to showcase new work through regular performances, so we'll have monthly open mic nights in Huddersfield and develop new voices in workshops."
Students will get to grips with the publishing industry
A vital part of Grist's revival will be the involvement of undergraduate and postgraduate students from Huddersfield in the whole process of releasing Grist's work to the world.
"Grist's earlier incarnation gave students kudos, gravitas and legitimacy to help them get a foot in the door in the industry," adds Dr Stewart, the author of 'Walking the Invisible', a tour of the places linked to the Bronte family that was published earlier in 2021.
"We'll be a publishing house, led by staff run alongside a team of students. It will give the students the chance to be published, while also gaining experience of the publishing industry itself. If anyone wants to look at marketing, editing or PR then we can do that within the team. We will offer work placements within the team fit around a dozen students, so it becomes a hothouse of creativity and industry."
Grist will also develop partnerships with local literary festivals in Huddersfield, Bradford and Ilkley as well as Sheffield's 'Off the Shelf' event. Grist will work in collaboration with the newly constituted Yorkshire Film and Television School on new poetry-based film commissions.
