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Two American poets and Desmond Trew. One Beat School, a John Dorsey. One of Punk Spirit, defo anti-Trump, a Damian Rucci. They join forces with the poets of “Write Brockley” for a joyous literary night of poetry readings at Crofton Books Bookshop. We will also be joined by Desmond Trew, of the "Oval 4", who was arrested or "set up" by a police detective in 1972. He has this year cleared his name and he is giving a true account of the arrest in the bookhop. See The Guardian article "It Shattered Me". We also celebrate the writings of Desmond Trew, for Black History Month 2019.
Starts 7.45pm
£2 optional entrance fee.
Wine and refreshments available.
Jason and Tom are "in house" poets.
John Dorsey states that he *is* of the the Beat School with an Anti-Trump sensibility. His work has been greatly influenced by S.A. Griffin, Co-Editor of the Outlaw Bible of American Poetry, the late Todd Moore, Co-Founder of the American Outlaw Poetry Movement, and the late New Orleans poet Everette Maddox.
He is currently signed to London's Tangerine Press and is the author of "Being the Fire".
Damian Rucci is of "true punk" spirit, and has four chapbooks in the American Small Press, including his most recent, Don't Call it a Relapse.
See our website for poet info
*with thanks to Sandy Ford for designing the poster
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We are very happy to provide a postage service for bookshop purchases
“Crofton Books - discover this hidden gem of a secondhand bookshop..
A new chapter for our Discover feature as Emily Hennings looks at a different type of place to visit - but one that's still a hidden gem you should check out.
This week's thriller is all about Crofton Books, a secondhand bookshop situated in Crofton Park library and right next to the station.
Located in the heart of SE London, it's a much-loved hub for locals but also pulls in visitors from further afield.
We spoke to owner Jason Shelley, so if you're sitting comfortably we'll begin the story ...
What makes the bookshop special?
It engages with the people of south-east London in a community space. With its unique range of books provided by locals it also draws people in from all around London which benefits the other local shops and our local economy.
We are encouraging adults and kids to read books again. Another way to prise people away from addictive computer screens.
What also makes Crofton Books special is the great people that work here. The staff like to give as much creative input as possible. Staff include people taking career breaks, students at UCL and Goldsmith's, retired book enthusiasts and professionals who come in to help on their days off. It's a real hub for creativity.
The bookshop also helps raise funds for Crofton Park library.
Are there any rumours of ghosts or any famous stories about Crofton Books?
Well, it's funny you should say that. As you may know there is a tree planted in the forecourt here, in memory of Spike Milligan. Rumour has it, you can hear him telling jokes if you stand under the tree.
That's not the only rumour. Recently with Radio 4, we featured a biography of a 20th century poet and artist, David Jones. He was buried in Ladywell Cemetery, just down the road here, and it is said he was seen walking out the gates towards the bookshop.
What is the best time to come and visit? Is it suitable for everyone?
The best time to visit is any day seven days a week, but particularly Sundays. On Sundays we play music and hold events. It's normally part of a great day out whether walking, cycling or taking the train here. Obviously, we encourage healthy brain and body exercise that's helpful to the environment.
How old is Crofton Books?
This year we celebrate the fourth anniversary of Crofton Books. In that four years we have grown from strength to strength.
This year we have been very happy to get some 1960s vintage oak shelving fitted, so hopefully we look as good as we feel in our old age.
Any secrets you can share about Crofton Books?
Are there any secrets? Yes. But we can't tell you except that Ernest Hemingway's great granddaughter is a regular visitor and so is Kate Tempest (obviously we stock her books and the ones she wrote and the ones she once owned).
You might also might like to know the bookshop is owned by a published modern poet and that's me.
So, if you are in the mood for a lovely secondhand book or two to while away the cold hours, then pop down to Crofton Books in Brockley Road. Keep up with them on social media for specific opening times, especially over the weekends.
Press Brief
Crofton Books Punk Rock Special
On Saturday February 9, 3pm-5pm, there will be a punk literary event, titled simply Punk Rock Special, organised by Crofton Books, hosted by the Crofton Park Community Library, for which the event is a benefit.
This will be part of that weekend’s annual London Book Crawl in support of independent bookshops, including Crofton Books. https://www.ninjabookbox.com/london-bookshop-crawl
The event is centred around the acclaimed book Punk is Dead: Modernity Killed Every Night (Zer0 Books) by local author Richard Cabut.
It will feature readings from the book by Richard Cabut and other contributors, as well as local poets and original punk rock luminaries. There will also be a Q and A session.
Participants: -
Richard Cabut (Editor/Author of Punk is Dead)
John ‘Boogie’ Tiberi (Sex Pistols’ tour manager/photographer, described by Sid Vicious in 1977 as ‘the fifth Sex Pistol’)
Tony D (Contributor to Punk is Dead and editor of Ripped & Torn fanzine).
Kirsty Allison (Local poet and editor of Peckham arts magazine Cold Lips)
Jason Shelley (Local poet, author of No Loooking Back and Grey Love and Crofton Books founder)
DETAILS
About the book Punk is Dead: Modernity Killed Every Night:-
Co-edited/authored by Richard Cabut, this original collection of insight, analysis and conversation charts the course of punk from its underground origins, when it was an un-formed and utterly alluring near-secret – back in the garage, when the cult still had no name – through its rapid development. Punk is Dead: Modernity Killed Every Night takes in sex, style, politics and philosophy, filtered through punk experience, while believing in the ruins (of memory), to explore in depth a past whose essence is always elusive.
Contributors include Jon Savage (England’s Dreaming), Jonh Ingham (journalist who wrote the very first interview with the Sex Pistols, for Sounds), Barney
Hoskyns (Rock’s Backpages founder), Paul Gorman (Malcolm McLaren biographer), Penny Rimbaud (Crass), Dorothy Max Prior (Rema Rema, original punk), Ted Polhemus (Streetstyle), Mark Fisher (Ghosts of my Life), Neal Brown (Tracey Emin), Tom Vague (Vague), Tony D (Ripped & Torn), Andy Blade (Eater, The Secret Life of a Punk Rocker), Simon Reynolds (Shock and Awe) and Judy Nylon (Snatch, multi-disciplinary artist).
‘Admirably captures punk’s fractured, anarchic early spirit.
Cabut and the other contributors use their critically productive nostalgia to prevent punk from being, as Judy Nylon puts it in her foreword, “reduced to a coffee-table book of white English boys spitting.”’ Zachary Hoskins, Spectrum Culture
‘The specific purpose of the book is to celebrate that original evanescent wellspring of creativity when punk emerged as a ‘stylish boho response to the modern world of inertia and consumption’ Colin Coulter, The Irish Times
‘Richard Cabut has chosen the theme of punk as a transformative force, a becoming, not just in terms of the music and the culture around it, but in terms of the humans involved, fans included.’ Dickon Edwards, The Wire
‘This is definitely a book for those who’ve read and digested all the starter level punk literature and are seeking something a little more. They’ll find it here for sure - a generous hit of the hard stuff.’ Ben Willmott, The Extricated blog
‘A good companion to books like Jon Savage's England's Dreaming.’ Michael J, NetGalley
‘I thoroughly enjoyed Punk is Dead: Modernity Killed Every Night. Edited by Richard Cabut, this anthology of essays, interviews and personal recollections reflects on the ways in which punk was lived and experienced at the time,’ Deborah Levy, New Statesman
‘Editor Richard Cabut (formerly of positive punks Brigandage) corrals some of punk’s finest to document the “blank zone” in which a scene blossomed; early chroniclers such as Jon Savage and Jonh Ingham remind that it was a series of cultural seeds scattered, trigger points for what followed.’ MOJO magazine, Ben Myers
Full participant biographies:-
Richard Cabut
Richard Cabut is the editor/author of the anthology Punk is Dead: Modernity Killed Every Night (Zer0 Books), contributor to Ripped, Torn and Cut – Pop, Politics and Punks Fanzines From 1976 (Manchester University Press, 2018) and Growing Up With Punk (Nice Time, 2018). His journalism has featured in the Guardian, Daily Telegraph, NME (pen name Richard North), ZigZag, The Big Issue,
Time Out, etc. He was a Pushcart Prize nominee 2016 for his fiction. Richard’s plays have been performed at various theatres in London and nationwide, including the Arts Theatre, Covent Garden, London. He published the fanzine Kick, and played bass for the punk band Brigandage (LP Pretty Funny Thing – Gung Ho Records, 1986).
John ‘Boogie’ Tiberi
Tour manager/photographer of the Sex Pistols and the 101ers/early Clash – ‘It was arguably John Tiberi who helped create the punk movement when he put the 101ers as headline in a gig with the Sex Pistols as the support act.’ Now a filmmaker and photographer, John’s recent exhibitions include Punk Dada Situation at the Lucca Film Festival, and Post Punk Situation, Villa Faravelli, Emperia, Italy.
Tony D
Tony D founded two influential and inspirational fanzines, Ripped & Torn in 1976 and Kill Your Pet Puppy in 1980. In his piece for Punk is Dead: Modernity Killed Every Night, Tony has annotated his important 1980 piece ‘Pet Puppies in Theory and Practice’, giving an insight into the squatting punk scene of the time.
Kirsty Allison
Kirsty Allison's highly anticipated debut novel, Psychomachia, will be published by Wrecking Ball Press in October 2019. Her film art has shown been in galleries including the Tate. She is editor-in-chief of Cold Lips magazine. She’s soon to release her debut music project, with Gil De Ray: Children of the Burning Sun.
Jason Shelley
Jason Shelley, author of iconic work of fiction and poetry Grey Love and darkly humoured An Episode in the Life of a young Writer. He has recently read and toured with art gallery Berlin Blue in Berlin, Tuscany and London. Shelley, whose writing has been described as ‘profound and direct’ and ‘bordering the absurd’ is working on an as yet untitled first novel. He has recently established Crofton Books, host of the Punk Rock Special, in London SE4.
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Leading TV and film actor Shaun Dooley who has played alongside Daniel Radcliffe in The Woman in Black Woman will read Brenda's Bottom
Brenda's Bottom and her birds in London is Tlon Publishing's first children's book and it is achieving merit and cult status for its uniqueness. Known as a 'funny read', good for kids aged 3-7 to known the book has strong underlining messages about body image in children. It is indeed a feminist piece of work straight from a strong minded author, Clare Stanhope.
We were so pleased to have Shaun Dooley will Brenda's Bottom as part of the Brockley Max festival and we will return next year with a new celebrity!
Location and time: Hilly Fields, Brockley, London SE4 @ 4pm Saturday 4th June 2016
You can buy your copy of Brenda's Bottom here for £6.99 - postage is free
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Jason Shelley's book of selected poetry, No Looking Back is available to buy.
(image No Turning Point, artist Vishal Shah. Prints available. Enquire within)
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Jason Shelley's reading of Grey Love at the If Yesterday Were Today exhibition in East London.
This is the London edition of an art show that has travelled to Barga, Italy and Berlin in 2016.
Hosts, Berlin Blue exhibit at Apiary Studios in Hackney, London: 458 Hackney Road, E2 9EG
Shelley read at the Private View, 8.30pm Thursday 3rd December 2015
Grey Love is in short supply. The first edition is nearly sold out but we have put some aside to sell through the Tlon Media London website. Buy your copy here, free postage anywhere in the world
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We are very excited to have a presence in Brockley SE4 on Brockley Road. It is a great place to work in and we are noticing more and more likeminded people also work in the area.
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- Price: £15.00
New Club Night at the Rivoli Ballroom No.4: Club Rouges Presents Disco.
Buy tickets from Rouges.co.uk for this great Disco night, with resident DJ Kobayashi and featuring cabaret act London's freshest new ukelele act, the Martini Encounter 'an all-singing, all-strumming trio, performing an intoxicating cocktail lounge. They're kitsch and classy, with swinging harmonies and ukuleles, shaken and stirred.'
The Martini Encounter gave it their best shot at Edinburgh Fringe this summer and we thought they'd be perfect for the ballroom! ''A cheeky dollop of late night variety, hosted by the witty and playful ukulele strumming, close harmony singing trio – The Martini Encounter. Featuring special guests nightly on a bill which bulges with the best and naughtiest cabaret and variety acts from the Fringe. A cacophony of cocktails, sequins and agreeably small instruments, The Martini Encounter bring a whiff of threadbare sophistication to the Fringe, as they bask in sublime vocal harmonies and an often surprising repertoire ranging from The Muppets to Blur. Bottoms up!'
Night is Saturday 28th November 2015
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Crofton Books designer and artist Russel Herneman has just won "Political Pocket Cartoonist of the Year". We want to congratulate Russel!
More news: we will soon provide our latest review from The Times Literate Supplement.
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As part of the Barga exhibition Jason Shelley reads his classic, Grey Love with new work and haikus
Time: 7pm at the Bel Canto Gallery
Date: 13th July 2015
As part of an exhibition with Renata Kudlacek, Vishal Shah, Emma Barnard et al in Barga...
If Yesterday Were Today...
An international group show
Barga > Berlin > London
Barga, Italy: 11.07 - 18.07 2015 ( ‘Piazzette’ Culture Festival)
Artists: Emma Barnard, Giulietta Coates, DIZQO, Christina Kaemper, Renata Kudlacek, Stine Ljungdalh,
Nele Ouwens, Jitiesh Patel, Vishal Shah, Jason Shelley,
Performances: Jobina Bardai & Maggie Cappelletti
Music: Giovanni Verga
Performances:
Commune di Barga, Atrium, Palazzo Pancrazi
Via Guglielmo Marconi 1, Barga
Performance dates:
Saturday, 11.07.2015, 5.30 pm
Thursday, 16.07.2015, 5.30 pm
Exhibition:
Bel Canto Gallery
Piazza Angelio 5, 55051 Barga
Vernissage dates:
Saturday, 11.07.2015, 7 pm
Thursday, 16.07.2015, 7 pm
Reading:
Monday, 13.07.2015, 7 pm
In July 2014 a group of international artists were brought together in Barga, Italy, to celebrate the wedding of a couple. One year later that same group of artists return to Barga and offer the town a unique International group show ‘If Yesterday Were Today...’ and recreate the spirit of the time.
It soon became clear that artists live in and share cities, time passes, work grows and people drift into different parts of the world. The beautiful town Barga represents an atmosphere and vibrant zone where artists spread across the world can reunite in a unique way. Residents and visitors will witness a wide set of disciplines and creations from figurative painting to abstract installations, from performance art to costume design. The collective curatation of ‘If Yesterday were Today...’ emerged from the act of sharing by giving to the town of Barga, from artists of many different countries, cultures, nationalities and backgrounds.
In what way does our past affect our present? How do we make sense of our personal and collective history? Wouldn't it be nice if we could turn back time? Or do we prefer the present to the past?
Walter Benjamin’s essay Thesis on the Philosophy of History is a meditation on a prize possession, a Klee drawing he had purchased a time before: ‘A Klee drawing named “Angelus Novus” shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past… The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed.’
With ‘If Yesterday were Today...’ the artists may turn towards the past - towards meaningful moments of general or personal history - in order to transfer aspects of it into the present. In the broader sense the exhibition approaches and questions the concept of time and its effects on daily life with multi-layered or playful narratives.
‘If Yesterday were Today...’ is a traveling exhibition and will be on display in Berlin from September 12th - 20th 2015 and in London 3rd - 6th December 2015.
VOLT by Maniac and Idol
Edition 10
Photographic Digital Print
20cm x 40cm
Cost: £160 plus £8 postage
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This is an example of the great artwork available from The London Media Co.
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- Price: £450.00
artist Renata Kudlacek
title of work Fairytale
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