John Fuller & the Sycamore Press: A Bibliographic History

Set up in 1968, John Fuller's Sycamore Press published some of the most influential and critically acclaimed writers of the past half-century. Operating from a garage, the press became known for publishing established authors, such as W.H. Auden, Philip Larkin and Peter Porter, as well as promoting young poets, including James Fenton, Mick Imlah and Alan Hollinghurst. The Sycamore Press ceased operations in 1992, but it remains an excellent example of the unique qualities associated with the small press movement in England.

In addition to a full descriptive bibliography, this book includes an evocative foreword by John Fuller who wryly describes the trials and tribulations of `garage' publishing. In a transcribed conversation with the author, John Fuller recounts his years as a publisher, describes his experiments with letterpress technology, and explains why a pamphlet of poems often took almost a year to produce. Personal reflections by Sycamore Press authors, such as Andrew Motion and Thom Gunn, illuminate the publishing process further and show what a powerful role John Fuller played in the lives of young poets lucky enough to be published by him.

This book is full of entertaining anecdotes about the hazards of small book publishing, but it also provides invaluable advice and insights relevant to the creation and promotion of poetry today.