The new bloom in the Blown Rose garden: the second set of Handbooks, latest in our series of handmade micro-published collections of poetry, prose and images.
Handbook: ‘a book giving information such as facts on a particular subject or instructions for operating a machine’.
Our Handbooks are leporello (concertina) books of newly commissioned and collected work, where authors and artists range at will. The wild rose has five petals, the hand five fingers: we publish five titles per set, and there will be five sets in total over the next five years. The print run for each title – just 25.
The second set of Handbooks, titles 06 – 10, by poet Rashed Aqrabawi, artist Adam Bridgland, poet Emily Cooper, photographer Ian Cowmeadow and poet Alex MacDonald, are published on 15th April 2026. They’ll be for sale at the Free Verse Poetry Book and Magazine Fair on 25th April 2026, and after by mail order.
The first set of Handbooks, titles 01 – 05, by poet Clare Pollard with illustrations by Zoë Taylor, asemic writer Chris Meade, novelist Will Ashon, poet Will Harris with photos by David Sims, and poet Ollie O’Neill with illustrations by Steph Harn, were launched in April 2025. There are very few copies left, but please email us to enquire about remaining stock.
Handbooks sets 3–5: to follow! If you’ve an idea for an author or simply want to know more, get in touch!
Thank you to Arts Council England for the love.