Apt. 9 Press is thrilled to announce two new chapbooks, due November 2012.

We will be publishing the debut chapbook from Ottawa-based Rachael Simpson, Eiderdown, as well as new collection of poems by the one-and-only Phil Hall, A Rural Pen.

Those paying attention in Ottawa have been aware of Rachael Simpson during the last few years and she has quietly but persistently developed an increasingly sure and mature voice. She read at VERSeFest 2012, where her work demanded attention and announced her as a young poet to follow seriously. Apt. 9 is honoured to be publishing her first chapbook.

Phil Hall had an astonishing 2011-2012 on the back of his excellent Bookthug title, Killdeer. Plaudits and awards aside (of which Phil has many), he has shown a remarkable lifelong commitment to the small press in Canada, as well as an astounding desire to evolve as a poet. His work has a depth and range that can only be earned over decades of patient, determined practice. It is a privilege to have worked with Phil on this chapbook and we can’t wait to get it you!

There will be a formal launch in Ottawa in November and the books will be on our table at the Fall edition of the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair. Rachael has also be lined up as one of the readers at the always-excellent pre-fair reading. We will follow up with details as they become available.

Until then, we will be working patiently to have the books ready.

See you soon.

 

Ah, so much good news to share with the world.

The finalists for the 2012 Archibald Lampman Award were announced yesterday, and we were thrilled to see two Apt. 9 authors on the shortlist of four: Michael Blouin for Wore Down Trust and Sandra Ridley for Post-Apothecary, both published by the inimitable Pedlar Press. Post-Apothecary is especially exciting in the Apt. 9 office as we published one of its sections as a chapbook way back in August 2009. Small press mainstay rob mclennan also gets a nod for his Talonbooks title Glengarry. Congratulations all!

The Relit Awards announced their LONG lists earlier in the month, and were again thrilled to see many Apt. 9 authors and favourites included. Sandra Ridley and Michael Blouin are again included, as is Stuart Ross. There is a strong Ottawa presence on the longlist that we would love to see transfer to the shortlists. But, the Relits manage to acknowledge a massive range of writers and independent presses and they are an event to celebrate whoever goes the distance. Congratulations again to all!

You still have five days left to vote for Bardia Sinaee in the Walrus Poetry Prize, something you should definitely do. The prize even got some rare Globe and Mail poetry press as part of a new wave of Canadian poetry exiling something called “weepy folksiness” from our poems. Godspeed, Bardia, you’ve got our vote!

In book news, we’re thrilled to note that two Apt. 9 authors are set to see new trade collections into print in the near future that will include selections from their Apt. 9 chapbooks. Jim Smith’s Happy Birthday, Nicanor Parra will be published by Mansfield this Fall. And Jeremy Hanson-Finger will see his debut trade collection of short fiction published by 8th House in the Spring, the wonderfully titled Nice People Who Care About Each Other Having a Good Time. We couldn’t be happier for both of them, and are suitably selfishly happy to see their chapbooks find new homes in books with spines. Go order them at your local independent!

Our fall lineup is taking shape. Books are being designed and printed, and we’ll be making a formal announcement with authors, titles, and launch details shortly. In the meantime, enjoy these first days of fall.

So at last the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair is upon us. Apt. 9, after an appropriate nine months of silence, is back with our first new publication of 2012.

Keys to the Idiot is a broadside from Ottawa poet Bardia Sinaee. I’ve discussed Bardia’s work previously at my own blog. His own Odourless Press made its public debut in November of last year and has since published chapbooks by Jeff Blackman and Ben Ladouceur. His previous chapbooks include Buick & the Bastard (Ottawa ON: In/Words, 2010) and Royal Jelly (Ottawa ON: Odourless Press, 2011). He also has a rapidly growing catalogue of magazine publications. Bardia reads widely and variously and his work shows a developing literacy with a range of voices and forms. Keys to the Idiot balances humour with subtle formal control and a note of sadness. I maintain that Bardia is a poet to watch in Ottawa and beyond, and Apt. 9 is privileged to usher one of his poems into print.

A reprint of Claudia Coutu Radmore’s Accidentals, winner of the 2011 bpNichol Chapbook Award, will be available on our table as well. If you missed the first run, don’t miss the second. Claudia is poised to do further wonderful things in the future, and Accidentals is a chapbook worth having on your shelf.

From the backlist we will have copies of broadsides from Michael Dennis and Ben Ladouceur, books from Justin Million and Leah Mol from last August marking their departure from Ottawa, as well as titles from Jim Smith, Monty Reid, Peter Gibbon and Michael Blouin.Most of these are down to the very final copies. Stop by our table, say hello, and check out all of the other fantastic books on sale at the fair.

 

rob mclennan recently published a piece profiling five Canadian small and micro presses for Australian magazine Cordite Poetry Review. Apt. 9 is thrilled to be included in the list alongside The Emergency Response Unit, AngelHousePress, Nomados Literary Publishers, and Greenboathouse Press. Read the entire piece here.

We look up to each of these presses for a huge number of reasons, and think it very kind of rob mclennan to have included us in the list. It is certainly a kick-in-the-ass to get going. We’ve got new books for the Fall that we can barely keep quiet about (ask us over a beer and we’ll tell all). Details to come over the summer.

Thanks, rob! And thanks, Cordite! Please buy books from each of the above (as well as rob mclennan’s own above/ground press). You can see at least three of the five, and hopefully more, at the June Small Press Book Fair in Ottawa.

Stuart Ross will be in Ottawa to launch You Exist. Details Follow. on Wednesday 18 April 2012, 7:30pm at Raw Sugar along with the new lineup of Mansfield Press titles (including a reading by jwcurry of Nelson Ball’s new title!). That sentence includes so many of Apt. 9’s favourite things that I don’t even know where to start. Be there.

Sandra Ridley recently won the 4th Annual Battle of the Bards at Authors at Harboufront Centre! Pearl Pirie gives you all the important information here, including a link to a fantastic in-depth audio interview conducted by John Degan at The Book Room. Congratulations to Sandra!

Jeremy Hanson-Finger is reading in Toronto tonight at the EW Reading Series; “Emerging Writers! Astounding Talent!” Jeremy also has a pile of recent publications available through his Tumblr, go read them.

Ben Ladouceur recently earned a very deserved second place in the Carleton University Writing Competition. Congratulations to Ben! You already know this if you’ve been following his blog as we suggested.

Claudia Coutu Radmore, winner of the 2011 bpNichol Chapbook Award, now has her own blog too! She has been busy during National Poetry Month, so do go see what she’s been up too.

Onwards, see you in June!

As Apt. 9 continues to hibernate and scheme, the writers we have been lucky enough to publish since 2009 have continued to go about their awesome writing and publishing business. Some news:

Claudia Coutu Radmore, recent 2011 bpNichol Chapbook Award Winner (for which the reprint is in process), has taken part in the rob mclennan-curated Call and Response project at Ottawa’s excellent SPAO. Vernissage is this Friday, 6:00-8:00pm. Claudia will be there, and so should you. Claudia also has a page on Facebook that you can like if you’re on Facebook.

Stuart Ross, Apt. 9 favourite, has an exciting new trade collection coming out from Anvil this spring: You Exist. Details Follow. If you have a copy of Stuart’s Apt. 9 chapbook, the title may ring a bell. If you weren’t able to get a copy, this is a chance to get re-acquainted with what Stuart has been doing poetically since Dead Cars in Managua in 2008. Four years is far too long between trade collections, Stuart! When he launches in Ottawa, the entire city should be out. Likewise everywhere else.

Word on the street is that Monty Reid has a new trade collection coming out from Ottawa’s Buschek Books (A Gran Zoo), as well as a recently published chapbook from the fine people at Gaspereau. We’ll keep you posted about upcoming readings and launches, now that Monty has had a week to recover from the massive success of Versefest 2012. Did you pick up the Versefest issue of Peter F. Yacht Club?

Ben Ladouceur, in addition to finishing his graduate degree, has started a poetry blog. Ben is thoughtful and articulate, and we think you should add this to your bookmarks folder of writing blogs. All news from Ben’s writing and publishing is good news, and now you have a regular source!

Jeremy Hanson-Finger, mastermind of Dragnet Mag, recently posted a short video of himself reading at Apt. 9’s launch in April 2011 for his chapbook The Delicious Fields. What a great launch that was! Monty Reid! Claudia Coutu Radmore! Jeremy Hanson-Finger!

Speaking of launches, we’re making small plans for the Ottawa small press book fair in June, and large plans for the Fall. We’ll be back before 2012 is out with new books to knock your socks off. Our upcoming lineup will amaze you. I wish it was five months from now and I was stitching their books, organizing a venue, and spreading the news.

In the meantime, we’ve got the title run in in the Premier League, the Champion’s League is amping up, Euro 2012 is on the horizon, and of course, a new run of spring titles from Canada’s finest small presses. See you soon.

Apt. 9 woke up this morning to some wonderful news: Claudia Coutu Radmore has just won the 2011 bpNichol Chapbook Award for her Apt. 9 title Accidentals. We couldn’t be happier for Claudia. It is a wonderful book deserving of the award (if we do say so ourselves!), and Claudia is simply a great person to boot. We at Apt. 9 are firm believers in good things happening to good people, who also happen to be excellent poets. Bravo, Claudia! Congratulations! She joins a distinguished list of past winners, including Nicole Brossard, Robin Blaser, Susan Musgrave, Barry McKinnon, P.K. Page, Lisa Robertson, Gary Barwin, and fellow Apt. 9 author Sandra Ridley.

Accidentals was published in March 2011. You can hear Claudia read from the book at the April launch here. Shortly after, Claudia answers 12 or 20 questions from rob mclennan at Open Book: Ontario. A long time regular and organizer at the TREE Reading Series (Ottawa), there is an extensive catalogue of videos of Claudia reading in the series here. She also published a phenomenal  book with Two Cultures Press last year.

We’ll keep you posted on upcoming opportunities to hear Claudia read. There are only a few copies of the first printing of Accidentals left. We’re currently making plans for a second printing in the New Year.

Wherever you are today, raise a glass in Claudia’s name.

Despite the press going on an unofficial hiatus as of the end of August, there has been some activity to keep track of around the press.

rob mclennan wrote a generous and thoughtful profile of Apt. 9 that was published at Open Book: Ontario today. He sent me a few questions over email concerning the future of the press, and also looked back to the origins of my interest in Canadian Small Press at Carleton University. Thanks, rob!

Christine McNair interviewed Justin Million and Leah Mol on CKCU’s Literary Landscapes way back in August before their final Ottawa readings and ultimate departure. Audio of that interview is up on her blog for the show here. It really is a fantastic interview. Christine has insightful questions and Leah and Justin are in fine form speaking back and forth.

Sandra Ridley recently saw her second trade collection, Post-Apothecary, into print with the always wonderful Pedlar Press. Apt. 9 was lucky enough to publish a part of that manuscript in the chapbook Rest Cure way back in August 2009 as one of our inaugural titles. There is audio of Sandra reading from and discussing the book here. Sandra was also recently shortlisted for the City of Ottawa Book Award for her first trade collection, Fallout. Congratulations, Sandra!

Apt. 9 favourite Monty Reid will be reading at Tree in Ottawa next Tuesday, October 11. Monty has seen at least a half dozen chapbooks into print in the last year, with more on the horizon (and, we hope, a new trade collection before too long). Any chance to hear Monty is one that must be taken advantage of. Be there! We’ve still got copies of his recent Site Conditions, too, but not many.

We’re still looking for more places to send review copies. Do you review chapbooks? Send us an email!

Finally, Apt. 9 will be at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on Saturday November 5. Ah, we love the book fair. Come visit us, we’ll have HADRON, And I’ve Been Thinking Dangerously, Exit Interviews, and some wonderful backlist titles.

Hope everyone is warm and dry.

Cheers.