'When I was at art school, a tutor gave me a book titled Songs from the Shandy Valley – a collection of poems and illustrations paying homage to the characters that populated Deptford Market and Broadway in the early 1990s. The book fascinated me at that point, and years later I found myself living in the "Shandy Valley". Like many places in London back then, I think that Deptford was a write-off – a no-go zone for some. That's changed for many areas but I still feel that Deptford, particularly on a market day, resonates with an older London, a hidden yet anarchic corner of its ragged identity'.
(anybody got a copy of Songs from the Shandy Valley by the way? I haven't read it)
Posts
2 comments:
You're in luck Transpo for I have two copies of Songs from the Shandy Valley by John Bently, published by Malice Aforethought Press circa 1987, ISBN 1 871197 910.
It's a compilation from early works in John's Liver & Lights ongoing series of hand-made books. Prompted by your post, I sought him out, found him at bonesandtheaft.blogspot and see that he's recently published No.52.
Malice Aforethought was an imprint of Max Déxharné and Frank Key, early drummer for Gallon Drunk and Mr.HootingYard of ResonanceFM.
Read Frank on it here - http://hootingyard.org/archives/8931
"Probably the finest thing we ever published was a selection of work by the great John Bently of Liver And Lights, another Small Press Group hero."
------------
NFP
Send an address to ian@audemanriver.com and I'll post you my spare, rescued for 40p in a charity shop.
Thanks Ian, will be in touch!
Post a Comment