<![CDATA[Peculiarity Press - News]]>Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:32:00 +0000Weebly<![CDATA[Provocations in eye]]>Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:29:39 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/provocations-in-eye
A full house gathered at the Bank Arts Centre in Eye, Suffolk for the launch of Alistair Bamford's new book Provocations. The venue provided the perfect setting for an evening of powerful words, with memorable poetry readings and standout performances that kept the audience enthralled. The event marked a strong debut for the book and a vibrant night for the local arts scene. The launch was a joint event with Gillian Rennie-Dunkerley and her new book 'That Macbeth Dress' published by Eye Wild Books.
]]><![CDATA[PROVOCATIONS: book launch 5 September]]>Thu, 24 Jul 2025 11:03:44 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/provocations-book-launch-5-september
Picture
A special evening celebrating the launch of Alistair Bamford’s latest collection. Joining him is fellow writer Gillian Rennie-Dunkerley for a joint reading that promises to be as compelling as it is curious, and they will both be in conversation with poet Ian Griffiths.
📍 Location: The Bank Arts Centre, Eye, Suffolk
📅 Date & Time: Friday 5th September, 7.30pm
Alistair Bamford is known for his evocative, idiosyncratic voice: a blend of precision and unpredictability. Whether you’re a longtime admirer or a newcomer to his work, this is a chance to hear the poems as they were meant to be experienced: aloud, alive, and among friends.
Come for the readings. Stay for the conversations.

Books will be available for purchase. Complimentary drink on arrival, bar open. 
We hope to see you there.
]]><![CDATA[Widdershins Walk Book events coming up]]>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/widdershins-walk-book-events-coming-up
Wednesday 16 April at 10am
It will be a five mile walk, which should take us about two and a half hours. We'll meet at 10.00am in the Arborfield Park Car Park, on Swallowfield Road, Arborfield Cross. What3words///walking.uttering.expose
You can get there by bus from Reading, Leopard 3, alight at The Swan and walk back round the corner. It's just down from the Bull Inn.
If you're driving, you can either park at the Arborfield Park car park, or at Henry Street garden centre, five minutes walk away. We'll end the walk at Henry Street for refreshments etc. If you're parking at the garden centre, they've asked if we can please use the end of the overflow car park round to the left by the car wash. From there you'll need to walk up Swallowfield Road for a short way to the meeting point at Arborfield Park.
The walk is in the Loddon valley, in farmland and along woodland edges, with a variety of flora and fauna. It will include a section of the Widdershins Walk route from the book.

Watching the Keep, Walking the Edge: exploring Reading

Film, Art & History at OpenHand OpenSpace
📅 Wednesday 7th May, 7.30-9pm
📍 OpenHand OpenSpace Gallery
 
Join us for an exploration of Reading’s evolving environment through film and art with filmmaker Jane Glennie, historian Chris Impey, and artists Peter Driver and Geoff Sawers. This event brings together alternative perspectives, each a unique lens on the town’s shifting character.
From the central urban landmark of the historic Keep at Brock Barracks to Reading’s rural countryside periphery, we probe the interplay between past and present, permanence and change. Through vivid imagery, intricate detail, and thoughtful reflection, the evening offers a compelling look at the forces that shape the town’s people, environment, architecture, and cultural heritage.
🎥 Film Screening & talk – Architecture Washing, a new film by Jane Glennie & Chris Impey. A unique cinematic exploration of the OpenHand OpenSpace building, inspired by the history of the Keep at Brock Barracks before it became the home of OHOS. This 10 minute poetic film projection becomes part of the building itself: contrasting its solidity and fragility, revealing its layers of history.

📖 Book reading & exhibition – Widdershins Walk: Round the Edge of Reading, a new book by artists and writers Peter Driver and Geoff Sawers. This year-long slow art project traces an anti-clockwise journey around Reading’s countryside circumference during the four seasons, and is a series of reflections on the history, natural history and archaeology of the town's limits and edge spaces, meditations on what the town is and will be.

Both film and book navigate the tensions between past and present, history, culture and commerce. They highlight spaces—whether an urban landmark building or the town’s rural periphery—that are increasingly vulnerable to economic pressures, the demand for housing, and the priority levels given to cultural and environmental capital.
Don’t miss this special event!  ✨ Free entry | All are welcome ✨
Monday 2 June at 11am
Talk at The Friends of Reading Museum event at The Pantry, The Town Hall, Reading
followed by a book group event for Widdershins Walk on Saturday 1st November 2025.
]]><![CDATA[Widdershins Walk on the radio]]>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/widdershins-walk-on-the-radio
​If you'd like to hear Peter Driver and Geoff Sawers talking in a 17 minute interview about their new book Widdershins Walk, on Radio Berkshire, listen here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kqjbpx
They are on from 1hr.10 to 1 hr.27 (with a musical interlude you can skip through.)
]]><![CDATA[BBC Radio Berkshire interview]]>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 12:56:11 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/bbc-radio-berkshire-interviewThis Friday, 14th March, at about 11am Peter Driver and Geoff Sawers will be interviewed on BBC Radio Berkshire about their new book, Widdershins Walk: Round the Edge of Reading.
Tune in to hear them witter-on about their series of walks to find their way slowly round the edge of Reading, where they discuss local history, natural history, topography and toponymy.
Picture
]]><![CDATA[Widdershins Walk now out]]>Wed, 26 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/widdershins-walk-now-outWe've been receiving some lovely comments from readers who have got their copy of Peter & Geoff's new book Widdershins Walk:
Picture
  • ​“The beautiful sentences are at turns caring, archly funny, and deeply informed. The biological details will draw interest of scientists. The discoveries of antiquities were fun to read.”
  • “I’m really enjoying it … am trying to eek it out to last as long as possible…”
  • “A lovely, affirming book … the text is superb and the illustrations are absolutely beautiful.”
  • “A lovely project, tooling around the bounds of Reading with observant and knowledgable guides”​
  • “… a love letter to the nature on our doorstep”
]]><![CDATA[Widdershins walk is at the printers]]>Thu, 13 Feb 2025 08:43:22 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/widdershins-walk-is-at-the-printers
With an updated cover design, and so many beautiful drawings, paintings and woodcuts - Widdershins: A Walk Round Reading is now at the printers. 

We achieved 100 subscribers to the book which has meant we have been able to order a full edition. This is very exciting, and we are all very grateful to everyone who has put their trust in the project.

We have begun planning for an exhibition and events. Details will follow soon.

If you've ordered, then your book will be ready for collection from Peter and Geoff, or being despatched by post, in March.
]]><![CDATA[Walking with Peter & Geoff]]>Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/walking-with-peter-geoff
Picture
This month I joined Peter Driver & Geoff Sawers for a portion of the summer quarter of their walk around the circumference of Reading. It was a long 14 mile stretch from Theale around to Shinfield. Their knowledge of, and fascination with, nature and the landscape knows no bounds. I was listening and absorbing their enthusiasm all day. I can't wait for more of the visual and written material to start coming in so I can start the page layouts of what is going to be a beautiful and absorbing book.
]]><![CDATA[BOOK ARTS NEWSLETTER – TRACE: Museum of Memory]]>Tue, 16 May 2023 14:20:42 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/book-arts-newsletter-trace-museum-of-memory
Book Arts Newsletter is published 7 times a year at the Centre For Print Research at the University of the West of England, edited by Sarah Bodman. Very happy to say that they have included TRACe Museum of Memory in issue 153, April 2023. (And ordered a copy for the UWE library! Thank you!)

It's a very comprehensive newsletter that includes exhibitions, events, reviews and new publications as well as opportunities for book artists and publishers.
]]><![CDATA[TRACE at Kanz Architetti]]>Sun, 14 May 2023 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.peculiaritypress.co.uk/news/trace-at-kanz-architetti
Limited edition launched!
Alongside a collection of Roma Tearne's paintings, the limited edition has launched at an event and exhibition hosted by Kanz Architetti. 
]]>