Fiction & Social History from the Black Country and West Midlands
NEWS:
30/09/08: SAVE ST JOHN's CHURCH
St John's Church which can be seen on our logo, faces closure. A group was
set up last year to campaign for its preservation. Carl Chinn is the
groups patron and their web site is; www.savestjohnschurch.zoomshare.com
. Deb
Brownlee, who chairs the group, got in touch following the john Ogden article
and the upshot is that we will put on a spoken word show sometime late January
next year, the proceeds of which go to the preservation fund. Details of
this show will appear on this site in due course.
29/09/08: LOUISE STOKES INTERVIEW
Louise Stokes was interviewed by John Ogden this afternoon for another article
in the Express and Star. We'll announce its publication date when it is
available.
22/09/08: THANKS TO CHRIS
Greg Stokes appeal in his last newsletter for a photograph of Sam Cook's single
"Only Sixteen" in its original sleeve was answered by Chris Savory of
Soul Cargo Record Fairs. His website can be accessed on www.soulcargo.co.uk
. The picture will form the basis of the cover for Carol Hathorne's
forthcoming novel "Only Sixteen". Many thanks Chris.
21/09/08: SHOW AT WEDNESBURY RUGBY CLUB
Greg Stokes will appear in a spoken word show at Wednesbury Rugby Club on
Saturday 22nd November 2008. Details about tickets will appear on this
site as and when they are available.
20/09/08: MAJOR ARTICLE IN EXPRESS & STAR
John Ogden's very full article about the Kates Hill Press appeared in tonight's
express and Star. See page 5 of the Weekend section.
12/09/08: JOHN OGDEN INTERVIEW
Greg Stokes was interviewed by John Ogden this afternoon about the origins and
work of the Kates Hill Press. The article will appear in the Saturday 20th
September issue. It is hoped that articles on several of our authors will
follow.
07/09/08: SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LAMP
Another great night
at the Lamp on 7th Sept with everyone on top form. You never
know what Geoff Stevens is going to come out with and he was wonderfully
irreverent and totally un PC as usual. Louise Stokes gave us another of
her many characters in the first half and read from her new novel Faerie Dust in
the second. SG Grey read from his forthcoming thriller Kingstown Agenda.
(Details for both those books are now on the new titles page of the Kates Hill
Press website.) Neil Morris gave us another powerful set. Brendan
Hawthorne again showed the depth of his material including one written that
afternoon about the Hadron collider. Quantum physics is supposed to be spooky
and it seemed spooky it was, as right after, I gave The God Particle, in
which the super collider was built under Brierley Hill, its first public airing.
01/09/08: GOOD COVERAGE IN BLACKCOUNTRYMAN
Several articles in this quarter's Blackcountryman featured our two recent Black
country Classic titles;
there
were pieces by Paul McDonald and Alison Gale about Allan Chace and Other Poems,
and a piece by Greg Stokes about “Industrial Biography – The Black Country
Chapters”. See pages 58 to 61
09/08/08: LOUISE AND ENTOURAGE AT EDINBURGH
Louise Stokes took her many characters to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this
week, taking part in a comedy competition and reaching the semi final.
13/07/08: SECOND SUNDAY AT THE LAMP
The second Sunday Night at the Lamp took place tonight. Paul McDonald read from
his new novel "Do I Love You." Emma Rollason appeared as Dolly
Allen, Neil morris did a set of his own songs with a few covers thrown in for
good measure. Geoff Stevens and Brendan Hawthorn were at their wonderful best in
their sets while Louise Stokes introduced yet more of her characters. Greg
Stokes focussed on the ills visited upon us by functionaries, reading My Uncle
Louie.
01/06/08: SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE LAMP
The new Sunday Night At The Lamp shows opened tonight in the Dudley venue.
Louise Stokes opened the night as Kimmy Sue Anne's mother. Brendan
Hawthorne followed with set of beat poetry. Carol Midwood read from her
Edna and Arthur collection and Greg Stokes closed the half with The Protectors,
a story of two time travelling Black Country men on a mission. Louise
Stokes opened the second half with another character, NHS staff nurse Sulimia
Bulimia. Greg Stokes followed with Cheap and Cheerful, a tale of a
disorganised cab co. Carol Midwood read from her Bawdy Bloody Black
Country collection and Brendan Hawthorne closed the night with a mix of poems
and songs.
A great night, with all performers on form. Live entertaining literature
is back on the bill at the Lamp. Next show, 13th July.
24/05/08: PAUL McDONALD NEW DATE
Paul McDonald has had to withdraw from the Sunday Night At The Lamp Show next
week as his partner has to go into hospital that weekend. We wish Pam a
speedy recovery. Paul will now read from his new novel Do I Love You on
13th July.
17/05/08: NEW CATALOGUE ROLLED OUT
The new Kates Hill Press Catalogue was sent out to local bookshops today.
The concept is that shops can put the catalogue on their shelves rather than
stock the books. In the precarious book trade, the Kates Hill Press regard
this as a win/win situation.
04/05/08: FIRST TITLE FOR 88 YEARS
When League Football resumed after the First World War, West Bromwich Albion won
that first League Championship, and won it in some style, scoring over 100
goals. Despite numerous promotions and cup wins in the meantime, come 4th
May 2008 the Baggies had not won a league title since that post war
season. The situation on the last day was win, and the Football League
Championship would come to West Bromwich. 70 minutes gone and the Albion were
1-0 up. With Stoke drawing, the title was ours... but 1-0 is fragile, QPR
could equalise and Stoke could go ahead. Tension mounted as the clock
ticked slowly down. Then came the free kick on the edge of the Queens Park
Rangers penalty area. Chris Brunt stepped up to stroke the ball home. At
2-0 up, it was then that we knew, Stoke could do what they liked, the title was
ours. It hadn't happened in my father's lifetime, and it had taken 53
years of mine, I'd have to live a long time yet before I could adequately
describe how special was that day. May the Fourth be with you.
30/04/08: FIRST PART OF INVISIBLE
COMPLETED
The first part of Greg Stokes' novel Invisible was completed today. Two
years in the works, Greg said, "part two runs chronologically so it should
be easier to write." Invisible examines the way stories are told and which
stories are told, a process that often leaves families of murder victims
Invisible. For more details visit the In The Pipeline page.
14/04/08: WRITE ON ALBION GIG
CANCELLED
Due to the need for continued treatment from the haemophilia unit following his
recent prostate/bladder operation, Greg Stokes has been forced to cancel the
Write On Albion show scheduled for 27th April. The show will now take
place around the start of the next football season, date to be announced.
02/04/08: LAUNCH EVENT
The seven new titles were formally launched at the Lamp Tavern tonight.
The event used a show format. Greg Stokes kicked off procedings reading of
Dud Dudley's pre execution escape from Industrial Biography. Louise Stokes
came as Kimmy Sue Anne to read from Forts of Kmmy Sue Anne, and Billy Spakemeon
closed the half with readings from Tummy Jones - Odebry Mon. Carol
Hathorne opened the second half reading from All Shook Up, followed by Raymond
Smout reading from Pocketful of Memories - Roseville. Paul MacDonald read
two of the miscellaneous poems from Allan Chace and other poems, and Louise
Stokes closed the night as Pamela Mary Crabfish, one of the characters from
Conversations With The Family Of The Grotesque. An excellent night both
artistically and commercially.
22/03/08: FOREST OF DEAN SHOW KICKS OFF NEW LAMP
SEASON
It was great to be back at the Lamp again tonight. David Price, Dave
Harvey and Maggie Clutterbuck from the Forest were joined by Brendan Hawthorne,
Geoff Stevens, Louise Stokes, SG Grey and Greg Stokes from the Black Country for
another show of high quality entertainment.
15/03/08: ALLAN CHACE NOW AVAILABLE
The new Black Country Classic, Allan Chace & Other Poems is now
available. See the New Titles page for further details.
15/03/08: JULIE BANNER ON BOARD
With Greg Stokes' move back to social work practice meaning less time to run the
business, Julie Banner has taken on all typesetting for the Kates Hill
Press. This will be a great help and enable us to continue to roll out new
titles.
04/03/08: LAUNCH DATE SET
The 7 new Kates Hill Press titles, All Shook Up, Tommy jones - Odebry Mon, The
Forts Of Kimmy Sue Anne, Conversations With The Family Of The Grotesque, A
Pocketful Of Memories - Roseville, Industrial Biography - The Black Country
Chapters, and Allan Chace & Other Poems, will be launched at the Lamp Tavern
on Wednesday 2nd April at 8.00pm. All Kates Hill Press titles will be
available, there'll be readings from the new titles as well as from other
authors. Admission free. All are welcome.
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