THE EARLY YEARS Books have been published in the north of Ireland since the 1690s when Patrick Neill, a printer from Glasgow, and his apprentice James Blow set up shop in Belfast. In the following three centuries many thousands of titles have been published by commercial p firms, as well as individuals, societies, businesses, churches, sporting clubs and others. The desire to set down in print a history or a work of literary imagination, and to make that available to others to read (for that is what p is) is as strong today as ever. Neill published mostly religious books, including two editions of the Psalms which would have found a ready market among the people of Belfast. An Albion handpress of 1830 which was a refinement of the earlier wooden press. (Ten Point Press Kircubbin) The Psalms of David. Belfast: Patrick Neill, 1699. At this time all aspects of book production were done by hand. This meant that books were usually produced in small editions and were often expensive. However, such was the demand for books that by the late eighteenth century there were a number of printers and booksellers p not only in Belfast but in Derry (1735), Armagh (1745), Newry (1759) and Strabane (1771). An advert from the Belfast News-Letter for the publication by subscription in 1752 of William Biggs, The Soldiers of Fortune to be published by Henry and Robert Joy. At this time booksellers and printers were their own publishers, and like publishers today they had to estimate how many copies of a book they might expect to sell and also raise the capital to meet the initial cost of paper, type, ink and printing. One way of doing this was to publish by subscription, where buyers paid in advance. By this means a publisher could estimate the number of copies he ought to print and also secure funds to meet upfront costs. Newspapers often carried advertisements for books which were to be published by subscription. P by subscription can still used today especially where a book relates to a particular society or location.
18th & 19th CENTURIES Throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries the demand for books steadily increased. Many books were published locally and many were imported from England and the continent. The local newspapers carried advertisements for the stock of booksellers and printers, and reading societies were set up in towns and villages to encourage the sharing of resources. Of these societies the Belfast Reading Society survives to this day as the Linen Hall Library. James Magee (1707-97) from F.J. Bigger, The Magees of Belfast. and Dublin. Belfast, 1916. One of Belfast s leading publishers was James Magee who between 1733 and 1790 offered an extensive and wide-ranging list of titles at The Bible and Crown in Bridge Street. The least expensive books were chapbooks, so-called because they were sold by chapmen or hawkers rather than through the book trade. They consisted of a single printed sheet folded to form a booklet. Mostly they contained popular tales or children s stories and were illustrated by simple woodcuts. The Famous History of Hero and Leander. Strabane: A. Gamble, [1805]. Flyleaf of T.C. Grattan, Highways and Byways. Parlour Library no 7. London and Belfast: Simms and M Intyre, [1848]. In April 1847 two Belfast printers, Simms and M Intyre, issued the first title in the Parlour Library, one of the most innovative p ventures of the nineteenth century. Their aim was to publish a series of novels and tales by the most distinguished authors, at a price which will place them within the reach of the whole reading public. They cost one shilling at a time when a novel cost five or six shillings. Simms and M Intyre had a London office so the earliest titles bear the imprint London and Belfast. In 1853 they sold the series and the Belfast link was broken. But the one hundred or so titles in their distinctive green glazed-paper covers have assured their place as the forerunner of the modern paperback. By the later years of the nineteenth century the technology of book production had changed radically. No longer was everything done by hand, and mechanisation saw more titles published in greater numbers and at lower costs. J.G Sowerby, At Home [In Verse]. London and Belfast: Marcus Ward, [1881]. (Belfast Public Libraries) One of the most exciting developments was chromolithography, a method by which books could be printed in full colour, and in this one firm - Marcus Ward - stood out from all others. Indeed on an international scale Marcus Ward was without equal, and deserves to be reckoned as one of Belfast s greatest commercial achievements. Tantra Barbus an Irish chapman.
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Quota Press Margaret S. Norris, Ebb and Flow. Belfast: Quota Press, 1941. The firm of Marcus Ward was wound up in 1899 and the twentieth century saw a number of p houses rise and fall, as well as many examples of what is often called self-p (where an individual publishes his or her own work) and p by non-specialists (where a society or other organisation whose main activity is not p acts as it own publisher for a particular title). The Quota Press was the most productive p house in Belfast in the middle years of the twentieth century.it was run by a Miss Dora Kennedy from an office in Donegall Street, and between 1927 and 1954 more than one hundred titles were published. The titles included novels, poetry and biography, and until the outbreak of the Second World War most were printed in Guernsey in the Channel Islands. Thereafter the books were printed locally. Mourne Press As the name suggests the Mourne Press was based in Newcastle County Down where it produced a number of nicely printed books, some illustrated by woodcuts. Richard Rowley, Fifty Sonnets for Felicity. Newcastle, Co Down: Mourne Press, 1942. H.R. Carter Publications For a few years in the 1950s H.R.Carter published some handsomely produced titles. Brave Crack! includes early work by some of the best known Ulster writers; Lynn Doyle, Joseph Tomelty, Sam Hanna Bell and John Hewitt. Brave Crack! An Anthology of Ulster Wit and Humour. Belfast: H.R. Carter Publications, [1950]. (Private Collection) Self-published Self-published Love s Entanglement is an example of a self-published title. No other work by this author or imprint is known. The design is influenced by the Quota Press books of the time. E.Gilmour, Love s Entanglement. Belfast: Elmora Press, [1932]. (Private Collection) The poet Philip Larkin lived in Belfast between 1950 and 1955. In 1951 he self-published a collection of his poems which he had printed by the Belfast firm of R.Carswell. Only 100 were printed and few survive making it one of the rarest and most significant books printed in Belfast in the twentieth century. Philip Larkin, XX Poems. Belfast: The Author, 1951. (Private Collection)
THE PRESENT Blackstaff Press Rowel Friers, Riotous Living: a Book of Cartoons. Belfast: Blackstaff Press, 1971. The last decades of the twentieth century have seen the growth of a vibrant local p scene and the establishment of a number of commercial houses. Developments in information technology put the design and production of a book within the competence of anyone with a personal computer, and this has led to an increase in the number of self-published books where author and publisher are one and the same. Founded in 1971 the Blackstaff press has to date published over 650 titles. Its first title was a book of political cartoons, and among the many awards it has won is the Sunday Times UK Small Publisher in 1992. Friar s Bush Press Begun in 1984 its publications are often based on collections of photographs of places and people throughout Ireland. Looking back: Photographs by Arthur Campbell 1939-60. Belfast: Friar s Bush Press, 1989. Institute of Irish Studies Queen s University P was just one of the activities of the Institute of Irish studies and a number of important academic texts were published between 1981 and 2000. The late Ronnie Adams s pioneering study of reading and literacy is one of the most notable. J.R.R Adams, The Printed Word and the Common Man: Popular Culture in Ulster 1700-1900. Belfast: IIS, 1987. Ulster Historical Foundation Self-published Founded in 1956 the UHF has produced a very strong list in all facets of local history. Among the most imaginative titles are the thirty or more lists of Gravestone Inscriptions which are an invaluable source for family history. This is one example of many where the author acts as his own publisher. R.J.S. Clarke (ed) Gravestone Inscriptions, Vol 1. Belfast: UHF, 1966. Cahir McKeown, Enniskillen Reminiscences. Enniskillen: The Author, 1993.
Keeping track of local publications Legal Deposit Northern Ireland Publications Resource Under British legislation, one copy of every book, report or journal published in the United Kingdom must be sent to the British Library. Five other institutions may request a free copy within one year of publication: Bodleian Library Oxford, Cambridge University Library, Trinity College Dublin Library and the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales Most countries have system of legal deposit as a way of ensuring that the output of a nation s p is preserved for posterity. Research carried out in 1998 suggested that only 40% of titles published in Northern Ireland were claimed under Legal Deposit. The Establishment of NIPR With start-up funding from the British Library NIPR was set up to indentify, collect, preserve and make available all Northern Ireland publications (other than newspapers). NIPR relies on the generosity of publishers who are willing to deposit Privately Published copies of their publications. To date there are over 4,200 titles in the archive. Belfast Central Library and the Linen Hall Library are lead partners in the scheme, and there are dedicated repositories of NIPR material in both institutions. British Library London Trinity College Library Dublin NIPR Today In 2008, now funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, NIPR continues to go from strength to strength. The bibliographic details of all the material held in the collection can be accessed on the NIPR catalogue via the website www.nibooks.org. Use of the documents can be arranged by prior Connect appointment at either Belfast Central Library or the Linen Hall Library, or, in certain instances the material can be requested through Inter Library Loan at any local library. Central Library Belfast NIPR is always pleased to be made aware of publications published in Northern Ireland from 2000 on. For further information please contact NIPR on: (028) 9032 1707 or email: info@nibooks.org. Linen Hall Library Belfast Ulster Historical Foundation South Eastern Education & Library Board Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Northern Ireland Publications Resource Keeping track of local publications p for success a practical guide ANNE TANNAHILL At its best, p is one of the most absorbing, challenging and rewarding pursuits imaginable. At its worst, it is frustrating, exhausting and financially hazardous. But what does a publisher actually do? Published in response to demand from local publishers, this short guide provides a clear outline of the p process, with friendly, practical advice about sensible paths to follow and common pitfalls to avoid. Written by Anne Tannahill and designed by Wendy Dunbar, it is packed with helpful tips on financial management; legal aspects such as copyright and libel; editing, proofing, design, typesetting and printing; and paperback 80 pages full colour throughout illlustrated ISBN 978-0-9557419-0-6 publication: March 2008 free on request publicity, sales and distribution. Also included is a list of funding sources and a directory of useful addresses, as well as a bibliography, a glossary of p terms and an index. For further information please contact NIPR on: (028) 9032 1707 or email: info@nibooks.org. ANNE TANNAHILL was managing director of Blackstaff Press from 1980 to 2003, during which time the company won many prizes and awards for its publications and was named 1992 UK Small Publisher of the Year. She currently works as a freelance editor and p adviser. WENDY DUNBAR is widely acknowledged to be one of Ireland s most talented book designers, with her work attracting numerous awards over the years. She and her husband Dermott run the design studio Dunbar Design. This guide has been generously sponsored by its printer, W&G Baird Ltd of Antrim,wgbaird@wgbaird.com and was also financially supported by Awards for All, www.awardsforall.org.uk/northernireland Northern Ireland Publications Resource Linen Hall Library 17 Donegall Square North, Belfast, BT1 5GB tel: +44 (0) 28 9032 1707 fax: +44 (0) 28 9043 8586 email: info@nibooks.org Belfast Central Library Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1EA tel: +44 (0) 28 9024 2740 fax: +44 (0) 28 9033 2819 email: info@nibooks.org