Pencil's 2nd post - The Launch

Finally, we are updating the blog and sending out a great big walloping thanks to everyone who came down to The Book Club, Leonard Street for the launch of hotpencil press and There Is No Word For It. What a fantastic night. Serge and I were mightily touched and uplifted by all your support and positive responses to the book. An enormous thanks also to the cast for reading the excerpts, Mike and Chopin for DJ-ing and working on the Monster mix and the flash mob dance, Jean Feline for taking the photos, and Nana and Liat for getting us in the building on the first place. 

At the moment we are currently busy setting up meetings and arranging to take There Is No Word For It out to other venues in the UK and beyond. If anyone is interested in leaving quotes or info on your responses to the publication then please email us at info@hotpencilpress.com and we'll post responses on the blog. 

The website is up and running with Paypal buttons for ordering including P&P; thanks to Jason Elvis Barker for all his help with this. You can still grab direct sales launch price copies from Serge and I for £10.00. Books are also available from Gays The Word Bookshop web-link. 

Currently we have plans to launch There Is No Word For It in the US in 2012, opening with dates in San Franciso and New York.

Watch the blog for updates.

Pencil's First Post - Launch Party

Hello, Welcome

This is our first post as the editors and founders of [ hotpencil > press. After two years of hard labour Serge and I (Laura) have established, set up and produced our first publication. There Is No Word For It was originally a theatre show. When we performed the piece it was ironically / wittily described as The (Trans) Mangina Monologues, and at the time we thought that it would exist in the live only. However, public appetite was so overwhelming for the stories and the subject matter (and the men in the cast) that we decided to produce our first book.

What’s In A Name?

[ hot pencil > press came about as many good ideas do – after an evening in the pub as Serge and I scribbled down suggestions on a paper napkin, including various types of logos. We decided to launch the press ourselves in collaboration with Simon Croft as our designer, and we set to work categorising the collected stories and selecting the font setting and cover. The book title is made out of an original paper cut designed by Simon. We decided the black cover with the white letters would make it stand out and give it an old typewriter keyboard feel. Also, we felt that a little black book was sexy.

Pressing The First Title

Presently, There Is No Word For It exists as several hundred copies in cardboard boxes, sitting in Serge’s flat. I hasten to add, we didn’t make this title ourselves slaving over huge ink presses and loaded cartridges, dressed in stained white aprons. We formatted, re-structured and sent the whole volume off to Biddles to print for us. We won’t bore you with the details of self-publishing but it’s a long and elaborate task including proof reading, numerous drafts and delivering a fresh off the printing press copy to the British Library.

The Press and Book Launch

Now onto the good stuff. The book will be launched on Thursday July 21st 7-12, at The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, EC2A. Shoreditch, East London. Bar cafe gallery arts venue. Near Old Street tube or Shoreditch overground.

It will be our first party and also our first occasion to buy the book. There will be DJs and readings and various activities.

Come and meet and party with Laura Bridgeman and Serge Nicholson, along with members of the original cast from the reading of There Is No Word For It.

Arrive from 7pm; readings by cast members after 8pm.

Signed books for sale. £10 special rate.

DJs Chopin & Mike play. Arm wrestling. Pool table. And no doubt other high jinks.

Private downstairs bar and dance floor all to ourselves. Cafe bar gallery upstairs for food and hot drinks and ping pong open to all. 

An opportunity to party and to bombard Serge and I with questions, and allow us to fill you in generally. Also, there’ll be plenty of booze to quaff. We will keep you updated on all
[ hotpencil> press news and events via this blog.