Skein Publications 2023
We are very excited to announce the three titles for publication in our 2023 list:
The Book of Trivialities by Majed Mujed, translated by Kareem James Abu-Zeid (Spring 2023)
In a series of evocative vignettes, celebrated Iraqi poet Majed Mujed lyrically traverses the fraught landscapes of beauty, longing and resistance in a country at war. Intricately fusing political and personal histories, The Book of Trivialities speaks to the universal, undying quest for freedom that knows no borders or bounds. A profound, powerful sequence of verse from a poet who once lived through the heart of a revolution, and now lives for the revolutionary heart of love.
The Book of Trivialities is part of Skein Press’s Solstice Stories series featuring creative collaborations between writers, translators and visual artists. This innovative series showcases the work of contemporary writers and artists, at least one of whom is from a background traditionally underrepresented in Irish literature and the arts. It seeks to stimulate conversations and inspire hope by reconnecting us with our imaginations and bringing people and communities together. The series provides a unique developmental space to foster collaboration of this nature, with creativity and inclusiveness at its heart. Solstice Stories is designed to be a celebration of the small, the brilliant and the beautiful.
The Slug and the Snail by Oein DeBhairduin, illustrated by Olya Anima (Summer 2023) Co-publication with Little Island, Children’s Picturebook
The Slug and the Snail is a fable about difference, acceptance and choosing your own path, inspired by a story told through the Irish Traveller oral tradition. Two slugs travel happily together as brothers, until a crow shows them that they have no home. Ashamed, one of the slugs decides to make himself a home and calls himself snail. The brothers grow apart and become suspicious of each other. The slug with no shell-house feels ashamed until he learns to see that the very road he travels is his home, and so he shall never be homeless. The happy slug no longer sees himself through the judging eyes of others, but proudly asserts his place in the world.
Twiggy Woman by Oein DeBhairduin, illustrated by Helena Grimes (Autumn 2023)
From award winning author Oein DeBhairduin, Twiggy Woman is a collection of ghost stories rooted in the oral tradition of the Irish Traveller community, illustrated by the renowned artist Helena Grimes. These chilling tales, collected by Oein from Traveller folklore, are re-envisioned and retold for modern times. Oein’s writing is lyrical and beautiful, his perspective is rich and unique, and his writing appeals to a wide range of readers of all ages, backgrounds and interests.
We are grateful to the Arts Council of Ireland / An Chomhairle Ealaíon, The Rowan Trust and The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration. and Youth for their support.
For queries or more information, please contact info@skeinpress.com
