About Penned in the Margins

Penned in the Margins is a literary arts producer and independent publisher. Based in London’s East End, we specialise in contemporary poetry and spoken word, but operate across all artforms.

Live Events and Productions

Since 2004 we have curated, produced and commissioned a diverse range of events, projects and productions: from sell-out music/poetry nights at The Spitz to London Lip and Visions of the City at the Bishopsgate Institute; from Salt Margins and Stress Fractures Performance Lectures at the Whitechapel Gallery to a series of bespoke literary salons at Aubin & Wills. We have produced a number of UK touring shows including the trailblazing Generation Txt, spoken word comedy show Found in Translation, and poet Siddhartha Bose’s one-man play Kalagora. We are currently producing Electronic Voice Phenomena.

We’ve worked with over one hundred and fifty writers, musicians and artists, including Iain Sinclair, Glyn Maxwell, Daljit Nagra, dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip, Inua Ellams, Siddhartha Bose, Laura Dockrill, Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band, Hannah Silva, Luke Kennard, Jeremy Warmsley, Joe Dunthorne, David Harsent and Clare Pollard.

Find out what’s on.

Publishing

We published our first book, the anthology of new poets Generation Txt, in 2006. Since then we’ve racked up over thirty titles spanning poetry, criticism and short fiction. As well as poetry collections and anthologies, we publish a series of limited edition mini-books from the likes of Roddy Lumsden and Luke Kennard. Our books have been Longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award, Highly Commended by the Forward Prizes, and featured by the likes of Time Out, The Sunday Times, The TLS, The Independent, Dazed Digital, The Culture Show and BBC Radio 3. Adventures in Form was a PBS Special Commendation and was picked by The Independent as one of its 50 Best Summer Reads. In 2013 we were voted Most Innovative Publisher by the Saboteur Awards.

See our full catalogue.

If you are looking to submit your manuscript, please consult this page.

Consultancy

As well as our books, events and productions, we offer a range of consultancy services: from marketing to website design, event programming to podcasting. Organisations we’ve worked in partnership with include Arts Council England, the Poetry Society, Poetry London, Free Word Centre, Resonance FM, Jewish Book Week, the London Borough of Ealing, Writers’ Centre Norwich, Spread the Word and Salt Publishing.

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Staff

Director – Tom Chivers

Tom Chivers is a writer and literary arts producer. His books include How To Build A City (Salt Publishing, 2009), The Terrors (Nine Arches Press, 2009; shortlisted for the Michael Marks Award for Poetry Pamphlets) and, as editor, Generation Txt, City State: New London Poetry and Stress Fractures: Essays on Poetry (Penned in the Margins, 2006, 2009, 2010). In 2008 he was Poet in Residence at the Bishopsgate Institute, and in 2009 he presented a documentary about the poet Barry MacSweeney for BBC Radio 4. He received an Eric Gregory Award in 2011.

Tom was co-Director of London Word Festival from its inception in 2008 until 2011, and was a recipient of a Breakthrough Award from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. As well as promoting the likes of Phill Jupitus, Christian Bök and Saul Williams, he has commissioned and produced a wide range of new performance work including The 14th Tale by Inua Ellams, Hackney Ascension Day by Iain Sinclair, Shad Thames, Broken Wharf by Chris McCabe, Briggflats Rewired by Leafcutter John, Every Rendition in a Broken Machine by Ross Sutherland, and site-specific murder mystery The Crash.

Tom has worked on a variety of arts and literature projects with organisations such as The Poetry Society, Writers’ Centre Norwich, the Arvon Foundation, and the Free Word Centre, where he was Digital Editor 2011-12. He has been a Board Member of the Poetry Book Society since 2009.

Research & Production Assistant – Nick Murray

Nick Murray is a live literature producer, writer, viola player and head of Annexe Magazine based in London. His art and installation work has featured in exhibitions such as Sites of Alternative Publishing (Five Years Gallery) and toured with Electronic Voice Phenomena (Mercy/Penned in the Margins).

Associate Artists

Siddhartha Bose
Hannah Silva
Ross Sutherland

Creative Associate

Russell Bender

Advisory Board

Chris Baker
Paul Cann
Oliver Dawson
Rose Fenton
Julia Payne
Natasha Tripney