Books published by Valley Press

Recovery Songs is a cycle of narrative poems that focuses on the fall and rise of the human condition. These are stories of love, abandonment, abuse, addiction, loss, and by the end, a redemption earned. Unflinching and funny at times, this collection takes its reader through a life lived in the margins, and asks: how do we recover when everything appears lost?

This is a book of two halves, and many journeys. The first part sends us throughout the world and across history, finding the poetry in James Joyce's short-lived cinema, Dana Scully's oarless rowboat, the Cerasi Chapel, a Hindu temple, the Cardiff Mod scene and a Bowie-singing log delivery man - all painted with Lodge's trademark understated humour, striking imagery and careful observation.The second part is a lengthy sequence responding to Captain James Cook's first voyage aboard the Endeavour. Not a work of biography, or a history, this is an effort to capture the imaginative power of Cook's journey into the unknown through a squint view of his companions, the cultures he encountered and the events which unfolded. As a whole, Remarkable Occurrences is a deeply impressive literary achievement which will leave a lasting impression on all those who encounter it.

Science and poetry cross paths in this 10th-anniversary edition of Swain's debut collection, now featuring 20 pages of new work.Darwin¿s Microscope, Swain¿s debut volume of poetry, was first published in 2009 by Flambard Press. It is now in a tenth-anniversary volume from Valley Press, to celebrate the song cycle Endless Forms Most Beautiful, composed by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, of which a selection of the poems comprises a significant part. In the decade since her first publication, Swain has continued to inhabit the liminal space between science and poetry, working as a celebrated poet and art critic specialising in both ecological and medical topics, including a year as one of the first three poets-in-residence at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.With a section of new poems, Moult, exclusive cover art by artist Katherine Child, and an introduction by Luz Mar González-Arias, this edition gives readers the opportunity to revisit Swain¿s debut collection in the context of international debates on the current geological era, the Anthropocene, characterised by overwhelming evidence on climate change. With demonstrations of ecological grief taking place worldwide, there is now an urgency to search for reciprocal ways of relating to our environment. Darwin¿s Microscope contributes to the search from the vantage point of experiencing two worlds at the same time: in other words, by inhabiting the space where magic happens.

York is a city that is impossible to define. A city that contains Roman ruins, Viking remains, a Gothic cathedral and Victorian splendour crisscrossed with medieval cobbles; the identity of York is an ever-shifting thing. Likewise, nestled beyond the ancient walls, York St John University has an identity in flux. Starting life as a Victorian teacher training college to become a vibrant, tight-knit university community with a hotbed of creative talent, the students of York St John are just as in flux as the city. This anthology explores the multi-faceted question of identity, from what you are willing to give up to regional folklore. Beyond the Walls 2019 moves beyond the walls of our city to look at who we are, what we believe in, and the things that scare us. Who will you become after venturing Beyond the Walls?

"We are delighted to welcome you to the third annual edition of York Literary Review. This edition marks the beginning of a collaboration with Valley Press, a trailblazing publisher based close by in Scarborough. It is also the first year that the magazine is housed within York Centre for Writing, a hub for brilliant and innovative new writing led by the Creative Writing team at York St John University. Once again, the editorial process has been driven by a group of talented postgraduate students, who read through the huge number of submissions we received this year and argued passionately for the inclusion of the pieces here. This year we had a high number of very compelling pieces of creative non-fiction, and we're pleased to include more of these than in previous years. The selected contributors come from close to home (we are glad to publish the work of two former students and a York-based geographer) and much further afield - from Canada, the US and across the United Kingdom. We hope that you enjoy their varied and accomplished work." - The Editors

Writers have always regarded walls as a challenge to be overcome. Put a barrier in their way and they will tunnel under it, vault over it or simply blast their way straight through it. In Beyond the Walls, creative writing students from York St John University continue this laudable tradition with a collection of fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction that adroitly demolishes preconceived ideas about their so-called 'snowflake' generation. Tackling global issues like war, the environment and animal cruelty as well as more intimate, human-scale subjects like grief, depression and transformation with crystalline clarity, their collective vision is unflinching, informed, aware and, ultimately, compassionate.

A man does battle with a wolf, two sworn brothers lock horns - literally - as they drink and brag the night away and an old man turns to his flame-bellied stove for comfort when facing a bitter winter alone.These are just some of the fascinating folk who inhabit the magical stories of Hong Ke. Set in Xinjiang, the gateway between China and Middle Asia, The Howl of the Wolf paints a colourful picture of frontier life in all its earthy glory.