Carcanet book launch online: Growlery by Katherine Horrex

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

Book now

Carcanet book launch online: Growlery by Katherine Horrex

26 August 2020

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Carcanet book launch online: Growlery by Katherine Horrex
Poet Katherine Horrex.
Book now

Since the start of lockdown, Manchester-based Carcanet Press – celebrating 50 years at the forefront of poetry publishing – have stepped up to the mark with a programme of regular online book launches broadcast live via Zoom. Following hot on the heels of multi-award-winning poet Sasha Dugdale and Chris Beckett, plus Evan Jones, Adam Crothers, Theo Kwek and Rebecca Watts, the latest event in the ether celebrates the launch of Katherine Horrex’s debut poetry collection, Growlery.

A graduate of Northern young writer development organisation The Writing Squad and the University of Manchester’s Centre for New Writing, class of 2016, Katherine Horrex was born in Liverpool, grew up in Hull and now lives in Manchester. She has worked as a processing clerk in a bank, a mail sorter, a book reviewer, an assistant editor and a proofreader of forms filled out by mystery shoppers, and she now runs a small business making and selling ceramics online and at markets.

Katherine Horrex’s work found an enthusiastic readership via the Carcanet New Poetries series and her poetry unpicks the illusion that order upholds society

Her poems have appeared in Carcanet’s New Poetries VII anthology published in April 2018 and Carcanet bedfellow PN Review as well as The Manchester Review, Poetry London, Poetry Salzburg Review and the Times Literary Supplement, among others.

Katherine’s work found an enthusiastic readership via the New Poetries series and her poetry unpicks the illusion that order upholds society and reveals the true ramshackle complexion of things. Her debut collection reimagines Mr Jarndyce’s “growlery” (his physical equivalent of a swearbox) in Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, looking at the concept of internal space in a 21st century that is both connected and disjointed. Growlery conjures a place haunted by flooded villages, broken ankles, ovarian health and factories. It dwells on a world of civic tensions, in the twilit zone between city and country, the human and the natural. Here, Brexit is a city with streets “worn into themselves like grafted skin”, corpse flowers bloom in America, and urban foundations crumble into cisterns.

Katherine will read from the brand-new book as extracts of the text are shown during the reading so that you can read along. She will also chat about the collection and her working processes with poet and critic Maryam Hessavi, who appeared at MACFEST earlier in the year and whose poems and reviews have appeared in various publications. An alumna of the University of Manchester, Maryam holds an MA in English Literature & Creative Writing and is a member of Manchester reading series Poets & Players, as well as a Ledbury Critic and Contributing Editor for the literary journal Ambit.

Registration for this online event is £2, later redeemable against the cost of the book, available direct from Carcanet at a special price – attendees will receive a discount code and details of how to buy during and after the event. Please note that there are limited places for this Zoom event, so do book early to avoid disappointment.

Growlery cover
Growlery cover

Where to go near Carcanet book launch online: Growlery by Katherine Horrex

Hern Food
Leeds
Restaurant
Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Indie Makers
Leeds
Shop
Indie Makers

Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
Leeds
Shop
Plant Point

Plant Point is designed to help you bring the jungle into your urban or suburban space. The home of beautiful plants in Leeds.

Leeds
Restaurant
Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
Leeds
Restaurant
Sela Bar & Pizzeria

Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

Leeds Beckett SU
Leeds
Restaurant
Leeds Beckett Student Union

Leeds Beckett Student Union hosts big-name artists and supports students through events, live music, and a vibrant campus venue.

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There's ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and entertainment facilities, making for a great evening out!

Watch the latest film releases and enjoy the industry-leading Sony 4K Digital screens, boasting spectacular picture quality, along with enhanced audio quality courtesy of Dolby 'Profound Sound'. Stepped SuperVue seating means you will never miss a second of the action while VIP seating guarantees you an extra touch of luxury whenever you want to upgrade.

Three of the nine screens showcase the newest 3D releases while Vue Classical brings the latest stage sensations to the big screen, and parents can save as they go with Family Tickets and Kids AM screenings offering great value for money.
Leeds
Cinema
Vue Cinema – Leeds Kirkstall Road

Located on Cardigan Fields Leisure Park, Vue Leeds Kirkstall is a nine screen cinema with almost 2000 seats. There’s ample parking and the cinema is surrounded by various restaurants and

Restaurant 2
Leeds
Café or Coffee Shop
Empire Café

Empire Café is located in Leeds’ ‘home of day dining’- Fish street!

Restaurant
Leeds
Restaurant
Phranakhon

Phranakhon Thai Tapas is a revolutionised Thai dining restaurant with a combination of European indulgence and authentic Thai tastes.

Restaurant
Leeds
Restaurant
Wen’s

Wen’s is a family owned Chinese restaurant specialising in authentic, home cooked cuisine.

What's on: Literature

Jenn Ashworth at Blackwell's Manchester
LiteratureManchester
Jenn Ashworth at Blackwells

Jenn Ashworth is back at Blackwells bookshop for the Manchester launch of her latest work, reading extracts and chatting to Helen Mort about how The Parallel Path came about.

From £4.00
LiteratureLeeds
Chemistry at The Chemic

Leeds live literature regular Chemistry offers an exciting mix of open mic acts and invited poets – this month the headliners include Rosie Garland.

Free entry
Poet Mike Garry. Photo Paul Wolfgang Webster
LiteratureManchester
Word Central at Central Library

Word Central is a long-standing live literature favourite at Central Library and features open mic performers and a special guest, brought to you by Manchester Libraries and Flapjack Press.

Free entry
Cover of a book with a canal boat on it saying boater by Jo Bell
LiteratureManchester
Jo Bell at The Portico Library

Poet and now memoirist Jo Bell invites you to join her “for a friendly evening” at The Portico Library when she’ll be talking about her new “smart, funny” memoir Boater.

From £6.00

Culture Guides

Star Nhà Ease
Cinema in the North

July's cinema highlights include spotlights on international cinema, a new cult classic, plus a visit from one of our favourite directors.

Exhibitions in the North

Captivating, urgent and intimate - we bring you our top exhibition picks, with even more art festivals, artist-led shows and new venues.

Theatre in Manchester
Theatre in the North

Summer signals theatre festivals, world premieres and open-air spectacle - from MIF25 to comedy, outdoor circus and beyond, here’s what we’re looking forward to.

European Poetry Festival European Camarade
Literature Events in the North

From tongue-twisters to twisty page-turners, we have all kinds of spoken word surprises in the latest literature round-up.

Helena Hauff
Music in the North

Shape-shifting bands, scorched-earth techno, and off-grid festivals. Our latest music picks catch the live scene at its most urgent, inventive and alive.