From KEKI DARUWALLA, poet (India)
I am very distressed to hear that the Arts Council has withdrawn its grant to ARC Publishers. That dedicated and excellent poetry publishers should lose out in today's rat-race-world is a shame. Poetry has been receiving short shrift since the last two decades--and am sorry to say that England set the ball rolling, with O.U.P. deciding to cut back on its poetry list. OUP India followed and I and others lost our poetry publishers.
One fine day I got an email out of the blue--ARC publishers wanted a book by me! Can anything be more exciting for a poet. The production was immaculate--the best produced book I've ever had. Have seen other books by them--Michael Hulse, for instance--all of them containing excellent poetry.
And the editors--Tony Ward and Angela Jarman, whom I have never met, I discovered were true dedicated professionals and lovers of good poetry.
Hope the Arts Council gives the matter a rethink.