From ELIZABETH SMITHER, New Zealand poet laureate, 2001-3; Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement 2008; Hon D Litt (Auckland) 2008
I had the privilege of being published by Arc in 2004. I had been contacted by Tony and Angela through the New Zealand poet, Karl Stead. Eventually a selected poems: A Question of Gravity, edited by John Kinsella, was launched at the Aldeburgh festival, where I read with Margaret Atwood and Hans Magnus Enzensberger. Following that, organised by Arc and with the support of the Northern Arts Council, I went on a tour of British festivals, some in the company of Julia Darling.
Arc is known throughout the poetry world as a producer of exquisitely-designed poetry collections and is a foremost translator of international poets. Its translators are of the highest calibre – frequently poets themselves – and if this were to cease the loss would be enormous. Few other publishers offer anything approaching the range of Arc Publications. Arc’s stable of writers has taken years to create; each year it adds new and important names.
I sincerely hope this decision can be re-visited and reversed. The loss to readers but perhaps even more importantly to practitioners of contemporary poetry in Britain hardly bears thinking about.