From LORNA THORPE, poet
I am writing in support of the campaign to save Arc Publications. Small presses are the lifeblood of poetry, and Arc is one of the finest. The quality of its list and its superbly produced books speak for themselves. As one of Arc's author's I have first hand experience of Tony Ward's commitment to poetry and willingness to take risks -in 2006 he took me on as an unknown poet who had just published her first pamphlet. Arc published my first collection two years later - it was well received and I have just completed my second, with the help of funding from ACE.
Of course I'm biased. As long as I write books worth publishing, I want to continue being published by Arc. Tony and Angela have been tremendously supportive of me and my writing. Between them they have a talent for making you feel part of their enterprise - a rare feat these days.
So yes, the loss of Arc would be a loss to me - but more importantly it would be a loss to poetry, not just in the UK but internationally.