Some 30 years ago, 1989 to be precise, a group of poets met in a ‘pub’ after a local writers’ group meeting. Most, if not all, were bemoaning the fact that, try as they might, they had great difficulty getting their work published.

This was in the days before the Internet and long before the birth of social media. Publishing was out of the reach of most poets without the assistance of ‘Arts Council’ grants or the patronage of publishers who in the main received Arts Council or other institutions funding.

Award winning poet and writer Ian Walton was one of the gathering and pledged to use his printing knowledge and experience to break the mould. He set about compiling a book of local poets work and produced a ‘short run’ of books (Poetry North 1990) and Poetry Now was born.