Independent Small Press
Welcome to Turas Press, an independent, Dublin-based publisher dedicated to providing a platform for new and innovative writing.
In Irish and Scottish Gaelic, “turas” means “journey.” Turas Press was founded in May 2017 to support writers of poetry and fiction in launching their work into the world and finding an audience.
Christine Murray’s new book ‘bind’ – launch October 8th!
Turas Press is proud to publish a new book from the eminent poet and activist Christine Murray. An innovative and experimental ‘waking book’, ‘bind’ will be launched by Peter O’Neill in the Irish Writers’ Centre, Dublin on October 8th at 6.30pm. 
Christine is renowned for her pioneering work in bringing women’s poetry to international attention through Poethead, the database of women poets which she created and curates. Her own work is widely published in anthologies including “And Agamemnon Dead: An Anthology of Early 21st Century Irish Poetry,”(Eds Peter O’Neill and Walter Ruhlmann); “All the Worlds Between” Eds. Srilata Krishnan and Fióna Bolger, Yoda Publishing, 2017), “The Gladstone Reading” ,(Ed. Peter O’Neill, Famous Seamus Publishing, 2017). Christine was also a contributor to “Eavan Boland: Inside History,”(Eds Siobhán Campbell and Nessa O’Mahony, Arlen House, 2016.) 
‘Bind’ is an evocative long poem in several sections, and shows Christine’s original and powerful work in a book-length format that displays a kaleidoscope of really beautiful poetic vision. Eavan Boland said this of ‘bind’:
“These elegant, impressionistic poems work with a fractured landscape, one that will haunt and engage the reader. The wing of a bird, a black crystal, a willow tree – in the brief, taut language of the poems these references begin as words and end as codes. They gesture towards mysteries and secrets, and the feelings that are an archive for both. Chris Murray writes with grace and lyric thrift and her poems will remain in the reader’s memory long after they have caught the reader’s attention.”
Come to the launch, read ‘bind’, visit Christine’s Poethead database or all of the above! You’ll find Poethead at https://poethead.wordpress.com/
Launch of Canticle, May 15th, Irish Writers’ Centre
Liz McSkeane’s first novel, “Canticle,” a historical detective thriller set in Renaissance Spain, was launched by Anthony Glavin in the Irish Writers’ Centre on May 15th. 
“Canticle” is based on the life of the Spanish mystic poet St. John of the Cross and was a winner in the IWC/Greenbean Novel Fair, 2016. 
Anthony Glavin was one of the Novel Fair judges and gave a generous and thought-provoking introduction to the novel. Many friends assembled for the celebrations, including veterans of the Brook’s writing group, the Troika and even some visitors who came all the way from Scotland! Great to see “Canticle” out in the world at last and thanks to all those who played their part in making it happen!
New collection from Jo Burns, publication 2018, date now confirmed for November 6th!
Turas Press is delighted to announce that Turas Press will publish the first full collection, “White Horses”, from award-winning poet Jo Burns, later this year. Jo was born in Northern Ireland and lives in Germany where she works as a freelance translator, board member for a foundation supporting rural development projects in East Africa and India, and raising three teenagers.
Jo’s work is arresting, complex and profound and presents a powerful voice that is deeply engaged in personal, social and political topics. Turas Press is excited that she will be joining the Turas Press team. Among her many achievements, she was a winner in:
• the Shirley McClure Poetry Prize at the Irish Writers Festival in Los Gatos, CA;
• the Eyewear Fortnight Prize;
• the Magma Judges Prize Poetry Competition 2018.
In addition she was
• one of Eyewear Publishing’s Best British and Irish Poets 2017;
• shortlisted for the Belfast Book Festival Mairtin Crawford Award 2017;
• Shortlisted for the Over the Edge New Writer of the Year;
• a Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net nominee
Jo’s pamphlet, “Circling for Gods,” was published in spring 2018 by Eyewear Publishing. Her work has been published widely in many journals and she was shortlisted for the Strokestown International Poetry Prize. We were delighted to meet Jo and hear her reading from her superb work at the Strokestown International Poetry Festival at the start of May. And many congratulations, Jo, for taking third prize for your beautiful poem, Phaethon.
“White Horses” will be published on November 6th, launch in the Irish Writers’ Centre, 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1 at 6.30 pm. More details to follow closer to the time.
February 9th, 2018: Over the Edge
Kevin Higgins of Over the Edge, Galway city’s literary events organisation, kindly invited Ross Hattaway and Liz McSkeane to take part in the 2018 Poetry Book Showcase in Charlie Byrne’s bookshop in Galway. It was a wonderful night with contributions from many Galway writers, and a great welcome for the visitors from Turas Press. See this link for other interesting Over the Edge activities. http://overtheedgeliteraryevents.blogspot.ie/
Many thanks to Kevin for inviting Turas Press to take part. We really enjoyed meeting you all.
February 5th, 2018: “Crunch” – a new collection by Anamaría Crowe Serrano
Anamaría Crowe Serrano’s exciting new collection, “Crunch,” was launched at the beginning of February in the Irish Writers’ Centre. It was a great celebration and poet Fióna Bolger gave a wonderful, insightful introduction.
January 14th, Books Upstairs reading
Books Upstairs have recently started hosting Sunday afternoon readings in their beautiful café space upstairs in – Books Upstairs. Turas Press had the privilege of being the first of the hosted readings, on January 14th. Ross and Liz read from their current Turas Press publications and Anamaría gave us a taster of her forthcoming collection, “Crunch.”
October 23rd, 2017: The Listeners, the Eden in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
Liz and Ross were invited to share their work as featured readers at The Listeners monthly event in Rathfarnham on October 23rd last.
Here they are, happy to have signed many books!
Thanks to Dara Bradish and Paul Bragazzi for hosting Turas Press.
September 4th, 2017 Ross Hattaway’s third collection
Ross’s third poetry collection “How to Sleep with Strangers” was launched on September 4th, 2017 in the Irish Writers’ Centre at 6.30 pm, introduced by Anne Tannam. Her introduction is available on this website under the Reviews tab.
May 2nd, 2017 Launch of Turas Press
The launch of Turas Press and its first publication, “So Long, Calypso,” by Turas Press founder Liz McSkeane, took place on May 2nd, 2017 in the Irish Writers’ Centre in Dublin.
Poet Eamonn Lynskey launched “Calypso.”
You can read his introduction to the book on his own website, here: https://eamonnlynskey.com/2017/05/06/so-long-calypso-a-new-poetry-collection-from-liz-mcskeane-turas-press-2017-isbn-978-0-9957916-0-2/
Turas Press will be accepting submissions of poetry and prose during the months of February and March, 2019. Please send manuscripts, by email only, to:
admin@turaspress.ie
Poetry: send your full manuscript in a Word document , with a covering letter in the body of the email. Please do not send zip files with individual poems in single files – whole collection in one document, please.
Novel: send up to 10,000 words or the first three chapters of your novel and a one- or two-page synopsis, both attached as Word documents, with a covering letter in the body of the email.
Short story collections: attach up to three short stories as one single Word document, with a covering letter in the body of the email.
In your covering letter, include a brief overview of your writing and publications history to date.
Please allow up to six weeks for a response.
Turas Press is hugely grateful for the support of an expanding network of independent bookshops who have generously agreed to stock our books. At the moment, Turas Press books are available in bookstores in Dublin, Galway, Cork, Sligo and lately, Glasgow! If you would like to buy our books and are close to any of these places – do call in and make your purchase there. Turas Press is committed to supporting, in whatever small way we can, the work of the independent bookstores.
We are keen to bring Turas Press publications to as wide an audience as possible and are taking active steps – by visiting bookshops – to do that. So, if you know of any independent bookshops that you think might be interested, you might consider directing them to this website – or alternatively, let us know and we’ll contact them.
If you are living overseas or in a part of the country where the Turas Press list has not yet arrived, no problem, you can buy directly from this website. Just scroll down to the end of this page and click on the book you want. Your order will be despatched in a day or two. If there are any glitches, email us at admin@turaspress.ie.
