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  Red Corner - a poetic collection

  Dawn Web

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  Through spoken word and musical compositions, Red Corner underpins the interconnectedness of key themes: identity, sexual health, neurodiversity, queer and political issues, sexism, racism, illness, suicide, perseverance, and navigating intergenerational trauma. Be transported by Dawn's raw and vulnerable tone: a visceral and transformative experience. Accompanied by musician and songwriter Salwa. 
  “The early chapters are spare, confessional, and often emotionally messy...strange, uncanny, and disorienting. In the first half of the collection, Web typically favours economical, lyric poetry reminiscent of Phyllis Webb’s Naked Poems, but often plays with the rhythmic and declarative registers of slam poetry, sections of dialogue that call to mind screenwriting, and prose poems. This formal elasticity builds towards the sixth chapter, Vortex, a personal essay that chronicles the poet’s journey through mental illness, sexual assault, and sexual identity. The voice in this chapter and the following—Backwards, a socially-minded section reminiscent of Karen Solie’s politically charged poetry—is confident, even strident; the path to that self-assurance has been traced in the earlier chapters, which reveal Web’s ambivalence, in terms of diagnosis, embodiment, illness, and treatment. In the final chapters, Web returns to an intimate and confessional voice that opens towards a greater sense of connectivity, community, and acceptance. RED CORNER is more than a collection—it’s a carefully mapped journey that acknowledges the difficult and essential nature of self-acceptance... Web’s first book is a great read—it’s complex, thoughtful, and engaging. The breadth and the depth of the writing in RED CORNER promises that it won’t be the last from this ambitious, brave, and introspective young writer.” 
  —Becca Babcock, Author with Nimbus Publishing, Actor/Filmmaker, Writing Instructor and Assistant Dean of FASS at Dalhousie University

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  Bessie Dunlop the Witch o Dalry

  John Hodgart

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  Based on the historical record of Bessie’s ‘confession’ to witchcraft in sixteenth-century Scotland, the episodic structure of the play shows the many characters and events that supposedly made up the catalogue of her crimes, but which in fact testify to her innocence and goodness. Bessie Dunlop, the Witch o Dalry introduces students to different levels and varieties of Scots and English and contains teaching notes, suggestions for classroom activities, and questions for discussion or writing. The original version of Bessie Dunlop, the Witch o Dalry was written by John Hodgart and Martin Clarke in 1977. Hodgart rewrote the play for an EIS Drama competition before revising it again for Hodder and Staunton who published it as a school text in 1995. This 2021 shorter edition is the fourth version of the play.

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  David Copperfield

  Charles Dickens

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  A childhood marked by hardship. A youth shaped by resilience. A life transformed by love, loss, and unbreakable hope.
  From the moment David Copperfield enters the world, his path is filled with challenges—cruelty at home, betrayal, poverty, and the struggle to find his place in a vast and unforgiving world. Yet through every trial, he grows: meeting unforgettable friends and foes, learning hard truths, and discovering the strength of his own character.
  
  Praised as "the novel Dickens loved most," this epic coming-of-age tale captures the full sweep of human experience with humor, heart, and emotional depth. Readers across generations cherish its vivid characters—Steerforth, Agnes, Uriah Heep, Mr. Micawber—and the hope that even the darkest beginnings can lead to a brighter future.
  
  If you love rich storytelling, powerful emotions, and classics that stay with you for life, this masterpiece is essential reading.
  
  Start David's journey today—and let his triumphs and trials inspire your own.

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  Peter Pan - (stage version)

  J. M. Barrie

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  'All children grow up, except one.'
  Chasing his runaway shadow, a mischievous young boy who will never grow up crash lands through an open window and meets a headstrong young girl who is desperate to be an adult.
  With a sprinkle of fairy dust, they take flight on a whirlwind voyage over pirate ships, through mermaid lagoons and into the heart of Neverland.
  Adapted from J.M. Barrie's perennial favourite, this enchanting new version by Evan Placey, with songs by Vikki Stone, premiered in 2023 at Rose Theatre, Kingston upon Thames, directed by Lucy Morrell. It was commissioned by the Rose to be performed by twenty members of the Rose Youth Theatre alongside four professional adult actors. It offers rich opportunities for other theatre companies who want to keep their audiences hooked with a magical, musical classic.
  50% of royalties from the sale of this book and amateur performance licences are donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.

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  Dracula

  Bram Stoker

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  Dracula is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. It is an epistolary novel with no single protagonist. The narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. 
  It was mostly written in the 1890s and drew extensively from Transylvanian folklore and history. Some scholars have suggested that the character of Dracula was inspired by historical figures like the Wallachian prince Vlad the Impaler or the countess Elizabeth Báthory, but there is widespread disagreement. Stoker's notes mention neither figure. He found the name Dracula in Whitby's public library while on holiday, thinking it meant devil in Romanian. 
  Dracula is one of the most famous pieces of English literature. Many of the book's characters have entered popular culture as archetypal versions of their characters; for example, Count Dracula as the quintessential vampire, and Abraham Van Helsing as an iconic vampire hunter. The novel, which is in the public domain, has been adapted for film over 30 times, and its characters have made numerous appearances in virtually all media.

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  Ave Maria - A dramatic monologue...

  Hart Crane

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  Harold Hart Crane was born on the 21st July 1899 in Garrettsville, Ohio. 
  Crane was drawn to literature at an early age, becoming a voracious reader and pursuing self-education rather than attach himself to a more formal college education, although he did attend East High School in 1913.  His developing love of poetry was nurtured with the works of the English Romantics and the French Symbolists, as well as near contemporary American poets. 
  Much of his youth was spent shuttling between Cleveland and New York as his parents’ marriage descended into continuing conflict before they separated with Crane still in his teens.  Shortly after Crane attempted to enlist in the U S Military but was rejected for being a minor. 
  His first published poem also came in 1917 with ‘C33’ and its reference to the cell number that Oscar Wilde was incarcerated in. 
  Crane now centred more of his time in New York and immersed himself in the vibrant artistic scene of Greenwich Village.  Alongside this he dabbled in various jobs to support himself, including copywriting and work in a munitions factory, as he continued to develop his ambitions for a poetic career.   
  His early work was already being noticed for its lush and rich use of words and by the time ‘White Buildings’ was published in 1926 he was being critically acclaimed. 
  Despite this success his personal life was troubled.  It was both nourishing his work and fuelling complex patterns of despair as he sought to establish his identity.  In a time when homosexuality was openly condemned his openly gay attitude sat uneasily as he pursued relationships that were both intense and emotionally fraught. 
  His acclaimed work ‘The Bridge’ in 1930 was both ambitious and a foundation stone for new American poetry.  Against this his battles with depression and alcoholism were being lost. 
  Hart Crane died on the 27th April 1932 by jumping from the deck of a steamship into the Gulf of Mexico upon his return to the United States from Mexico.  He was 32.

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