
I wouldn't normally roll out two interviews within the space of a week but this is a special occasion. Today's interview is with none other than Joe England - editor, publisher and distributor of PUSH, the literary phenomenon that has been taking the streets of London by storm. Joe kindly gave me a little bit of his time to answer some questions about his magazine and discuss The Best of the First 10 Issues anthology which came out this week on East London Press.
For
anyone that has been living under a rock for the past 18 months (or
doesn't attend West Ham home games), what is PUSH?

What
was the catalyst in you creating the mag? How did it come about?
I
have always respected Kevin Williamson and what he did in getting new
writing and writers into the mainstream and his Rebel Inc Classic
series of books changed my life as got me reading important
literature. I wasn’t a big reader until I stumbled upon the books
he was putting out. Really exciting reissues by the likes of John
Fante, Alexander Trocchi and Knut Hamsun. But I never ever saw or
read his magazine. But knew all about it. I even had a Rebel Inc
Reader book ‘Sampled’ where Kevin explained how Rebel Inc came
into being and had samples of some of the books he was now publishing
through his Rebel Inc imprint. I loved the honesty in his words. And
his battle cry. Fuck The Mainstream. And he did exactly that. Then in
January last year when in Amsterdam, of all places, in a late night
outdoor book market down an covered alleyway, while looking for old
first edition classics – I was becoming a book collector back then
– I flicked through the magazine box. There was retro 70s porn in
there, UK mags too, Whitehouse and the like, UK porn mags run by a
bloke who now runs one half of West Ham, plus various other
magazines. Then BANG. Rebel Inc. Issue 4. Think it only cost me 8
Euros. Result. It’s the issue with the Irvine interview with both
him and Kevin E’d out of their eyeballs. It also featured a
powerful short story ‘Millway Away’ by John King, the first work
he ever had published and what went on to become his very successful
debut novel, The
Football Factory.
So I read the mag many times over and loved it but was also
frustrated that there seemed to be nothing like Rebel Inc happening
today. It was all Kindles and an overwhelming amount of poor online
publishing and vanity publishing gone mad. Any idiot could
self-publish on a Kindle. You had all these terrible writers thinking
they were something, and even bigger idiots providing praise. I read
some of them, and truly thought, we are so fucked if this is the way
forward. And after a few glasses of red wine one Sunday evening, I
mentioned to Joseph Ridgwell, who I had recently got to know, that it
was a fucking shame there wasn’t a Rebel Inc still out there and
how if there was one, then we would both have had a chance of getting
published in it. I had done some writing myself and felt there was
never going to ever be a DIY scene again. So I said, ‘Do you know
what, I might do one.’ And he replied, ‘Do one then!’ So I did.
Three weeks later PUSH Issue One hit the streets.
The
mag has been a phenomenal success - were you surprised that the
football crowd were so receptive to it?
I
went into this eyes blind. Dived in. Best way. Don’t think about
the reaction, etc, just do it, get out there and sell the fucking
thing. Knew the writing might connect, but you can never be sure how
this kind of thing will turn out. Especially doing this at football.
These days at football, you have got no end of people shoving
marketing leaflets into your face as you head to the ground. It is
understandable to be dismissive of a stranger approaching you, when
all you want to do is meet your mates for a drink/get in the
ground/have the piss you desperately now need since getting off the
tube after a session elsewhere. But with that first issue, I had that
photo of Julian Dicks holding the mag, that’s another story, but I
had Julian and knew I had a chance. And it allowed strangers to trust
me. I would talk about my own fanzine writing, that at £1.50 it was
a risk worth taking. Many took the risk. In fact many of those early
readers that go over West Ham, don’t buy the mag anymore on the day
of a game. They order online. Why? Because they are now collecting
them and don’t want the cover creased! Straight up. I love that
comment. I have also had so many emails from West Ham fans that said,
‘Read cover to cover on way home from game.’ The alternative read
on the way home from the game was then born and up and running.
Is
there a big gulf in the difference between online sales and on the
street sales?
Right
this is where I put things into context. I do on average a 120 print
run each issue. Anything greater and the momentum of putting the mag
out regularly would have been lost. 120 copies is the right size
print run. It has to sell out, quickly. All about momentum for me. As
a rule I take 40 mags to the closest West Ham home game from when
it’s back from the printers. I will sell all them 40, but if there
is a gap before next game, often I am taking the last half a dozen
along to a game to finish off the job. But yeah, there are a lot of
online sales too. I have mailed to the whole bleeding world. Ireland,
Scotland (loads to Scotland), Sweden, Germany, USA, Australia and all
over England; from Penrith to Penzance via London.
You've
put out thirteen issues (so far) and the best of the first ten issues
anthology just came out. How do you find the time to do it all? Is it
a one man operation or do you have any help?
Yeah,
I’m a one man band operation when putting it all together. I edit,
publish, sell on the street and do all the distribution. However, for
the last few issues, I have had young Jamie Hall on the scene doing
some selling with me on Green Street and Barking Road and outside
East Ham Working Man’s Club. He is a good lad with a bright future.
Anyway, for the past few years I haven’t had one full time job. Worked
full time all my life and it crushes all the energy and creativity
out of you. Recently I have had various part time jobs. Got just 2
right now. One working with young people excluded from mainstream
education (which I wish was a full time job) and the other late night
in retail. So there are spaces of opportunity for me to read over the
submissions, layout of mag, think about cover design, etc. This might
sound like I am being cocky, I’m not, but I do find it easy putting
each issue together. But then again I have had the strength and
knock-out power of the writing sent to me, combined with the passion
and support of all the contributors and readers, this has helped keep
my propeller spinning and makes the job a stroll.
How
did the deal to release the anthology come about?

Was
it hard to pick which pieces would be included and which wouldn't?
Done
my head in. Seriously. I said I wasn’t being cocky about how
putting the mag together was more fun than hard graft, but editing
the book soon became a total headfuck. Think there was something like
28 contributors in those first 10 issues plus 8 interviews. I had a
lot to consider. Also there was a deadline. No one had set me a
deadline before. I set my deadlines. No deadlines. But with each
issue of PUSH, I always knew though when I would have the mag sorted,
what the West Ham home game it would come out at would be. This was
different. Thought at one point I was out of my depth and about to be
found out! But got through all that, the book got sorted and I am
very happy with the running order. It definitely packs a good punch.
I
know how good it feels to hold a zine in your hand that you've just
put together, it must have been a special moment when you finally got
your hands on those paperbacks?
Yeah
it was. But I didn’t get sentimental or anything. I basically just
marvelled at the claret and blue cover. Obviously attracted to the
colours. This is a book you can
judge by the cover. I wanted it in essence to have a retro 1980s West
Ham fanzine look. The combined efforts of Harriet and Jose definitely
achieved that.

Will
the anthology be sold in shops or will you be out pedalling it on the
street, as per?
I
will be taking 20 copies to when West Ham play Leicester at home on
the Saturday before Christmas and many independent bookshops are
being targeted. But this is really the plan for early next year. But
two have already agreed to stock the book. And they are really
exciting bookshops. Can’t say more than that right now. Watch this
space.
My
lit zine PAPER AND INK actually launched in the same month (March
2013) as PUSH, Hand Job lit zine launched a couple of months after
that, and new lit zines seem to be popping up all over the place. Is
this merely a coincidence or is there a hint of literary revolution
in the air?
I
think the fact that it has just been announced that there has been
the biggest record sales of vinyl in 2014, best since 1996, that
tells you a lot about place and time and state of mind right now.
A
certain intrepid lit fiend, who wishes to remain nameless, got wind
of our interview and asked me to put forward his question to you, so
here it is: What would you do if the likes of Joseph Ridgwell,
Michael Keenaghan and Ian Cusack stopped submitting to PUSH? - as
without their input - PUSH would be fucked.
If
you are as prolific as the three writers mentioned – the spine of
the team – they can be subbing out all over the shop and still have
juice in the can. But if the spine of the team broke ranks, don’t
agree PUSH would be fucked without them. In fact, if anything, that
question shows a deep lack of respect to all the other contributors.
Off the top of my head, Carlton Burns, Steve Finbow, Bobby Dean Ward,
Ford Dagenham, Andrew Taylor, Simon Dent, Raymond Gorman, Melissa
Mann, Anette Roller, know I’m missing many out here, but the list
goes on etc, are all very talented writers. And PUSH is always open
to new writers being in each issue. In fact in issues to come, new
articulate/raw young blood will appear (what I actually want/know
will happen) that may have the three of them mentioned in the
question having to look over their shoulders, worrying about how this
would be the cruellest time to get a long term injury. No, I’ve got
no worries at all there. Know for a fact got young new writers
knocking on the door. But will always look to keep the spine of the
team. But I do want young London writers with no voice or place to
put that voice into a place, to make themselves known to me, get in
the mag. It is all part of the continued road forwards. The current
spine of the team has been the spine of the team for all the right
reasons. But Issue 14 will feature the youngest of any voices to
date, a couple of teenagers, one of them is only 16, which to me,
well, that’ll be a massive advance. So yeah, anything but fucked.
Next question.
So,
what does
the future hold for PUSH? Will we be talking about the
best of issues 11-20 anthology in a year's time or are you just
playing it by ear?
Said
to someone recently, that where we are right now is just the
beginning and I stand by that. But after PUSH 6 – the football
special, I thought I’d taken the mag as far as I could. Six issues
in six months, all sold out, but where to next? I was out of energy.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the ride but thought that PUSH 7 to
me would be the same old thing, magic gone, as inspiring as hearing
about a new Bay City Rollers album. Then got a message from Ian
Cusack. ‘David Peace just said he’d be happy to do an interview
for the next issue. What do you reckon?’ Rest is history etc. Yeah
got plans for further anthologies and aim now is for PUSH to get to
99 issues and then fold. Maybe not be in my lifetime. But that is the
new game-plan. Was gonna fold it after 6 issues, but now it’s like,
fuck it, we’re going to do 99. Always been about extremes with me.
Some
may say that you've given the literary establishment the kick up the
arse that it needed, what would you say about that?
I
don’t do this as any kind of a movement or statement or a glory
spite against them lot. But this has all been about a positive. I’ve
enjoyed the spirit of PUSH. From the legions of brilliant
contributors to feedback from the mags readership. All has been good.
It just happened and still continues to happen, as a natural flow,
nothing contrived. I have no connection to the literary establishment
only in the rejection slips eventually received that all working
class writers I know always expect to pop through the letterbox. Good
books are rejected daily. Certain voices never given a chance to
shine. The same old books published to make money not turn heads.
John King says this in the introduction to the anthology: ‘Truth
is, many people are not interested in contemporary fiction, because
there is nothing that remotely relates to their lives.’ And he’s
right.
I couldn't have put it any better myself. Long live PUSH and long live literary fanzines! Thank you for answering these questions, Joe.
Keep up to date with all the latest PUSH news on their website and/or Facebook page and grab a copy of The Best of the First 10 Issues Anthology which is is out now!
No comments:
Post a Comment