laudanum is a London-based publisher of quality poetry anthologies. Our themed anthologies are open to submissions, while our chapbook anthologies are commission only and feature the work of three distinctive poets per volume. Chapbooks are, on average, 10 pages in length, and yet they afford the author extraordinary scope to experiment and/or a niche for shorter projects. For emerging writers, chapbooks are often the first book forward, introducing their voice to the business of print pre-pamphlet or full-length collection. Hence, chapbooks are ordinarily sold as individual volumes. At laudanum we aim combine the best of both: the variety and faculty of new and established voices. Of course, the reward of combining chapbooks is the reader's chance of discovering new names by way of association - and to a more explorative level than single-poem anthologies. Although quality can be a measure of success, these anthologies aren't simply a vehicle for 'the best', but a means to disseminate verse that is exciting and inspiring for poets and public alike. Every good poem has a job to do. Some are more accessible or challenging to read. laudanum strives to deliver a more Taoist 'middle road' without the blandness of health & safety, just a healthy mix of sex and cerebrum, philosophy and play, poetry of the moment and the considered avant-garde.
