A small, independent poetry publisher has issued a plea to supporters after an application for long-term funding was turned down. The rejection, it says, means “a much harder road ahead”.  

Broken Sleep Books, which is led by Aaron Kent, and is based in Llandysul, west Wales, describes itself as “a working-class, indie publisher”. It is asking followers to buy books, maybe as Christmas gifts, spread the word, or make a donation if possible.  

The publisher said: “We recently applied for long-term revenue funding through the Books Council of Wales, support that would have secured stability for Broken Sleep Books for the next five years and helped us continue publishing the ambitious, risk-taking, inclusive work we believe in so deeply. Unfortunately, we were not successful.  

“It’s disappointing, of course. We put forward a strong application, had a positive interview, and genuinely believed our publishing programme where we champion low socio-economic status authors, working-class authors, and marginalised authors, while widening access to the arts and degentrifying the arts, reflected the cultural values Wales should be proud to support.  

What hasn’t changed is our commitment. Broken Sleep Books will carry on publishing with the same determination, ambition, and care that has always sustained us, just with fewer resources and a much harder road ahead.” 

On its website Broken Sleep says that “our primary focus is in increasing access to the arts, in ensuring more people are able to engage in creativity regardless of their socio-economic status ... politically we are left-wing, and have no interest in misogynists, racists, sexists, the alt-right, or dickheads in general.”