Irish Times critic Declan O'Driscoll writes “A more thoroughgoing account of a historical era's devastating impact on an overlooked society is explored in Samahani by Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin, translated by Mayada Ibrahim and Adil Babikir (Foundry Editions, 216pp, £12.99) Here, the wish for power, control and wealth - with all the allied abuse this necessitates - is passed from Portuguese colonisers to Omani invaders and British imperialists. Central to the novel is the reign of Sultan Suleiman bin Salim who allied himself with the man nicknamed Tippu Tip, one of the most brutal of slave traders. The "skin-burning, flogging and solitary confinement" that they practice leads to a rebellion during which the Sultan's daughter is captured and brought to a village with her eunuch slave, Sondus. The surprising relationship that had already begun to develop between them flourishes in this setting. Presumptuous British forces are next to take over the territory, freeing slaves but creating new forms of exploitative structures. What is less expected is how the general mess of history becomes shockingly specific at the denouement of this finely structured, fascinating novel.”

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Jeremy Black writes “A gritty account of a modern Spain set in Benidorm, this introduces the hard-drinking Michaela McKay, a dubious officer in the Spanish National Police with a British background, who “doesn’t like people who call the police” and is out to get hold of Reggie Kray’s Dunhill lighter and, with it, keen to understand her father Kyle. To that end, the use of intimidated and manipulated criminals is par for the course. Benidorm is a dystopia where “after the fireworks, the sulphurous smell of hell is all that’s left.” A very well-written and disconcerting book, that is short, elusive and genre breaking, all set beneath “clouds scattered strangely like spelling mistakes.””

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Maddy Fletcher writes “The covers are so pretty, nothing else really matters. Actually, the books are very good too, plus there’s a subscription option.”

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As a boy growing up in Sudan, Abdelaziz Baraka Sakin stole a book of horror stories by Edgar Allan Poe from under his brother's pillow. Those stories made him want to be a writer. But under the government of President Omar El-Bashir, being a writer was a dangerous business. Baraka faced detention and harassment and though he went on to win major literary prizes, he also earned the unwanted title of Sudan's first-ever banned writer.

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“The novel, delivered to us in Mayada Ibrahim and Adil Babikir’s elegant English translation, stands as a gripping testament to the dream of liberation and love in the era of slavery’s dusk,” writes critic Alex Tan.

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'Constantia Soteriou’s Brandy Sour tells guests’ stories in a slim, experimental novel whose flavours bounce off the page and straight into the mouth.'

Times Literary Supplement reviews Brandy Sour

FAR Author, Rosa Ribas, talks to The Guardian about the inspiration her Noir tale.

Foundry Editions founder, Richard Village, is interviewed by Harry Edmundson from the wonderful Sevenoaks Bookshop. He discusses how and why he got into publishing, our books as well as a bit about some of his favourite literature.

The launch of Your Little Matter at the Italian Cultural Institute in London.

It’s a startling moment: mother and daughter have become entwined. Who is speaking here, I ask, is she imagining Lucia’s voice? “When I started out on this journey, I didn’t know who I was going to meet,” she says. “And the more I got to know her, the more I became fond of her. She never got to my age. She’s still so young. She’s just a girl. And in the end I adopted her. Now I’ve got another daughter.”

We’re thrilled to share this glowing review from the Cyprus Sunday Mail for Brandy Sour! Dive into the captivating narratives set in the historic Ledra Palace Hotel, where every page is infused with the essence of Cyprus. Early June can’t come soon enough!

Congratulations Antonella and Maria Grazia!

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