Speedball Books Launches Three New Books in an Evening of Fiction, Poetry, and Underground Literature
London, UK — August 7, 2026 — Independent publisher Speedball Books returns to The Cock Tavern this Friday with the launch of three new titles that push at the boundaries of contemporary fiction and poetry.
The evening celebrates the publication of Narco Beach by W.W. Hartwell, Taiwan Slash and I Write What I Want To Feel by Johnny Pulp, and AvantGarden, the sixth poetry collection by Jana Astanov.
More than a book launch, the event brings together a constellation of writers associated with Britain’s independent literary underground. Readings throughout the evening will feature Jana Astanov, Richard Marshall, Steve Finbow, and Byzantia Harlow, who will read from Ebbed Tide, her acclaimed novella first published in serialized form as Through the Aeons in Creatrix Magazine.
Joining them are Stewart Home, Paul Holman, Bridget Penney, Bob T. Bright, Peter Carty, Johnny Pulp, and other guests.
Speedball Books publishes fiction, poetry, and essays that refuse easy categorization—books that inhabit the space between literary fiction, transgression, philosophy, noir, experimental writing, and contemporary counterculture. The press is committed to discovering voices that challenge convention while remaining deeply engaged with the complexities of modern life.
The Cock Tavern has long served as an informal meeting place for writers, artists, musicians, and publishers. For one evening it becomes home to a gathering where new work is read aloud, books change hands, conversations spill late into the night, and independent literature takes centre stage.
Event Details
Speedball Books Book Launch
Friday, August 7, 2026
7:00 pm
The Cock Tavern
23 Phoenix Road
London NW1 1HB
Admission is free.
Books will be available for purchase throughout the evening. Cash is recommended.
Media enquiries:
Speedball Books:
Editrix: jana.astanov at gmail com
