Alan Halsey

Alan Halsey (1949-2022) was a British poet, specialist bookseller, and publisher. Born in Croydon, Surrey, he managed The Poetry Bookshop in Hay-on-Wye for nearly two decades before relocating to Sheffield in 1997. In Sheffield, he established West House Books in 1994, a press dedicated to contemporary poetry and related writings, which he later co-managed with his wife, poet Geraldine Monk. His publishing career extended to editing and illustrating works, particularly those focusing on poetry and visual arts. Halsey's death was announced in October 2022 by Shearsman Books.

Halsey's creative output spanned poetry and prose. His poetry collections include "Five Years Out" (1989), "Wittgenstein's Devil" (2000), "Marginalien" (2005), and "Not Everything Remotely" (2006). His prose works feature "The Text of Shelley's Death" (1995) and "A Robin Hood Book" (1996). He also engaged in collaborative projects and produced text-graphic works, such as "Memory Screen," which was exhibited at the Bury Text Festival in 2005. Additionally, Halsey authored essays on Thomas Lovell Beddoes and edited a later version of Beddoes' "Death's Jest-Book."

Alan Halsey's career was deeply intertwined with the world of books, both as a curator and a creator. From 1979 to 1997, he was instrumental in managing The Poetry Bookshop located in Hay-on-Wye. Following this period, he moved to Sheffield in 1997, where he continued his work as a specialist bookseller. It was in Sheffield that he founded West House Books in 1994, a publishing venture focused on contemporary poetry and works related to the field. This press later operated in partnership with his wife, the poet Geraldine Monk. His dedication to publishing extended to editing, notably a later version of Thomas Lovell Beddoes' "Death's Jest-Book" (2003), and his own critical essays on Beddoes.

Halsey's own literary output included a range of poetry and prose. His poetry collections, such as "Five Years Out" (1989) and "Wittgenstein's Devil" (2000), formed a significant part of his oeuvre. He also authored prose works like "The Text of Shelley's Death" (1995). Beyond his individual creations, Halsey was involved in numerous collaborative projects with fellow artists and writers, including "Fit to Print" with Karen Mac Cormack and "Quaoar" with Ralph Hawkins and Kelvin Corcoran. His engagement with the visual aspect of literature was also notable; his graphics were published widely, and he served as an illustrator for several books. His text-graphic work, "Memory Screen," was featured in the Bury Text Festival in 2005, highlighting his interdisciplinary approach.