Introduction to the Chapbook

Clare knew Chapbooks well, and it is in his honour I resurrected the form for my 32-page books.

Historically a Chapbook is normally octavo in size (A5) and is a book or made up of one or more full sheets of paper on which 16 pages of text were printed, which were then folded three times to produce eight leaves. Each leaf of an octavo book thus represents one eighth the size of the original sheet.  These eight leaves are also known as ‘signatures’. So my Chapbooks being 32 pages in length are two signatures long, or 16 octavo (A5) sheets.

Chapbooks first came about in 16th century England with popular fairy tales like "Jack and Giant Killer" which Clare mentions of course:

To John Clare

 Well honest John how fare you now at home 


 The spring is come & birds are building nests 


 The old cock robin to the stye is come 


 With olive feathers & its ruddy breast 


 & the old cock with wattles & red comb 


 Struts with the hens & seems to like some best 


 Then crows & looks about for little crumbs 


 Swept out bye little folks an hour ago 


 The pigs sleep in the sty the bookman comes 


 The little boys lets home close nesting go 


 & pockets tops & tawes where daiseys bloom 


 To look at the new number just laid down 


 With lots of pictures & good stories too 


 & Jack the jiant killers high renown 


  (written in around 1861)

 Chapbooks were cheaply constructed and often roughly printed, but during the 17^th Century and later they were purchased by people who otherwise weren't able to afford books.  Very few survive as they were often thrown out after reading, or often (it is said) used as toilet paper!

The number of chapbooks printed in England is mind boggling.  During the 1660s, as many as 400,000 almanacs were printed every year, enough to distribute to one of every three households in the country.

I've been planning such for several years, to introduce the general reader to a wider range of 'Clare-related' subjects, each book concentrating on just one topic.  In keeping with their history my Arbour Editions Chapbooks are very inexpensive, but in a break with tradition the books are high quality productions with gloss covers.  

Each Chapbook - published quarterly - covers a single aspect of Clare's work in brief, and currently consists of 27 books, No. 28 is currently in the planning stage!

Drinking with John Clare (Q4 2016)

Helpston's Fountains (Q1 2017)

With the Gipsies (Q2 2017)

Playing Games with John Clare (Q3 2017)

Accursed Wealth (Q4 2017)

Trees - In a Strange Stillness (Q1 2018) - Double
Walking with John Clare (Q2 2018) - Double
Clouds (Q3 2018) - Double
The Gothic John Clare (Q4 2018)
The Revival of Interest (Q4 2018) (Guest edition)

Honesty and Hypocrisy (Q1 2019)
Childhood's Glory (Q2 2019)
Birds Nesting (Q3 2019)
A Cag of Small Swipes (Q4 2019)

O Woman Sweet Witchingly Woman (Q1 2020)
The Descending Spiral (Q2 2020)
Eden Defiled (Q3 2020)

Glad Christmass Comes (Q4 2020)

The Naked Fen (Q1 2021)

Child Harold (Q2 2021) - Double

Harvest Home (Q3 2021)

Dobbin (Q4 2021)

The Workhouse (Q1 2022)

On the Heath (Q2 2022)

Wood Pictures (Q3 2022)

The Wish (Q1 2023)

Love Songs (Q2 2023)

Old Songs and Ballads (Q4 2023)

Each of these volumes is further described via the 'Pages' list on the left-hand side of this page.  Do send me an email (arborfield@pm.me) if you would like more information or to make an order.)