Gerard Bellaart :: COLD TURKEY PRESS




COLD TURKEY PRESS

Cold Turkey Press' first publication was "Drunk Miracles & Other Immolations" a selection of poems by Charles Bukowski.
In 1965 on the Greek island of Hydra Bellaart met various Beat poets; Leonard Cohen, Gregory Corso, Sinclair Beiles, Harold Norse and others some of whom he would later publish:

"I first came across the writings of Charles Bukowski in 1965, Hydra, Greece, when someone handed me a copy of 'The Outsider'.
In 1969 I made a selection of his poems, translated them into Dutch and published them under the title 'Drunk Miracles & Other Immolations' in 1970 with a specially written introduction by Bukowski. It was the first appearance of his work in Holland."

In the years that followed he published works in English and Dutch, all in limited first editions of 250 printed on a Gestetner mimeograph machine, the wartime radio speeches of Ezra Pound (edited by W. Levy) proving the most controversial. Other publications included works by: Antonin Artaud; Blaise Cendrars; Garcia Lorca; Cesar Vallejo; William burroughs; Allen Ginsberg; Ed Sanders; Sinclair Beiles; Ira Cohen; Heathcote Williams etc.
Cold Turkey Press is now being recognised as having been ahead of its time and responsible for putting Rotterdam on the international map during the 1970's. Much to Bellaart's amusement CTP's reputation has grown, both in Europe and in the US.

Allen Ginsberg	Blaise Cendrars	Cesar Vallejo	William Burroughs
Charles Bukowski	Ezra Pound	Heathcote Williams	Sinclair Beiles

A few years ago, Bellaart was approached by Ben Schot the editor/publisher of Sea Urchin Editions, a small independent publishing house in Rotterdam. He proposed to publish a selection of material from the CTP archive. The first result of this collaboration is "12 Great Americans" (2006) a CD of poetry readings by Ed Sanders, Allen Ginsberg, Ray Bremser and others. In 1972 this appeared as the, now highly collectable, "A Cold Turkey/Klacto Special" LP. Forthcoming Sea Urchin/Cold Turkey Press Editions will be pamphlets of first translations into Dutch of Antonin Artaud, Blaise Cendrars, Sinclair Beiles, Paul Bowles and others. For further information visit www.sea-urchin.net
Bellaart's achievements have recently been marked by an exhibition of the Cold Turkey Press archive at the Historical Museum in Rotterdam (16/5/2006 Ð 16/7/2006). www.historischmuseumrotterdam.nl

Classic Gerard Bellaart - fine ambitious spirit
mind and meticulous loving eye
happily surprised
Allen Ginsberg (poet)