AURORA METRO PRESS

The company was set up in 1989 by a group of writers involved in creative writing workshops at the Drill Hall Arts Centre in central London. With the aim of promoting new writing, the company has specialised in anthologising new drama, fiction and work in translation.
The Press was awarded the

Raymond Williams Publishing Prize by the Arts Council of Great Britain (1992) ,
Pandora Publishing Award by Women in Publishing. (1991)

Gourmand World Cookbook awards for:
Best Innovative Foodbook 2004
Special Jury Prize for peace 2004

We have published around 100 writers including:
Germaine Greer, Klaus Mann, Nawal el Sadaawi, Biyi Bandele, Meera Syal, Ariane Mnouchkine, Joe Penhall, Naomi Wallace, Michele Roberts, Charles Way, Jonathan Moore etc.

All books available from good bookshops.
Mail order: info@aurorametro.com
And via Amazon.co.uk

Distribution:

UK
Central Books
99 Wallis Road
London E9 5LN
Tel 020 8986 4854
Fax 020 8533 5821
orders@centralbooks.com
www.centralbooks.com

USA
Theatre Communications Group
520 Eighth Ave
24th Floor
New York
NY
10018-4156
Tel 212 609 5900
Fax 212 609 5901
tcg@tcg.org
www.tcg.org

CANADA
Playwrights Canada Press
215 Spadina Ave
Suite 230
Toronto
Ontario
M5T 2C7
Tel 416 703 0013
Fax 416 408 3402
orders@playwrightscanada.com
www.playwrightscanada.com

TRANSLATION POLICY
We have published over 20 works in translation from almost as many diverse languages, making important international writing available to an English readership for the first time.
Our focus is primarily on new writing and authors new to an English readership. We aim to commission and publish translations of a high literary quality, which make the work accessible to an English readership, while remaining faithful to the original.

European classics -- Czech author Gabriella Preissova's 'Jenufa, her Stepdaughter', which was popularised through the Janacek Opera, 'Jenufa', but not previously available in English.
Germaine Greer's adaptation of 'Lysistrata' by Aristophanes, a rollicking, sexy up to date version of the ancient Greek Comedy.

FILMS, TV and RADIO
Mephisto by Klaus Mannn, adapted by Ariane Mnouchkine and translated by Timberlake Wertenbaker, also an acclaimed film.
Sacred by Eliette Abecassis, translated by Karen Newby, the novel which was the basis for the screenplay of 'Kadosh', a film by Amos Gitai.
Body, recently shown at the London Film Festival, was based on the award-winning play Harvest by Manjula Padmanabhan.
Treatment by Jonathan Moore, won a fringe first at the Edinburgh Festival and was made into a TV film by the BBC with Gabriel Byrne.
My Sister Wife by Meera Syal was the first TV screenplay by an Asian woman writer, made into a film by the BBC.
Monsoon by Maya Chowdhry, developed for the BBC as a radio play, won the Prix Italia.
Calcutta Kosher by Shelly Silas, was selected as Pick of the Day by the Sunday Times when it was broadcast on the radio.
Cordon by Nebosca Romcevic
Adapted for film, Winner of Montreal Film Festival 2004
Taxi by Sibusiso Mamba broadcast on BBC Radio 4
Rejoice Burning – a version broadcast on BBC Radio 3

SUBMISSIONS
We do not accept unsolicited material. Please send a letter and proposal in the first instance with sample chapter/scene, synopsis and biography. We will only return material if a stamped addressed envelope is supplied.

SOME REVIEWS:
Title: Young Blood: plays for young performers ed. Sally Goldsworthy
'...a volume has emerged from Aurora Metro Press, bringing relief to actors, youth and drama workers and teachers everywhere, in the shape of five tried and tested contemporary classics...' (95% Magazine)

Title: Lysistrata - the sex strike adapted by Germaine Greer and Phil Willmott after Aristophanes
“Fast, broad, silly and profound” (Independent on Sunday)
'Rarely has a show been such a romp and yet put forward its arguments so stealthily and so effectively….A robustly funny, recognisably accurate and politically thoughtful account of the ongoing battle of the sexes…' (What's On)

Title: How Maxine Learned to Love Her Legs: short story collection
ed. Sarah LeFanu
'...the stories are fresh, one for every occasion. Many of them I would read a number of times - they are thought-provoking. This book is likely to be bought by women for friends, lovers, and themselves... buy it and see...'
(Fed New Writing Magazine.)

Title: Best of the Fest ed Phil Setren
new plays celebrating 10 years of London New Play Festival
'...writers of extraordinary imagination ... shaping the future of theatre... '
(The Times)
‘Here are six plays from the admirable London New Play Festival which is now such an essential feature of the theatrical year. No cause is more important to the British theatre than the discovery of lively new writing. And no group is more focused on the needs of new writers than the London New Play Festival.’ (David Hare, playwright)

Title: The Women Writers' Handbook ed. Robson, Georgeson and Beck
WINNER OF THE PANDORA AWARD
'...a gem of a book: everything a woman writer might need in one slim volume.' (Everywoman magazine)
'...I found The Women Writer's Handbook intriguing, and it should encourage other women to develop confidence in creativity.' (The Listener)

Title: Six Plays by Black and Asian Women Writers ed. Kadija George
'...showcases a wealth of talent amongst Black and Asian communities...often neglected by mainstream publishers.' (Black Pride Magazine)

Title: Seven Plays by Women ed. Cheryl Robson
WINNER OF THE RAYMOND WILLIAMS AWARD
'...a testimony to the work and debate that is going on among women, artistically, theoretically and practically, it is an inspiring document.'
(What's On Magazine)
'...likely to become much-used texts in community based theatre'
(The Guardian)

Title: A Touch of the Dutch: plays from the Netherlands
ed. Cheryl Robson
'...the moving story of a relationship between a young man in the final stages of AIDS and his nurse, Dossier: Ronald Akkerman is a Dutch play which tackles the epidemic full-on.' (Gay Times)

Title: Eastern Promise, plays from central and eastern europe
eds. Sian Evans and Cheryl Robson
…Srbljanovic writes (The Belgrade Trilogy) with a stinging sense of absurdity as well as pain…her tales set in 1995, before Kosovo and Nato bombardment, carry their own undeniable force…' (The Glasgow Herald)
'Vujovic's dazzling play upon the savagery of war approaches a universal statement…' (The Scotsman)

Title: Mediterranean Plays by Women
ed. Marion Baraitser
‘Maraini has a gleeful but compassionate eye for the grotesque, surreal and unexpected in everyday life...she is intrigued by the perverse drives of sexual desire... re: Veronica Franco…’ (Sunday Times)

Title: Black and Asian Plays Anthology
intro by Afia Nkrumah
‘…together the plays become a collective exploration of human nature and the heterogeneity of Black culture, which is a rare read.’ (Black Arts Alliance)
‘The two plays by women in this collection are powerful evocations of the poor and the marginalised…’ (Writing in Education Magazine.)

Title: Under Their Influence by Wayne Buchanan
Under Their Influence stands out as the best play so far to constructively deal with a serious issue in the black community… (The Gleaner)

Title: Balkan Plots
intro by Gina Landor
Matei Visniec’s Body of A Woman… ends by showing theatre’s rare capacity to give emotional reality to reported fact…’ (The Guardian)
‘Spiro in Soap Opera dares to put down what he really thinks… by exposing our everyday myths, however disastrous, we experience catharsis… (Life and Literature Magazine)

Title: Charles Way: Plays for Young People
‘An inspirational piece of children’s theatre… re:Playing from the Heart …’
(The Guardian)
‘Teenagers all over the country have been enjoying this witty, perceptive and enormously entertaining play… re:Eye of the Storm… (South Wales Argus)

Title: Jonathan Moore: Three Plays
‘Theatre at its best… Each word rings with astounding power. The language and behaviour are fiercely contemporary, but the theme of spiritual poverty and impotence is universal. Moreover, through the fractured modernism of the style, the content is treated with a realism which belies any hind of sentimentality. (Financial Times)

Title: Graeae Plays 1 new plays redefining disability
'... an important book, an excellent read and it is to be hoped the first of many anthologies of disability plays.' (Dail Magazine.)