Here you will find information about

the contents of the journal,
how to subscribe,
what the press thinks of Peake Studies,
the availability of back issues,
contributing to the journal,
and news of recent and forthcoming books on Peake.

You will also find pages about Vast Alchemies (2000), Peter Winnington’s biography of Peake, and The Voice of the Heart (2006), his study of the working of Peake’s imagination, as well as a page of answers to frequently asked questions about Mervyn Peake.

At the foot of this page are links to other relevant sites.

Peake STUDIES constitutes a unique independent forum for criticism and debate for all those interested in Mervyn Peake’s life and work as a writer of novels and short stories, poet, playwright, painter and illustrator.

It contains informed articles, critical reviews, reliable news, and controversial views on all aspects of Peake’s work, including his impact on other writers and artists. It regularly reproduces previously unpublished or little-known works by Peake – drawings, paintings, poems, plays and letters – and occasionally works by other artists who have been inspired by him.

Peake STUDIES comes out twice a year, in spring and autumn. A quality, typeset publication, it averages 48 pages per issue. The first issue appeared in November 1988, the twentieth anniversary of Mervyn Peake’s death. Five years later, there was a special anniversary issue (Volume 3, No. 3, for November 1993) assessing some of the impact of Mervyn Peake’s oeuvre on his readers.

Subscriptions

For individual subscribers Peake STUDIES proposes an unusual, value-for-money arrangement: to start a subscription you just have to send £25 or US$50 by cheque (that is a “check” for Americans) made out to G. Peter Winnington, or 50 Swiss francs (CHF) by card, or 30 euros by ebanking or in cash. The cost of each issue is then deducted from this sum, based on a price of 40 Swiss centimes per page. (This price includes post and packing to all countries. There are no additional charges, even if you pay through PayPal.)
There is no fixed rate per year. You pay only for the pages that you receive, less for shorter issues and more for longer ones. In this way you’re sure to get your money’s worth!

The initial payment of £25, US$50 or 30 euros pays for two to three issues, depending on their size and on the exchange rates at the time your payment is made. When your “page credit” has run low, you will be invited to top it up.

For full details of how to subscribe, go to the separate page.

If you are not sure whether you want to subscribe or not, browse the list of back issues and find out how good Peake STUDIES is by buying one or two.

There is a separate page for existing subscribers to top up their subscriptions or set up a standing order.

For libraries and other institutional subscribers, Peake STUDIES is available by direct subscription (enquire for current rates) from Au Village, 1453 Mauborget, Switzerland, or through major subscription agencies like Ex Libris, Harrassowitz, Swets, and Karger Libri (which provides free access to its database of journals). Further information for libraries can be found in Ulrich’s Periodicals Directory.

What the press thinks of Peake STUDIES

Although there have not been many reviews of Peake STUDIES, those that have appeared have been full of praise.

In volume 3, number 4, of the Journal of the Fantastic in the Arts, Brian Attebery wrote on PS volume 1, issues two and three:

“This journal is both a sourcebook of materials and a guide to further reading. The production values and editorial standards are remarkably high for a publication that must necessarily have a limited audience” (pp.151–2).

When Science Fiction Studies noticed PS, it called it “a very handsome journal.” And the summer 1997 issue of Extrapolation (Vol.38, No.2) gave it favourable notice too.

Subscribers regularly report that, in their view, Peake STUDIES represents the best in single-subject magazine publishing. A recent correspondent commented that “the editing style is refreshing, full of common sense and in no way ponderous (unlike so many journals).”

Back copies of all issues published to date are available.
As two issues have appeared each year since November 1988, and each volume contains four issues, the latest (Vol. 10, No. 4, for April 2008) was the 40th. As usual, it was published on schedule.
Details of prices and quantity discounts will be found at the head of the list of contents of back issues.

Contributing to Peake STUDIES

Send your ideas for articles, reviews, news, and views to me right now! 6000 words is the recommended maximum for articles. Brief contributions are always welcome. Articles should preferably follow Chicago Style but the MLA is also acceptable. The main thing is to be consistent.

Writing a dissertation on Peake? Send in details now! (Completed dissertations are listed in the bibliography on this site.)
Seen mention of Peake in the press or a book? Share your discovery at once!

Contributions can be submitted by e-mail or on paper, by post, for assessment.

Send all correspondence to

Links
There is a site maintained by Peake’s son Sebastian, with news of forthcoming publications and exhibitions.
If you are wanting to buy secondhand copies of items by Peake, you should visit the sites of
Mr Pye Books and Cameron House.
For paintings and drawings by Peake, contact Chris Beetles who has a London gallery.
Works by Peake regularly come up for sale at major auction houses such as Christies and Bonhams.
If you simply want brief (and reliable) information about Mervyn Peake’s life and work, go to The Literary Encyclopedia and Literary Dictionary. Beware – some sites indulge fantastical nonsense, like listing The Craft of the Lead Pencil and The Glassblowers as novels! A rational and balanced assessment of the Titus books can be found on the Great Science-Fiction and Fantasy site.
For articles on illustrators and the art of illustration, see Illustration magazine.