The Petrarch Press

Announcing – Canticle of the Creatures

THE PETRARCH PRESS IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE our upcoming publication, Canticle of the Creatures by Francis of Assisi, with the original Umbrian text and a new English translation by John Venerella. Canticle of the Creatures, sometimes popularly called Canticle of the Sun, is a short song begun in Francis’s early years and completed near the time of his death. The original text, considered by many to be the earliest poetical masterpiece in the Italian language, is newly transcribed from the oldest remaining manuscript of the song – that in the thirteenth-century Assisi Codex. Francis’s charming verses in Umbrian dialect – praising God through his creations “Brother Sun”, “Sister Moon”, and the four elements – are printed with the English translation opposite.   More…

Oak Knoll Excitement October 2008

WE ARE COUNTING THE DAYS till the next Oak Knoll Fine Press Festival in New Castle, Delaware on October 4th and 5th. Known as a regular exhibitor now, after our participation four years running, we have made many close friends and look forward to sharing the 50th anniversary celebration of Henry Morris. We will even be meeting the pressman himself on Friday as the Petrarch Press was one of only ten presses (along with Henry Morris’ Bird & Bull Press) selected to participate in a special symposium that deals with the “nuts and bolts” of producing, selling and buying private press books.

For details about the 15th annual Oak Knoll Fest visit visit their website.
We hope to see you there!

Overseas to the Oxford Book Fair in November

THE OXFORD FINE PRESS BOOK FAIR on November 3 and 4, 2007 in Oxford, UK is the largest international show of fine presses and their work. Of course the Petrarch Press will be there (we may need to stow away on the next boat out, but we will be there). Every two years, the UK Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA) works with the Fine Press Book Association to organize this event. We visited the last fair in 2005 and entered our first parchment book, Thoughts from the Letters of Petrarch. It was well received and David Vickers of the Gregynog Press invited us to Wales for a visit.   More…