Incline Press

31/08/2025

Incline Press reading day: 10am GMT, 31st August

Graham didn’t want a funeral or fuss. So I invite you to read an Incline Press book today instead. If you wish, please do donate to a charity, raise a glass or share what you have read on 

Despite much baiting from me on the charism of his craft, Graham claimed only to be a printer. His books had to be beautifully made and a pleasure to read, and he printed in a workshop, not a studio.

During 32 years of publishing as Incline Press, he learned from hard experience to be uncompromising. This sounds like a simple thing to do, but to set up a traditional private press in the digital age, and reject the ‘proper job’ - well, the wolf was often at the door.

Graham’s commitment was to make a handmade life of unconditional freedom, for himself and for others. His creativity was informed by the practical activism of early adulthood and later as a history teacher in tough, inner-city schools - he knew you could change the world by following curiosity instead of fear and acting on your own power. The design stage of each book was a leaping-off point for him because the man needed to fly, and with some kind of tough innocence, he developed a practice by which he could share his heart of gold.

The result is a lively and diverse body of work, roughly 150 publications on bookshelves around the world. He told me recently he thought this was his legacy but he also had a massive impact on us. Graham was grounded in people: the caster of the type, the paper maker, the author, the artist, the book dealers, his subscribers and customers. He adored the letterpress community and meeting up with his peers at a Wayzegoose, he could get along with anyone. He always stood up for the oppressed, he defended the truth, he loved to teach and to keep the old presses working. He wrapped his work in the ‘integrated life’ of home and book fairs, and he had some fabulous larks down the various literary rabbit holes he explored.

You should know that almost every decision he made in his books was for you, the reader. In this way at least, he is always on our side and by our side. The kindest man I have ever known.

Helen

08/08/2025

The Incline Press reading day will be on Sunday 31st of August. As no fuss is permitted, I shall leave you to organise yourselves on what that means and what you might like to do. My plan is to start at 10am for a Think and a Thank you, and read Graham's books from there.

Though very strictly an atheist, he did quote The Beatitudes to me on several occasions, which was always the beginning of an interesting conversation once I picked myself up off the floor. I suppose they are common sense to a beatnik anarchist who loved people, so I might start with reading those.

The Bow Street building was finally emptied on Tuesday after many trips in the van (thank you to those that helped) and I have been posting out books across the world since then. Hopefully they will arrive in time for the 31st.

Please enjoy these magnificent whiskers.

With love, from Scotland. Helen

17/07/2025

PART TWO. Graham's great passion of course, was making beautiful books, and every design decision aimed to make the book as readable as possible. He told me that his legacy are the books on people’s shelves, so let’s have an Incline Press reading day.

I have the difficult task of sorting out the last of the Bow Street building next week, but I know there is a fair bit of stock, and selling it now seems wrong. Incline Press must end, so lets do it in style. I would suggest we pick a day, and then read his books together in an informal international reading circle and remember him well, enjoying what he has made for us.

If you do not have one of Graham's books or would like something new, please DM me your address and I will send you something from the stock. He was a very generous man, and it seems a good way to get the last of his work out into the bookshelves of the world, I think it would please him as he always was always keen to make his work accessible to all pockets. You can chuck a penny in the charity pot of your choice. It might take me a few weeks to get that sorted out, so I will keep you posted on the date of the reading day.

As a bit of a collector (ahem!) Graham also has a very hearty amount of metal type, some of which I would like to find a home for, so get in touch.

Here are some of the photos of Graham I have found scattered around the building over the last three years, which I have gathered together in a safe place, I thought you might like to see them. The yellow hard-hat is particularly weird and fabulous.

Graham had already become semi-conscious when we found out it was cancer 6 days ago, so we never really got a chance to talk or say a proper goodbye. But I think he said all he wanted when I asked him ‘is there anything I can do for you?’ (expecting a to-do list) and he replied ‘look after yourself’. I am still reeling from the loving kindness and simplicity of the reply and pass it on, though our joy was to look after each other.

Look after yourself.

17/07/2025

PART ONE. Thank you, for the vast number of messages of kindness and support, too many to reply to. People have asked two questions. Firstly our address is 8 St John Street, Creetown, DG8 7JF.

Secondly, Graham requested ‘no fuss.’ He wanted an unattended cremation, no memorials or funerals, and warned me that if I ever attempted a Memento Mori style book about him, he would be furious. But that might be more to do with my poor-quality typography, to be fair.

Graham has friends all over the world, and specified very strongly, no wringing of hands please (he caught me having a weep in the hospital and barked 'ah, go on now!') However, he probably underestimated how loved he was. So I have a plan to do something that will be fun and include everyone…..

16/07/2025

Graham Moss 30.11.1947 - 16.07.2025

Graham died today at 12.30pm in Dumfries hospital. Kidney cancer, out of the blue. This photo is only 6 weeks ago.

No regrets, he said.

14/07/2025

As you might have heard, or if you haven't, Graham is poorly and is in hospital in Dumfries. It has been hellish couple of weeks, and a few more tests to be done before we can figure out what happens next. I will keep you posted.

Helen.

PS, I found this postcard in his washbag, and have slipped it onto a NHS noticeboard, Graham-esquely.

PPS. Apologies, the Incline Press shop and website is closed, and there are outstanding orders I'm in a bit of a pickle with, please bear with and I will sort it out eventually.

PPPS. The dogs have had to be sent to a kennel so I can be at the hospital. Everything is a muddle, but we are practicing the precept that love conquers all.

17/06/2025

One book left, and it's on loan from Miles Wigfield, due for return at the Oxford Guild of Printers Garden Party. Everything else is either at Bopcap Books in Levenshulme or boxed up ready for the move. Until the ground floor is cleared of type cabinets I can't dismantle these shelves because I have nowhere to put them that wouldn't be in the way. And so it goes!

13/06/2025

Packing a few of my tchotchkas to move to Scotland, and wondered if anyone has seen a lion that would pair with this Festival of Britain unicorn. Surely they were sold as a pair, but I’ve never seen the other half - has anyone? The unicorn is the national beast of Scotland (as in the rhyme, The Lion and the Unicorn), so I'll not miss the lion but just wonder if a pair has survived, or even a lion on its own to suit this.

10/06/2025

Not seen a mackerel sky as well pronounced as this for quite a few years. Bow Street, Oldham.

29/05/2025

The first street of houses in Creetown seems to date from about 1760, build of fieldstone and given a lime harling to keep the rain out. Plenty of them still stand, altered over the years to keep them habitable, including slate roofs. I don’t suppose many of the old internal walls have survived, but here we are, cleared of Victorian plaster last night before modern insulation is added. As you can see, the uprights are mostly untrimmed branches, the infill a mixture of old local stone and Victorian bricks that would have arrived by sea, imported like the slate that replaced the vegetable roofing.

28/05/2025

Congratulations to and prize winner for this astounding woodcut, printed with at

28/05/2025