Beat Scene Press and Charles Bukowski

Beat Scene is a British magazine devoted to the Beat Generation, published since 1988 by Kevin Ring in Coventry, England. Charles Bukowski was a fixture from the very first issue. Over the years he sent unsolicited poems and allowed Ring to release an existing recording from his Germany reading as a flexi record — Ring sent him $100 for it, and Bukowski reported he'd invested it wisely: at the racetrack. Ring also sent him a cassette of Vaughan Williams, knowing his taste for classical music; Bukowski wrote back to say he liked it. He later permitted advance publication of sections from Pulp. Issue 20, the Bukowski tribute issue published after his death in 1994, was their biggest seller by far.

Alongside the magazine, Ring has published over 75 chapbooks under the Beat Scene Press imprint, several devoted entirely to Bukowski. He also published a companion magazine called Transit, which likewise featured Bukowski.

While the focus of this section is Beat Scene features about Bukowski, you'll also find Beat Scene issues and books that do not feature Bukowski.

If you're a Beat fan, also check out our extensive selection of poetry journals, many of which include appearances by Beat writers.