Gail
Hannah (known as Hannah) has worked in a variety
of roles
in the
cultural, artistic and business world of Melbourne, including designing
her own label, wholesaling and retailing and managing an agency for
actors, writers and directors.
Black Pepper was
begun in 1994 as an
imprint of Australian Scholarly
Publishing, under the direction of editor Kevin Pearson. In 1995 Hannah
joined with Kevin in re-founding Black Pepper as a wholly indepenent
press.
Hannahs
role
includes management, finances, and the design of Black
Peppers
marketing
material and distinctive covers. In 1998 she and
Kevin survived a lightning strike on one of their annual trips away for
the ritual reading of the manuscripts.
2005
marks Black Peppers
tenth year and fiftieth title.
Back to top Lightning
ruins one last stroll
Kamahl Cogdon The Herald-Sun,
1998
Lightning survivors Kevin Pearson and Gail Hannah were taking one last
walk on the beach before returning home when struck. The couple, the
talent behind one of Australias
boldest publishing houses, were hit by
a lightning bolt while on the boardwalk down to Jan Juc beach on
Monday.
Friend and colleague Hugh Tolhurst yesterday said they had wanted to
cap off a week on the coast with a last beach walk. But
they never
made it to the beach,' he said. Mr Tolhurst, an assistant of the
couples
North
Fitzroy Black Pepper publishing company, said they had
spent a week at a quiet beach house near Torquay, reading 30
manuscripts they hoped to publish. They
had finished their work and
were about to return to Melbourne for the memorial service of poet John
Forbes, who died of a heart attack a week ago,
he said. They
thought
they would take one last look at the beach before leaving.
Mr Pearson, himself a respected poet, was hit in the stomach and Ms
Hannah was hit in the neck. They were flown to the Alfrted Hospital and
were yesterday in fair and stable conditions, having been moved from
intensive care to the burns unit.
Mr Tolhurst said the luck of their survival was not lost on Mr Pearson,
51, and Ms Hannah, 50. They
are not too bad now,
he said. 'They are
not in a life-threatening conditon. Its
just astonishing really.
The pair have published 25 books of avant garde poetry and prose in the
three year life of their Black Pepper banner.