Wicked Publication. A Case Study. Lív Maria Róadóttir Jæger's handbooks from 2023.

This paper examines and discusses the publication practices of poet Lív Maria Róadóttir Jæger (b.1981), highlighting the shifting dynamics of the book market in the Faroe Islands (reflecting developments in neighbouring countries ) and, more broadly, the artistic and literary field. In 2015, Lív debuted her first poetry collection with a well-established publishing house. By 2020 she transitioned to the progressive small publisher Exil. Since then, however, Lív has explicitly redefined publication as an extension of her poetic expression. She now publishes herself, using and drawing inspiration from platforms like “Bandcamp” and selling for instance “handbooks,” requiring payment in person or via PayPal and handing the publications personally and directly to the recipient/reader.
The paper focuses particularly on her two handbook publications from 2023: “WICKED FYSIKK, xerographic poetry” and “DE ANIMA, BITCH – xerographic poetry”. The latter features a Faroese subtitle referring to a requiem for Britney Spears, while the text (poetry) in both handbooks adheres to formalities (including the so-called Bekker numbers) used in scholarly editions of the works by Aristotle. Beyond her poetry, Lív integrates her voice and artistic vision into the experimental electronic project SUPERVISJÓN, cooperating with her husband Lasse Jæger.
Lív’s approach not only extends beyond the written word. Her work is a form of activism: she takes control of typography, layout, paper, format, pricing, payment, and distribution, embedding these elements into her poetic expression as a critique of the book market's current state. Drawing on Jerome McGann’s distinction, it’s evident that much like the traditional avant-garde, Lív’s publications engage both linguistic and bibliographic codes. Furthermore, she goes beyond these to challenge the structural conditions of the book market— or what Pierre Bourdieu more generally referred to as the “struggle” in the literary field (“champ”). Her work innovatively and poetically reimagines the boundaries of literary production and distribution challenging also micro-publishers.