Can you explain what’s being released and in what formats?
Two related Poison Girls projects come to fruition this autumn: the book A Message to Persons Unknown: The Story of Poison Girls (which will be available in hardback, paperback and digital formats) and the seven-disc CD box set Persons Unknown: The Complete Recorded History.
The book is being published by PM Press. The CD box set is being released by PM Press, Active Distribution, Free Dirt and Cooking Vinyl.
Will the book and CD box set be available in the UK as well as the US?
Yes, absolutely. Production on the book has been a cross-Atlantic collaboration, and both the book and the CD box set will be available for sale in both the UK and the US – and orderable online throughout continental Europe and the rest of the world.
Can I purchase a copy now, ahead of publication?
Yes, pre-orders can be registered now through PM Press’ Kickstarter campaign.
How does a Kickstarter campaign like this work?
Through the Kickstarter campaign The Story of Poison Girls – Book and Box Set, people choose from the available set of ‘rewards’ (such as a copy of the book and the CD box set) and pledge to purchase the reward if the campaign reaches its fundraising target.
A large number of different ‘reward’ packages are available, combining books, CD sets, T-Shirts, vinyls and add-ons.
Crowdfunding campaigns like this help a publisher build up a critical mass of pre-orders ahead of release and build a sense of momentum that can drive up interest in a release so that it reaches more people.
All the packages in the Kickstarter campaign are listed in US dollars, can I pledge from outside the United States?
Yes. The Kickstarter campaign is being run by the US ‘wing’ of PM Press, but all physical ‘rewards’ are available to ship internationally. While the price for each ‘reward’ package is listed in US dollars, an indication of local currencies should also display underneath and the exact required amount will be confirmed as you work through the order process and commit your pledge.
As all of PM Press’ Kickstarter campaigns are run from the US side of the publishers’ operations, all items are shipped from the United States. That does mean that those pledging from outside the US will need to pay the required international postage costs.
Will it be possible to buy copies of the book and the box set from PM Press once the Kickstarter campaign has finished?
Yes, it will – assuming that the crowdfunding drive ends successfully. However, if you are able to support the Kickstarter campaign right now, that will be the most effective way to back the release – so don’t hold back!
How about the option to preorder a copy of the book from the UK PM Press site?
Everything depends on the Kickstarter campaign being a success. But it is now possible to preorder a copy of the book from the PM Press site in the UK (so UK readers won’t have to pay international postage).
However, if you choose to do that – and if you can afford to do so – it would be a massive help if you could also make a small ‘pledge without a reward’ or also commit to a copy of the eBook on Kickstarter – because that’s the guaranteed up-front funding that the project is relying on.
What about the Poison Girls T-Shirts and badges included in the Kickstarter campaign? Will they be able to buy separately once the funding campaign has finished?
It’s hoped that (limited stocks) of this ‘extra’ content (T-Shirts and badges) might be available to buy from the US and UK PM Press web stores after the funding campaign has finished. There’s no absolute guarantee about this – and it depends how many pledges are made during the Kickstarter campaign.
Who has been involved in producing the book?
This is a Message to Persons Unknown has been written by Rich Cross – the editor of The Hippies Now Wear Black site, who’s published extensively about the history, cultural, politics and activism of anarcho-punk, DIY activism and the counterculture.
The book has been edited by documentarian and editor Erin Yanke and designed by Alec Dunn, co-editor of the journal Signal: a journal of international political graphics.
Have members of Poison Girls and their families been involved in the project?
Yes, they have. Sadly, founding members Vi Subversa and Lance d’Boyle are no longer with us, but we’ve been able to call on unpublished interviews with them both, as well as their words recorded in zine and media interviews.
Richard Famous has been closely involved in the project since day one, commenting on drafts of different chapters, putting us in touch with key people, and supporting us at every stage. Vi’s children Pete Fender and Gem Stone have been extraordinarily helpful in providing us with access to Poison Girls’ personal archives – from which so many of the incredible images in the book have been drawn.
As well as providing insightful interviews, bass players Bella Donna and Bernhardt Rebours and sound engineer Tom Barwood all shared many extraordinary photos from their personal albums.
Although Sian Daniels (aka Cynth Ethics, keys and vocals) and Dave Bennett (Agent Orange, drums) are also sadly gone, the author has talked to many of the other musicians who graced the line-up of Poison Girls over the years.
Many of those who worked alongside Poison Girls in different capacities – such as Steve Ignorant of Crass, Heather (‘Heff’) Joyce of Toxic Shock, and Robert Lloyd of The Nightingales – were also keen to share their memories.
What’s in the book?
This is a Message to Persons Unknown: The Story of Poison Girls is a 320-page, full colour, large format book that tells the history of the band, from the pre-Poison Girls formative years, through the formation of the band, the collaboration with Crass, the Xntrix, Illuminated and Upright years, the later years of the band’s life and the band’s brief reunion in 1995.
Fully illustrated throughout with numerous never-before-seen photos of the band, posters, flyers, tickets, badges, press clippings and images from publications by the band including Words Written in Trust and The Impossible Dream.
There are spotlight interviews with Poison Girls Vi Subversa, Lance d’Boyle, Richard Famous, Bella Donna, Bernhardt Rebours, Max Vol, Tom Barwood and Pete Fender.
Other interviews call on the memories of other members of the Poison Girls’ family and circle of friends, including Zilla Minx, Sid Truelove, Heather Joyce, Robert Lloyd and Steve Ignorant.
A full discography and comprehensive annotated line-up are brought to life by extracts from Richard Famous’ unpublished tour diaries.
What’s in the CD box set?
Persons Unknown: The Complete Recorded History is a seven disc CD box set that brings together all of the band’s vinyl releases (seven-inch singles, twelve-inch releases, live and studio albums) together with never-before-released live, studio and demo recordings.
The box set includes a 96-page full-colour, fully illustrated booklet, which brings together lyrics for all Poison Girls’ songs in the collection with a 6,000 word history of the band.
Will there be an option to purchase the contents of the CD box set in a streaming or digital download format?
No. This exhaustive release of Poison Girls’ music will only be available as a limited-edition CD box set.
Where can I find out more?
The latest news will be available on this site (and the HNWB’s Facebook, Bluesky and Instagram feeds) and through all of PM Press’ social media channels.
Have any interviews with the creative team already been published?
The first interviews have already been completed, and we’re expecting more opportunities to speak about the book in the weeks and months ahead. We’ll add links and other details here as the interviews are published.
Will there be any online or in-person events to promote the release?
We are working on various plans at the moment – check back for details. And if you’re interested in helping to put something on, get in touch.
Is the author of the book available for interview by zine editors or podcasters?
Yes, of course. Make contact to arrange something.
Last updated: 27 September 2025
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