GULLS Commune is the tiniest of presses — started and run by Julie Smirnova since the autumn of 2023. Based in Paris with roots in Dublin and friends all over the world. 

It’s where birds of all sorts come to rest. Human birds. Bird birds. Song birds. Love birds. Birds that fly, and birds that potter. Birds that spend their lives in migration, and birds that stay put. There’s no bird that isn’t welcome in the Commune, so long as the bird looks after other birds where it can and lives for worlds that are full of shared nests.

The press came about because I had spare time and missed the noise of friends who’d been scattered across countries. There’s something gorgeous about binding a mosaic of pieces from people that have never met; slowly, the net is broadening to include contributors that are new even to me. Our editions are self-published and free to read online with limited print runs in aid of charity. So far we’ve supported Soul Food Paris, Les Midis du Mie, and Doctors Without Borders. 

The point of GULLS Commune is just to remind us to make things, share ourselves with others, and get together when we can. 

If you have an idea for a project, send it over to gullscommune@gmail.com