The Miners Strike Back  is a new satirical novel by ex-miner Kevin Dicks and published by Y Lolfa. It is his debut novel and has been described as ‘ Twin Town  meets the Miners’ Strike”. 

Kevin Dicks said:

“The idea for the novel came to me whilst digging in my garden I came across a few rogue lumps of coal. What if an ex-coal miner discovered a seam of coal and opened a small clandestine colliery? I saw comedy in the story and a quirkiness to the story that may appeal to readers. As an authentic voice, perhaps I could capture a little of the miners’ humour before it disappears for good.” 

Dr Daryl Leeworthy of the South Wales Miners Library, Swansea University, calls it “A madcap valleys comedy with a serious message for our times. Dicks reads like the heir to Iain Banks, Gwyn Thomas, and Boyd Clack's  Satellite City . At once hilarious, authentic, and thoroughly charming.” 

Kevin Dicks mostly worked as a surveyor’s assistant at Deep Navigation Colliery, Treharris from 1974 until 1988. He has dedicated  The Miners Strike Back  ‘For the Miners’. 

“The further I got into writing this story, the deeper a sense of injustice arose within me. I saw injustices toward the miners everywhere and they underpin the humour of the book. When Johnny the Cutter opens his secret coal mine, with good intentions to provide work for the local antisocial teens, he becomes an anti-hero you can root for. While seeing the world through a coal miner’s eyes, we want him to succeed and it becomes a battleground between employment and energy needs against climate needs.” 

“This story is unique, as to my knowledge there are no working-class novels that examine the failure to economically regenerate mining communities post heavy industry. There is very little out there regarding novels on climate change or the energy crisis and certainly none from the perspective of an ex-coal miner.” 

March 2024 sees the 40-year anniversary of when the Miners Strike began in the UK. The industrial action within the British coal industry was an attempt to prevent colliery closures by the Conservative government, and lasted until 1985. 

The Miners Strike Back  by Kevin Dicks (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

    Wales on This Day

   Huw Rees and Sian Kilcoyne

   20 October 2022

   Hardback, £12.99, 200 pages

   ISBN: 9781915279118, Calon

 



Did you know that the recipe of Tennessee's famous Jack Daniel's whiskey is rumoured to have originated in Llanelli?  

Or that the world's first radio play was set in a Welsh coal mine?  

Why was a showing of the Jurassic Park film in Carmarthen so special?  

And how is Rupert Bear connected to Snowdonia?  

Delve in to discover the stories that most history books leave out.

A fun collection of fascinating stories, facts and figures from the small country that definitely punches above its weight.   Wales on This Day  is a joyful insight into Wales’s national history, the major events and people that have made it the country it is today.  

Huw Rees and Sian Kilcoyne  run 'The History of Wales' Facebook page, now with over 170,000 followers. They are a brother and sister team, dedicated to improving their  knowledge of their country and sharing it with a wider audience.  Their aim is to provide objective and (hopefully!) interesting information, to help them and their readers better understand who we are as a nation, highlighting major past events, items of interest and the famous Welsh people that have shaped us into what we are today. Huw is a Welsh expat living in Wexford, Ireland. Sian lives in Caerphilly, Wales

https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfWales/

Wales is known for its stunning scenery and beautiful coastline. Created from several existing coastal paths – such as the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail – the Wales Coast Path has attracted thousands of tourists and walkers since its official launch in May 2012. This week sees the publication of  Weatherman Walking – The Welsh Coast , the book accompanying BBC Wales’ beloved weatherman Derek Brockway’s twelfth series of the popular BBC programme. Originally broadcast on BBC Wales, all eight episodes of the series are now being shown on the BBC and are available on BBC iPlayer.  

Wales is the first country in the world to have a continuous footpath stretching along its entire coastline – 870 miles or 1,400 km long.  Weatherman Walking: The Welsh Coast  contains 15 guided walks along the Wales Coast Path, each between 4 and 8 miles. They cover a good geographical spread of the coastal path around Wales, with walks in Pembrokeshire, the Llŷn Peninsula, Anglesey, Gower, Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Denbighshire and Ceredigion. [Full list of walks to be found below].  

“I am so lucky to present a programme like  Weatherman Walking . Not only do I visit many beautiful places but I also get to meet and work with lots of wonderful and talented people! Wales is such as beautiful country and each area has something unique to offer – from the light of Anglesey to the spectacular Pembrokeshire coastline, each section is full of history, myths and the wildlife. I hope you enjoy the book and the walks featured!” said Derek Brockway.  

“This is the first time I have worked with ‘Derek the Weather’ and it’s been an absolute joy. His passion for Wales and walking has been infectious, and it’s been wonderful to see the great affection the Welsh public has for him,” says Julia Foot, the Series Producer of  Weatherman  Walking: The Welsh Coast  for BBC Wales. “I have personally walked every one of the walks in this book, often with locals or path rangers who have given me a real understanding of the particular identity of that section of Coast Path, including the wildlife, history and secrets they hold. These people have helped bring the various coastal stretches to life, so they are no longer just 2D sections of an OS maps.”    

Each walk has its own chapter and includes an OS route map and essential information for walkers as well as directions. Most walks can be paired, meaning that they can either be done separately or as one long continuous hike. Each chapter presents lots of interesting information about the landmarks that can be seen on each walk, as well as about unusual local activities or people that Derek came across in the related episode.

Derek Brockway

Derek Brockway was born in Barry, South Wales and has been passionately interested in the weather ever since he was a young boy. A qualified meteorologist, he was employed by the Met Office for 20 years and became the main weather forecaster for BBC Wales in 1997. He now presents a number of radio and television programmes, including  Derek's Welsh Weather  and  Weatherman Walking . His leisure activities include walking, squash, skiing and leaning Welsh.

Julia Foot

Julia Foot has worked for the BBC for over 20 years as a researcher, Assistant Producer, Director and now Series Producer, and on a whole range of programmes, including with Ray Mears,  DIY SOS , and for Comic Relief. In 2018 Julia was nominated for a BAFTA for an  Antiques Roadshow  special that she produced about the Holocaust.  

List of walks

Where the walks are paired, they can be done together as one longer walk if preferred.  

Abereiddy to Whitesands (Pembrokeshire)

Abersoch to Llanbedrog (Llŷn Peninsula)

Llanbedrog to Pwllheli (Llŷn Peninsula)

Beaumaris to Trwyn Du (Anglesey)

Trwyn Du to Red Wharf Bay (Anglesey)

Fall Bay to Port Eynon (Gower)

Port Eynon to Oxwich Bay (Gower)

Porthcawl to Merthyr Mawr (Glamorgan Heritage Coast)

Merthyr Mawr to Southerndown (Glamorgan Heritage Coast)

Saundersfoot to Amroth (Pembrokeshire)

Amroth to Pendine Sands (Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire)

Talacre to Prestatyn (Flintshire/Denbighshire)

Prestatyn to Rhyl (Denbighshire)

Ynyslas to Borth (Ceredigion)

Borth to Aberystwyth (Ceredigion)

“I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything in the book – it will be too radical for some, and for others it won’t be radical enough,” says author Llywelyn ap Gwilym about his new bilingual book,  Llyfr Du Cymru Fydd / The Black Book of the New Wales  (Y Lolfa), which is published this week. 

The organiser of the AUOB Cymru rallies which attracted thousands to pro-independence marches in Cardiff, Caernarfon and Merthyr pre Covid-19 has written his vision of an independent Wales. Llywelyn ap Gwilym, who is also on the Central Committee of YesCymru, said: 

“I’ve supported Welsh independence since I can remember, but without questioning why. Since the birth of my children and moving back to Wales, I’ve thought more deeply about the politics, economics and sociology behind it: I’ve thought more about the ‘why’. Whilst writing  The Black Book of the New Wales,  I started to think that perhaps I could encourage the discourse to develop.” 

The book is an exploration of what a future independent Wales could look like. It is written in the spirit of utopian thinking: its purpose is to question what is, and to envision what could be. Some of the ideas presented are a radical departure from the status quo, while others are becoming part of orthodox leftist thinking. Similarly, there are some precedents in terms of current or former organisations and institutions, others have only been trialled, while some have not yet existed. 

The book has been described as “an exciting blueprint for building a better society” by Dan Evans of Desolation Radio and Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru has said, “For the Indy curious, this is a must-read.” 

The percentage of people in Wales supporting independence has almost tripled over the last six years from 12% in 2014 to 35% in 2020. The Welsh Independence movement is gathering momentum, with membership of YesCymru growing from 2,500 to 17,000 during 2020, and now gets regular attention in the UK media as well as further afield. 

“I hope that the book will help expand further discussions so that more people start sharing ideas on what our values are, what kind of society we want to live in, and how independence for Wales is the most realistic path in order to achieve these changes. It would be tragic to lose the chance to ensure a better future for all who call Wales home and, on winning independence, just to recreate the inequality and unjustness that’s rife in the UK.  The Black Book of New Wales  is my contribution to ensuring a better future.” 

The Black Book of the New Wales by Llywelyn ap Gwilym (£4.99, Y Lolfa) will be available by 1 ^st  March.

Praise for  The Black Book of the New Wales

“Concise, challenging, doable! There are radical ideas for the kind of Wales we can be, but we need independence, and independence of mind, to unlock that potential. It can’t come from Westminster. Better a Good Wales than a ‘Great’ Britain.”

Siôn T. Jobbins, YesCymru Chair

“… a cracking piece of work. Very clear thinking. Good, sound values base. I love the references you draw on – some of my favourites – Raymond Williams, Gramsci, Bookchin, Bell Hook, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, the Preston stuff and Mondragon. And the way you bring all the thinking together… Your book outlines why it is not tenable for people in Wales to carry on as we are and offers an inclusive vision of real independence. For the Indy curious, this is a must-read.”

Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru

“A small book with big ideas! A welcome addition to the independence debate.”

Cian Ciarán, musician (Super Furry Animals), composer and YesCymru Vice-Chair

“Llywelyn ap Gwilym’s The Black Book of the New Wales doesn’t claim to have all the answers, it weaves together an empowering series of concepts and initiatives that are ready and willing to form new institutions and structures.”

Ben Gwalchmai, Founder of Labour for an Independent Wales

“An exciting blueprint for building a better society.”

Dan Evans, Desolation Radio

“Llywelyn ap Gwilym’s  Llyfr Du  is an essential contribution to the vision that will liberate Wales from the decaying British state.”

Sam Coates, Undod

Beca a Catrin is now available on Amazon.

(The Welsh version of Reba and Katherine/Messy Hair Game)

Softcover * 36 pages * 8.5 x 8.5

There is also a corresponding coloring book.

Ages 3-7

ISBN: 9781945669385

Available on Amazon: Beca A Catrin

About the book:

Reba and Katherine are two sisters who learn a lesson about patience and forgiveness as their choice create more work for Grandma. The story provides opportunity for interesting discussion about consequences and decision-making. You can listen to a free English audio version on the website. The book contains both English and Welsh text.

Author Gail Gritts

Gail grew up deep in the heart of the Ozarks in Missouri, USA. Life led her to England where she and her husband Tom raised their own family of five. Today, while she still lives in England, she relishes the opportunity to keep the family tradition of storytelling, including the mishaps and adventures of Reba and Katherine, with her thirteen grandchildren. Gail has been a freelance writer for many years writing magazine articles and devotional materials. Messy Hair Game is the first in her series about Reba and Katherine.

Illustrator Javier Duarte

Javier is a Uruguayan illustrator. He specializes in profession illustrations, portraits, cartoons, comics and children’s books and is currently working as a freelance artist locally and internationally.

Translator Emily Stirrup

My name is Emily. I am eight years old and I love Messy Hair Game! I live in North Wales in a town called Colwyn Bay. My mom and dad are both Welsh and I go to a Welsh school. I had a great time translating the story for my friends. I hope you enjoy the story, too.

Website: www.truestorykeepsake.com  Email: truestorykeepsake@gmail.com

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Mae Dyddiadur newydd A5 Y Lolfa newydd gael ei gyhoeddi. Gellir ei archebu yma am £5.99 (& £2 cludiant os yw’r archeb yn llai na £10). Bydd ein dyddiaduron eraill yn cael eu cyhoeddi yn fuan.

Y Lolfa’s new A5 blilingual Diary has just been released. It can be ordered here for £5.99 (& £2 if your order is less than £10). Our other diaries will be available soon.

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