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This year is the 50th anniversary of the start of Dusty Springfield’s solo career. The iconic singer, who for millions was the definitive pop diva, launched her first solo hit record ‘I Only Want to Be With You’ in 1963. Celebrating this fact is a new play by Derek Webb called ‘Call Me Dusty’.
With Jessica Sandry in the title role, the play attempts to disentangle myth and facts, and begin to understand the very complex character who was Dusty Springfield. She was born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien – a shy, chubby, Catholic convent girl. Her mother was Irish, her father an accountant, she was brought up in West London and from a child was in love with the cinema and music: longing to be an actress like June Haver or a singer like Peggy Lee.
In 1960 she became part of the very successful trio called The Springfields with her brother Tom and his friend Tim Field and together they were the first British group to succeed in a big way in America.
But by 1963 she had decided to go solo and the legend that was Dusty Springfield was truly born. Many times voted Best Female Singer, Dusty Springfield achieved enormous worldwide fame. Loving soul music, she was largely responsible for bringing Motown to the attention of a UK audience. A perfectionist who refused to compromise in the pursuit of the ultimate pop record, Dusty Springfield effectively was the producer on many of her recordings. And, while shy privately, she was often outspoken publicly. In 1964 she was one of the first to stand up against apartheid in South Africa and a few years later, she was to famously declare herself gay – something few would have dared to do at the time.
Despite the fame and success, however, Dusty’s personal life was full of drama and tragedy. Not only did she find her sexuality at odds with her Catholicism, but drugs and alcohol took their toll, and increasingly she began to self-harm.
'Call Me Dusty' explores the dichotomy of the quiet, shy private person and her alter ego with her extravagant black mascara and backcombed hair; while at the same time celebrating the music which still ranks amongst the best of its kind. Not for nothing is Dusty Springfield heralded as the finest white soul singer ever.
Jessica Sandry, who plays Dusty, is in the new series of Stella with Ruth Jones on Sky TV and her numerous stage appearances have included portraying another singing legend, Doris Day, in the acclaimed show Being Doris Day which toured nationally. Playing her manager Vic Billings and other characters is James Scannell whose stage credits include Romeo & Juliet, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Hamlet, A Christmas Carol , Romeo & Juliet, and Of Mice and Men . And playing Dusty’s secretary Pat Rhodes and other characters is Jayne Stillman, whose credits include Varya in The Cherry Orchard , Miss Ronberry in The Corn is Green and Emilia in Othello .
The play covers the time from when she first decided to reinvent herself as Dusty Springfield to a period in the early 1970s when she had seen the meteoric rise in her career begin to falter and decided to move to the US. Dusty herself in fact tried several times to reinvent herself, and achieved a reawakening in her fortunes and discovered a brand new fan base in the late 1980s when the Pet Shop Boys asked her to sing on the No 1 hit ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’. Dusty Springfield died of breast cancer in 1999 just short of her 60 th birthday.
Call Me Dusty is produced by Ignition and plays at the Swansea Grand on September 11 th and 12 th before touring to Ammanford, Abertillery, Monmouth, Cwmbran, Barry, Newport, Cardigan, Milford Haven, Worcester and Llanelli.
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The Pembrokeshire based, Pint-sized Plays competition is gearing up for its 2013 performances. Once again, the number of entries in the competition exceeded previous years, with many more coming in from Australia, New Zealand and the US as well as Wales and the rest of the UK.
The six winners and four runners up are now in rehearsal ready to be performed as part of the Tenby Festival. Six pubs in Tenby will be hosting the plays over two nights, Monday September 23rd and Tuesday September 24th.
It is hoped that selected plays will also be performed in other pubs in the county too. And then, as in previous years, all ten plays will compete at 4U in Fishguard at the Pint-sized Plays Script Slam on September 28th, where the audience get to vote for their favourite script and there’s a ‘Pint Pot’ awarded to the winner and a half-pint for the runner up as well as prizes for the best performances.
This year there will be an additional ‘theatre’ performance at the Small World Theatre in Cardigan on October 5th. Called Pint-sized World , this will feature all ten plays in one show with a bar and cabaret style seating.
Pint-sized Plays have begun publishing the plays too. The first volume, which has 20 plays from the first four years, has just been published and are available for other theatre companies to perform as well as being ideal for drama schools and colleges to use. Already some of the plays have been taken up. One play, ‘In-Sex’, was performed at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival by a Brighton theatre company and a further six plays were performed by an Oxford company. Performances aren’t limited to the UK either. A successful New Zealand version of Pint-sized Plays began earlier in the year and plans another festival for 2014. Pembrokeshire-born Pint-sized Plays it seems just keep on growing! More information: info@pintsizedplays.org.uk
'' . The Winning Script in the 2012 Pint-sized Plays competition
An Interview With Welsh Writer Ralph Jones , Author of 'The Silent Wheels'
By AmeriCymru, 2014-11-03
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AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh writer Ralph Jones ( author of The Silent Wheels and The Deceit ) about his work and future plans. Ralph lives in Merthyr Tydfil and his first novel ( The Silent Wheels) is the story of the 1984/85 British miners strike and how a group of striking miners survived one of the most bitter industrial disputes in the history of the British trade union movement. A story of some of the comical things that happened during the year long dispute, and how they managed to survive.
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AmeriCymru: Hi Ralph and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru.. What first inspired you to write?
Ralph: I had the idea for the book about the miners strike for a long time, but I never got around to it. Myself and my work colleagues used to discuss the strike and reminisce about the stories. We always said that somebody should write a book about it, so one day I decided to have a go. The main character in the book Big Jones was my best friend, a real great man and I was as close to him as a brother. He sadly passed away three years ago and I then lost interest in doing it and almost deleted the file. One evening my son asked me how the book was going, "I can''t face doing it", I replied to him. He then replied to me, "I think you should finish it as a tribute to uncle Brian, (as he always called him,as he was Brian''s godson), he would have loved that".
I thought then, yes he would so I knuckled down and finished it.
Ralph: The book is based upon the events of the 1984 British miners strike. I decided not to go down the political route, as it had been done many times before. So I thought that I would try and put into words an alternative side. The stories are all true and are written as I saw then happening and all the main characters are really friends of mine, although some have now sadly passed on.I have tried to capture the camaraderie of a group of workmates who were also friends and the bond that was between them that is still there to this day.
AmeriCymru: I know the book is not really about the political situation surrounding the strike but concerns itself more with the way that people survived the whole ordeal. Care to expand a little?
Ralph: As I said I don''t want to touch upon the political side of the strike. I have tried to show that the mining communities in Wales where I am from,and I suppose everywhere, will always stick together. The strike was not about money it was about saving jobs,most people we spoke to understood that if the mines were closed down there would be a knock on effect on the community that they lived in. Also with a lot of the steel works and other places also being earmarked for closure we were fighting for other people as no one seemed to be safe.
AmeriCymru: What, for you was the most poignant episode you experienced during the strike?
Ralph: The attitude of some people really shocked me. Although in general most people supported us,there were the odd few who would call us lazy and troublemakers. Also some of the things that went on at the picket lines shocked me .I am not saying that the miners were innocent but some of the police tactics were really brutal, with a lot of them just charging in and swinging the truncheons at some of the mass protests.
AmeriCymru: What, for you was the most humorous incident you experienced during the dispute?
Ralph: There are too many humorous stories to pick one out and I couldn''t pick a favorite one. But one story will always stick in my mind and I have told it often.We were up in Oxford and there was a lady sitting on the floor on the pavement and we looked at her and she had no legs. One of the boy''s walked over to her and emptied the contents of the bucket he had,as we had been around the town asking for people to donate to help the miners. We were staying in the students union in the university and when we told the students they all laughed at us and we didn''t know why. A week or two later we were walking down the same street,she was still there, when a car went past and a gust of wind lifted her skirt up, it was then we saw that she was standing down an open manhole cover with her skirt arranged in such a way that it appeared that she had no legs.
AmeriCymru: A little bit off topic I know but still I think many readers will be curious. What do you think is the most essential prerequisite for economic recovery in the former Welsh mining valleys?
Ralph: Personally I don''t think there is a lot of hope for the Welsh valleys as no one will invest anymore. In the town where I live (Merthyt Tydfil), there is a lot of unemployment and the big businesses have pulled out and gone to more economic countries.The government will tell you to go and look elsewhere for work, but there is no work around in the valley''s. If the youngsters want work they have got to leave the valley''s, and when they do they don''tcsome back as there is nothing here for them.
AmeriCymru: Your second novel is titled The Deceit . Can you tell us a little more about the book?
Jake was taken in by the owner of the gym after he saw potential in the youngster and he was soon making a name in the boxing ring. But trouble was not far away from the young Jake and he had an injury which finished his boxing career. After this he started to drift into different things.He was given a job working on a farm and this was where he met Fran a girl older than he was. Fran was the girl who taught him about sex, she also used him as her own personal thing. When she moved away without telling Jake it broke his heart and this was when the downwards spiral started. Jake was then taken in by Alex a Londoner, an East end gangster who gave him a job firstly as a debt collector and a bouncer on the door of the club that he had opened in Wales. Alex had an associate, Andy a brutal and vicious man who took an instant dislike to Jake. This dislike led to many brutal fights between Jake and Andy and the two had a mutual contempt for one another.
Fran eventually returned but unknown to Jake she brought her new boyfriend with her, although she continued to taunt Jake. As Jake made his way up in Alex''s company he was drawn into a complex web of corruption which would see him travel to London with Alex, which Jake thought was a start in moving up the ladder in Alex''s empire, this was not to be the case.
The story takes a lot of twists and turns along the way with Jake eventually being framed for the murder of his best friend Slugger, a man who had looked after Jake during his early criminal days.
The story travels from the Welsh valley's to the East end of London and along the way there is a lot of greed, corruption, blackmail, deceit and also a bit of lust, with a few murders thrown in.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Ralph Jones? Are you working on a new book?
Ralph: At this exact time I am working on a book about the history of Dowlais rugby football club. It is my home club as I was born in Dowlais and it is a subject close to my heart. I am about 75 per cent finished,the only thing is that when I think I am getting close to finishing, one of the older players wil come up to me and tell me some more stories. I have also been trying to write about a local pub I used to go to. There were a lot of real characters there, and I am thinking about doing part 2 of The Rage Within.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Ralph: I would just like to thank you for giving me this interview and would like to say that if any of the readers and members of Americymru would like to buy the book it does need a good editing, but I thought that the publishers were going to do it. But it is written from the heart, and if anybody would like to send me any questions I will be more than happy to answer them.
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September sees the third annual PENfro Book Festival held at Rhosygilwen and this year it will run over four days, with two evenings of events before the weekend starts.
The festival begins with a special evening of music and spoken word on Thursday September 12 th . ''Hungarian Dances: the concert of the novel'' promises to be an uplifting and memorable experience with author Jessica Duchen reading extracts from her international bestselling novel, accompanied by award-winning musicians David Le Page and Anthony Hewitt playing the Hungarian and Gypsy-influenced violin music that inspired it. The concert featured to great acclaim on Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’.
Friday evening has local poets ‘The Cellar Bards’ and other local poetry groups joined by performance poet Tim Wells and the winners of the PENfro poetry competition together with the guest judge Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch.
There’s more poetry on Saturday evening with the Poet Laureate herself, Carol Ann Duffy together with the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke, reading from their work. This is a real coup for the festival and will it is hoped really put PENfro on the literary map.
During the day, once again there will be special workshops for writers, covering everything form screenwriting to poetry, writing biography to using new media, which are sure to be as enjoyable as they are stimulating. PENfro Chairman, Derek Webb, is pleased at the expanding nature of the festival. “We’re aiming to have a good mix of events to attract everyone with any interest in books and to celebrate the amazing wealth and diversity of writing in Wales today. Above all though we hope that PENfro will be seen as a fun festival with the warmth and welcome that we are so good at in Pembrokeshire.”
Sunday is the big day when there is a book fair with a wide variety of bookshops and other traders in Rhosygilwen’s magnificent Oak Hall together with readings, book launches, discussions and other events starting at 10.30 am. Among the many diverse events are rock climber and prize winning travel writer Jim Perrin’s debut book of short stories, a discussion on the remarkable 19 th century woman and novelist Amy Dillwyn, and Peter Lord on his new book 'Relationships with Pictures' which describes, using fifteen pictures, the evolution of his own sense of self.
There’s a Welsh language event with Grahame Davies talking about 'Alcemi Dwr/The Alchemy Of Water'– an illustrated book about Welsh lakes, rivers, shorelines and waterfalls. And there’s a good deal for children too. World famous storyteller Daniel Morden will be telling tales from his award-winning book, 'Dark Tales from the Woods' . Throughout the day there’s a mystery game that children with their families can join in – searching for an elusive stolen ivory statue – with prizes for those who find it and catch the thief!
There will also be plenty of opportunities to meet local authors and hear about their books. One such author is popular writer and illustrator Jackie Morris who has a new book out called 'Song of the Golden Hare' . And, at the other end of the spectrum, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilkins and ITV News reporter Steve Wilkins, will talk about their book 'The Pembrokeshire Murders' – the story of Operation Ottawa, the cold case detection of John Cooper for two double killings.
So what makes a good read? That’s the subject of a discussion between authors Paula Brackston, Francesca Rhydderch and Katherine Stansfield who will discuss their latest books in conversation with Richard Davies. And to wrap up the day, one of the UK''s leading TV screenwriters, Lucy Gannon will talk about her career and writing for television including the new series of Frankie , Soldier Soldier , Branwell, Lewis and the award winning The Best of Men .
The PENfro Book Festival 2013 is at Rhosygilwen, Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire from Thursday September 12 th until Sunday September 15 th .
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PENfro Book Festival
Thursday 12th - Sunday 15th September, Rhosygilwen
The PEN fro Book Festival is an annual event celebrating the quality and diversity of writing in Wales today, recognising the contribution of local publishers and booksellers, and encouraging more people to enjoy the wealth of books Wales offers.... Read More
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AmeriCymru: Hi Derek and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Care to tell us a little about the history and background of the Penfro Festival?
Derek: This is the third year of the PENfro Book Festival. It was the brainchild of local author Brian John, who was Chair for the first two years. The intention then, as now, is to celebrate writing in Wales today, providing a platform for writers and encouraging the public to appreciate and enjoy the wealth of wonderful writing in the country. It was never designed to compete with the likes of the Hay Festival, but rather to have a smaller, more intimate feel: warm, welcoming and very friendly – very much in the spirit of Pembrokeshire!
For the first couple of years the festival was held over two days, but this year it has been extended to have two evening performances in addition. A programme of writers’ workshops was introduced in 2012 and this is now an integral part of the festival.
AmeriCymru: Who will be 
Derek: This year the festival begins with a concert on Thursday 12 th September – Hungarian Dance: the Concert of the Novel. Having played to rave reviews, the concert features Jesscia Duchen reading extracts from her bestselling novel accompanied by the music which inspired it. It promises to be a unique experience and one not to be missed.
Friday evening is a poetry evening hosted by local poetry group, the Cellar Bards – together with three other groups, Red Heron, the PENfro Poets and Haiku and Hipflasks. The winners of the first PENfro Poetry competition will also be announced by guest judge Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch, and the evening features a performance by poet Tim Wells.
During the day on Saturday , there are a number of Writers’ Workshops covering subjects including ‘getting started’; poetry; using new media; biography; freelance journalism and screenwriting.
We also have a couple of events for children held at Small World theatre in Cardigan. Award-winning storyteller, Daniel Morden will be telling tales from the Odyssey and there is a special Children’s Circus workshop at lunchtime with a performance in the afternoon.
We are enormously proud to have for our Saturday evening event not only the Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, but the National Poet of Wales, Gillian Clarke! This is a tremendous coup for the festival and will I’m sure ensure PENfro a place on the literary map.
Sunday is a full day of events starting in the morning with Peter Lord discussing his new book, Relationships with Pictures , describing, using fifteen pictures, the evolution of his own sense of self.
That’s followed by Jim Perrin and Mark Charlton. Jim is best known as a rock climber and prize winning travel writer, but he has debut book of short stories A Snow Goose about to be published. He will be in conversation with Mark Charlton author of Counting Steps .
Swansea born Amy Dillwyn was a remarkable woman and novelist. Considered to be an eccentric with unorthodox and iconoclastic views, she published six novels, as well as being a regular, though anonymous, reviewer for the Spectator. And she’s the subject of an event with Dr Kirsti Bohata who discusses Dillwyn and her classic novel, Jill in conversation with Janet Thomas.
Then there’s a Welsh language event with Grahame Davies in conversation with Ceri Wyn on Alcemi Dŵr – The Alchemy Of Water – an illustrated book about Welsh lakes, rivers, shorelines and waterfalls, featuring the poems of Grahame Davies and Tony Curtis and the photographs of Mari Owen and Carl Ryan.
Daniel Morden makes a reappearance with his Dark Tales from the Woods , for which he won the Tir na n-Og Award . His latest publication is Tree of Leaf and Flame , published by Pont Books in 2012 which also won the Tir na n-Og Award. His stories are broadcast regularly on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Choice TV.
Then, at lunchtime, we have three local authors talking about their books in our Meet the Authors spot: Liz Whittaker''s book The Bardic Monk tells the tale of how Henry II of England, in thrall to tales of King Arthur, travels to a remote corner of Wales to meet with a shrouded monk of no name. Pembrokeshire, often referred to as ''Gwlad yr Hud'' (the Enchanted Land), is home to a rich and diverse collection of tales; and in Pembrokeshire Folk Tales Christine Willison has gathered many of these tales together in an enchanting book. Glen Peter''s latest novel The Lucknow Ransom again features beautiful widow Joan D''Silva with a cast of colourful characters inspired by Glen''s youth in the dwindling Anglo-Indian community.
After lunch there’s a choice of events. In ‘What Makes a Good Read’,New York Times best-selling author Paula Brackston, Francesca Rhydderch and Katherine Stansfield discuss their latest books in conversation with Richard Davies. While author/illustrator Jackie Morris will talk about and read from the latest book that she has written and illustrated called Song of the Golden Hare.
Finally, wrapping up the day, we have The Pembrokeshire Murders – the story of Operation Ottawa, the cold case detection of John Cooper for two Pembrokeshire double killings – with Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Wilkins and ITV News reporter Jonathan Hill.
And Lucy Gannpn - one of the UK''s leading TV screenwriters talks about her career and writing for television with Susanna Capon. Lucy''s credits include the new series of Frankie , Soldier Soldier , Branwel l, Lewis and the award winning The Best of Men.
All day on Sunday , we also have our trade fair with up to 30 stalls – booksellers, publishers, authors and others offering an enormous variety of books and other related items. A great place to browse where you’re sure to find something of interest. While next door, in the Orangery, you can have a snack, a cup of tea or coffee, or a full lunch.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us something about the venue?
Derek: The festival is held in the spacious grounds of Rhosygilwen – a beautiful stone built mansion built in Gothic style with magnificent gardens. Many of the events are held in the house’s large Conservatory with others in the lovely spacious octagonal summerhouse. The major events and the trade fair are held in the superb Oak Hall with its exquisite hammer beam roof and wonderful light.
AmeriCymru: What are your plans for the future of the Festival? How do you see it developing in years to come?
Derek: The festival I think has now started to establish itself well as part of the Welsh literary scene, but I hope that we appeal to the man and woman in the street just as much. I certainly don’t want the festival to be in any way elitist, but to add to the enormous joy which people can get from books – and books of all types and in all forms. Celebratory and fun, that’s what it should be! We are already planning for next year and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has agreed to speak and read poetry in our Saturday evening slot. So it’s all really very exciting.
AmeriCymru: Where can readers go to purchase tickets for the event?
Derek: Tickets for each event can be bought on the day or evening concerned, but some such as the Saturday evening event are selling fast, so best to book now! They can be bought on line on the website: penfrobookfestival.org.uk . There is a Festival Pass available for the Sunday too, which gives entry to all events all day for just £10. Beat that for great value!
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The Legend of Finndragon’s Curse is the first book in a unique, two book fantasy adventure series and is a fast paced, engaging and thrilling page turner. The story races along with plenty of twists and turns as it heads for the prophesized confrontation between the children and the evil Finndragon himself.
Americymru spoke to author Richard Phillips about the book and his ongoing ''blog tour''.
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AmeriCymru: Hi Richard and many thanks for agreeing to talk to AmeriCymru. How did you become a writer and what attracted you to writing young adult fantasy fiction?
Richard: Diolch. I guess I was always a writer, but didn''t realise it. Well not until my children persuaded me to turn the magical bedtime stories I told them, into a book.
Okay, I wrote a lot of poetry when younger, which gathers dust in the dark recesses of my hard drive. I might take them out one day and see if any are worthy of publication. I also wrote a couple of ''underground'' satirical magazines at work, lampooning my colleagues and their antics. These were great fun, but had a very limited readership.
I actually started writing a sci-fi novel about fifteen years ago, but ran out of steam after just 4,000 words. I don''t think I truly believed in myself back then.
When a very close friend died suddenly aged 42, I wrote some blog posts describing our fantastic (and almost unbelievably true) adventures. These stories are definitely not suitable for younger readers and the blog has long since been removed. However, I think it would be a great to write a work of fiction based on some of the events. If you can imagine something between Twin Town and Grand Slam you''d be on the right lines!
It was my daughter Katie who first started nagging me to write a book about the bedtime stories. These tales always centred around three children named Emma, Megan and Scott, (my kids'' middle names) and their adventures, which usually involved characters ''stolen'' from their favourite TV shows such as Doctor Who. I don''t know quite how, or even when it happened, but the seeds of an idea started to grow. What I did have were the three protagonists. Their characteristics and personalities are based upon my children, albeit older versions.
I wanted the story to be deeply rooted in Wales and also wanted to write about places I knew. That''s where Morlais Castle comes in. It was in my thoughts when describing Castell y Mynydd and is a great starting point for the story. Most importantly, I was writing it for them, so the story had to be suitable for my kids to read. At that time, I didn''t really expect or intend for anyone else to ever read it.
AmeriCymru: Care to introduce the ''Tales of Finndragon'' for our readers?
Richard: Tales of Finndragon is a unique two book fantasy series set firmly in, and under, a fictional 21st century Welsh town named Crafanc y Ddraig. Although written for young adults, the story is suitable for children aged 9 years upwards and has also been very well received by adults who like fantasy books such as Harry Potter.
Book 1, The Legend of Finndragon''s Curse starts with the Davies family, who are still trying to come to terms with the unexplained disappearance of their father and husband.
There is a local legend which has been passed down from generation to generation. It tells of the mighty 6th century, medieval Kingdom of Morgannwg, which was ruled by King Dafydd the Defiant, and his impregnable castle, Castell y Mynydd. Dafydd had a powerful wizard called Finndragon, who cursed the kingdom after being banished and it was swallowed up and sank into the belly of the earth.
One day the siblings, Emma, Megan and Scott discover an ancient scroll and a photograph of the nearby mountains, hidden amongst their dad''s belongings. Realising that these are clues to his disappearance, the children set off to find him and the lost Kingdom of Morgannwg. And that''s where their fantastic adventure begins.
There are many twists and turns over the course of the two books, as the children encounter Finndragon''s terrible demons, magical creatures, and are helped by an inept wizard''s apprentice and by King Dafydd himself.
AmeriCymru: Where can people go online to find your work?
Richard: The books are currently available for kindle via Amazon and will shortly be available in other ebook formats and in print. You can read the first few chapters of each book for free.
AmeriCymru: You have a ''blog tour'' running until the end of June. Care to explain how this works for our readers? How can people participate?
Richard: A blog tour is a virtual book tour, where an author visits several book blogs rather than bookshops. I decided to plan my own tour in order to promote the release of my second book, Return to Finndragon''s Den on 29th May. I sent countless emails to book bloggers and put together a schedule which started 15th May and runs until the end of June.
There are lots of reviews, interviews, guest posts, free ebooks to win and an ambitious and unusual competition.
You can find the schedule on my blog My Name''s Not Earl . I would be grateful if you could checkout all the blogs, it''s not to late to visit the earlier posts. If you like what you see, please support the bloggers by joining their sites. They have been kind enough to help and support me and I want to return the favour in any way I can. If you want to tweet or share the posts on Facebook or via other social media, you will usually find links after the posts.
AmeriCymru: Apart from your blog tour, how are you promoting your books?
Richard: I recently took my son Jonathan to Morlais Castle for the first time, retracing the steps I first took with my own father as a young boy. I have posted some photographs on the Americymru website.
Looking at the photographs gave me an idea and I created a book trailer, which can be viewed on Youtube and on my Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads pages.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Richard Phillips? Any new titles in the works?
Richard: I want to continue writing young adult fantasy (or possibly sci-fi) for the foreseeable future. I have a few ideas for stand alone stories, one of which will probably be a short story or novella, and hope to get started once the blog tour is over.
In the longer term, I''d like to write for an older audience (although most of my current readers are adults who love fantasy).
Whichever genre I write, I''m sure to be influenced by the people and places I know and love.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Richard: Thank you for taking an interest in me and my books. I''m always delighted to hear what people think about my books, blog, book trailer and anything else for that matter. You can find me on:
Visit Jen Delyth''s site here:- Jen Delyth Celtic Art Studio
AmeriCymru: You were born in south Wales. Can you tell us a little about your background?
Jen: I was actually born in the Welsh borderlands of the Wye valley, not far from Tintern Abbey. Offa''s dyke ran behind our garden - an 8th century earthwork built by the Anglo Saxon king to keep the Welsh out of Mercia. When I was a few years old, we moved back to South Wales, to my mother''s family in the Port Talbot area. My Great Grandfather came as a boy from Cornwall, at the turn of the century, when the tin mines ran dry, to find work in the local steel industries, which were fueled by the coal from the Valleys. My parents were young teachers, and later we lived in the small village of Penllergaer, on the edge of the Gower Peninsula, which is known for its natural beauty, ancient history, and lovely beaches. They live there now in the village of Llangennith - the Church of the Celtic Saint Kenneth/Cenydd - who was said to have been raised by seagulls and fed by the milk of a doe, and later established a monastery there in the 6th century.
Jen: I did not realize for a long time that I would one day become a visual artist. I have not studied art in school, and am completely self taught. I chose philosophy as my main subject at University, and then taught myself photography, doing some freelance work in London for a while before I came to the States.
I don''t remember being particularly exposed to the visual arts as a child, but there was music, poetry and drama, which I enjoyed and participated in. I was an active member of the Urdd - the youth Eisteddfod - singing and reading Welsh texts on behalf of my school.
I remember being given a book of Greek mythology when I was young, and it really caught my attention. It was my interest in myths and legends that first inspired me to create iconographic symbols and archetypes using the language of the folk art of my own culture.
In the beginning, creating Celtic patterning was an intuitive playful process. I quickly became compelled and intrigued by the rhythms and intricate balance, the push and pull and inherent mystical content of this art form, that 20 years later developed into this body of work that I am now proud to have created.
Celtic Tree - Jen Delyth
As a self taught artist, I learned by doing, experimenting, and from personal studies. I felt it was important to create authentic new original Celtic artwork, to contribute to the living tradition, rather than simply coping the old existing designs which seemed to be more usual. I think it was also a response to missing my home - Hiraeth - when I moved to northern California after meeting my husband Scott - a Jazz musician - whilst traveling. I became more aware of who I was, and where I had come from in having left, and it drew my attention to the intensely creative wealth of folk lore and imagery that I perhaps took for granted back in Wales.
I was encouraged very much by my family and friends when I started working as a Celtic artist. My mother has always been active in Welsh folk culture, and it seemed quite natural for me to follow the threads forward in my own way, with my own style, and to be doing so in the States where so many others had come before as immigrants - although I had not particularly planned on this!
AmeriCymru: It would appear that you possess a fair amount of knowledge about the Celts. When did this information become of real interest to you? Do you have any favorite Welsh or Celtic myths?
Jen: I started a personal interest in Celtic studies at the same time as I began creating images that drew from themes in Welsh myth and folk lore. I remember my mother telling me about the Mabinogion that she read as a child, and I was already interested in the ideas of contemporary philosophers such as Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung, who drew insight and wisdom from the mysticism of the ancient mythologies of the world, which was very inspiring to me.
My favourite Welsh Myths are the story of Taliesin - the mythic Poet, and Blodeuwedd who transforms into the Owl. Also I love the legend of the early Welsh Saint Melangell- Protector of the Hare. These are characters that connect our spirituality with nature, through representing archetypes in our psyche that continue to resonate within us today.
Garden - Jen Delyth
AmeriCymru: Okay, we have to ask about your Celtic Tree of Life design. When and how did the inspiration for this work happen? And when did you begin to realize that this design was taking on a huge life of its own? When you think about it, it seems that this iconic image has reached past the Celtic world and has spoken to many people across this planet. How does that strike you?
Jen: The inspiration for my Celtic Tree of Life (in 1989) was a very simple and natural idea to portray this universal symbol as an iconographic Celtic symbol. There are no actual images of trees in depicted in Celtic antiquity, such as in any of the old illuminated manuscripts, or ancient stone or metal works, only as abstracted vine patterns and so on. I appreciate trees and forests very much (in fact my first art business was called Dryad Graphics - Dryads are the spirits of the trees. The basic image took only a few hours, and then some more to refine it. I was pleased with it, but had no idea of its future impact- or the complications that this image would create for us!
We began to realize it was taking a life of its own, when we started seeing the design chosen as body art - tattoos, and receiving many requests to use the image for personal logos. We also found it was being used quite a bit on the internet, and realized many people were perceiving it as an ancient design, and not a contemporary work, which is a great compliment, but also makes it difficult to protect the copyright. A friend once described it as having become like a "folk song" out in the world. Which is lovely. However, we do have to work diligently to control use of the design in the commercial arena, and to educate the public on copyright and appropriate credit whenever possible.
I'm very proud of having contributed a symbol that does seem to resonate to many people, including both Christians and Pagans, ecologists, healers and scientists, those of Celtic heritage, and anyone who appreciates Trees!
AmeriCymru: The original Celtic Tree of Life -- what media did you use to create it? What media do you enjoy working with the most?
Jen: The original design was simply sketched on paper, which I like to do at first, working out and refining the design. Then, since I wanted to adapt the image to different mediums for my crafts business at the time, I often used a digital vector-drawing tools (Adobe Illustrator) - which was very new back in 1989 - to refine it. The graphic arts computer (a Mac SE) was only recently available back then, and I was very excited at the time about using such modern technology, to work with creating ancient symbols. The Celts were known to excel at adapting new tools and processes such as the compass for example, or metal making techniques, and I remember thinking how appropriate it was, to be a 20th century Celtic artist, using this most modern tool (the computer), as part of my the authentic process, rather than simply emulating the methods and styles of history.
To balance out this technical medium, I also enjoy - depending on what mood I''m in - using pencils, pens, oil, acrylic or watercolor - and my favorite - egg tempera painting. Egg tempera was being used by the ancient Egyptians, and a slightly different version on the illuminated manuscripts created by the Celtic Scribes - using natural ground pigments and precious stones, and creating a medium with egg yolk (or egg white) to make the paint. This on top of hand made gesso on birch boards. I love this medium the most, as its organic, luminous, and aesthetically lovely to work with.
Awen - Jen Delyth
AmeriCymru: Many of your images evoke a very dream-like essence (The Garden comes to mind). Do your images come to you in dreams? You also must receive a lot of email and letters from those who appreciate your efforts. Do you ever get ideas from them that find their way into your artwork? Have you ever been commissioned to do work? If so, how does that work?
Jen: My images are usually formed through abstracting and weaving together particular mythic or symbolic content, more than from dreams. But its true that sometimes when resting, or perhaps when walking along the beach, when I am not particularly thinking about my work, that an image does pop up. I remember in particular with "The Garden" that you mention, that I was just coming out of an afternoon nap, when I envisioned the motif of the dragonfly integrated into the fore-head and nose of the main figure, which then intuitively and visually translated into a deeper "shamanic" connection between the Dragonfly and the anthropomorphic image of the Green Man/Woman as nature deity. Which was a gift from the muse for sure! The best inspirations do seem to come from being open and relaxed and channeling through yourself as an artist, rather than forcing the design.
I do get a fair amount of positive correspondence - which is what keeps me going I think at times! There have not been a lot of art collaborations exactly, but yes, sometimes a request for an image does inspire new work. I don''t take commissions very often, as my work is time consuming, and it would be expensive really. I prefer to focus without the pressure of translating for someone else, and don''t really have so much time to do that well. But working closely with my publisher to pull projects together has a collaborative synergy sometimes that I enjoy very much.
AmeriCymru: Your work has inspired reviewers, art critics, and the public at large. When did you realize that you might actually be able to make a living doing what you love?
Jen: It was very humble beginnings to be honest. I had no idea when I started that there would be so much interest or a market for my work. I made a few simple textile designs and prints for a local crafts fair, just for fun really, back in 1990, and the response was so overwhelmingly positive, I realized I could maybe make a humble living doing this full time. I quickly began to understand that many Americans were hungry for connection with their heritage, and that Welsh, Irish and Scottish immigrants - of course - were a large group in this country, who very much valued their roots. It was not why I began, or the focus of my work, however the support of this community did help my journey as an artist.
Apart from creating a business though, something in me was always compelled to push the originality and authenticity of my style. I wanted to express something meaningful in my work, and to learn and grow as an artist, as a visual mythologist really - using my culture and the language of Celtic art as the vocabulary - to talk about spirituality, nature, and how we connect with that on a deep level.
AmeriCymru: Given the massive size of the body or art you have created, one wonders if you work alone or if you have a legion of artistic employees. Can you tell us something about the business side of your work? What is a typical day like for you?
Jen: I think that for many years, I was extremely motivated and my creative period didn''t stop even when maybe it would have been good to have some time off! There were so many designs that called to me to be fleshed out, to tell the story of Celtic spirituality and mysticism, that I was just simply obsessed I suppose! I work alone, in my home garden studio, although my husband and partner Scott has always been there to support and provide honest feedback. I have received requests to teach or to take on apprentice help, but I work intensely, and prefer to be alone in my process.
On the business side, I started the fledgling Dryad Graphics in 1988, which grew into a international art and gift company Keltic Designs Inc. when my husband Scott left his teaching career to join me. Along with the art and design, I continue to do the more technical web work and product development, and my partner Scott manages the business. I also enjoy working closely with my publishers Amber Lotus, who encourage and give me total creative control, and I respect their positive vision and collaborative spirit very much.
AmeriCymru: What projects are you currently involved with? What can we see from Jen Delyth in the near future?
Jen: Ah.. this is the question! After finishing my book "Celtic Folk Soul - art, myth and symbol" last year, I have been on my first sabbatical, since I started working over 20 years ago. This book felt like I had completed the body of work - and I''m not sure quite what to do next in a way!
In "Celtic Folk Soul" I learned to write - encouraged by my publishers who insisted I provided the text for the book - and enjoyed that very much. I would say I would like to continue writing and perhaps illustrate another book - but that also took a lot of time, energy, and resources. But it was very exciting and satisfying to pull all my designs and paintings together, with poetry and mythology, history and folklore. Maybe I''d like to teach and share what I have learned, pass it on to others. Maybe just walk along the beach with my dog Tân, cook dinners for my friends, and pull some weeds a little while longer. We''ll have to see.
AmeriCymru: Do you have any message for your admirers and friends at AmeriCymru?
Jen: I appreciate very much the often hard journey that so many made to come to this country from Wales, and the roots that have been planted here. I am mysteriously part of this movement westward, bringing my culture with me, as so many have done before. I hope that we will not forget where we came from, the beautiful green and brackened land of poets and farmers, dragons and saints, chapels and ancient stone circles, and my favorite - Great Aunt Bronwen''s welsh cakes on the griddle! Ysbryd tragwyddol y keltiad - the spirit of the Celts is eternal! Diolch, Jen Delyth
Melangell - Jen Delyth
Interview by Brian y Tarw Llwyd
"One of the saddest and most inspirational sports autobiographies you''ll ever read"
Five minutes into a rugby match between Bala and nant Conwy on 21st April 2007, the first scrum collapsed leaving Bala hooker, Bryan ''Yogi'' Davies, with life changing injuries: a broken neck and damaged lungs.
This book tells the story of his life before the accident and his heroic fight for survival following the scrum that changed his life.
The book is set in three parts: part one of each chapter follows developments since his accident, part two looks back at Yogi''s life before the tragic scrum and his struggle against the odds even then, whilst part three conveys the thoughts and reactions of his wife Susan to events - the policewoman who has been a tower of strength throughout to Yogi and the children.
The book is full of humour and sadness, and is a picture of optimism and fortitude in the face of tragedy. Sadly weeks before publication, Yogi passed away. But, with a postscript, a tribute by his daughter and his final letter, the book should prove to be an inspiration to everyone.
