Blogs
The wealth of our princes
in swords bent
and thrown into meres
in the feared wildernesses of their time
when they were deposed by invaders
their leaderless subjects
lived similarly fettered
until liberated by learning
the alchemy of the word
the occasional brilliance of finance
like sunlight in a forest
I break the legs of my poems
to prevent them escaping from me
in my hobbled search for
my private Excalibur
Adjudication from Mike Jenkins
''Rice Paper Dreams' by Krystal Song and 'Happy Birthday Marcy Lamport' by Caroline Jensen were both exceptional. I really liked both Song's stories and all of Jensen's......a real talent. I'll have to go for Krystal Song, but it's close and Caroline deserves a special mention for so many great stories.
The winner of the 2017 competition is Krystal Song.
Mike Jenkins
Read the winning entries here:- Krystal Song 2017 WCE Online Story Competition Winner
Congratulations/Llongyfarchiadau to this year's winner Krystal Song
Adjudication from Peter Thabit Jones
There were some excellent submissions for the 2018 competition. I was really impressed by the variety of poetic voices, subjects, and forms. It was not easy coming to a decision, though I knew I was looking for work that was original, fresh, with something that held my attention for the span of its unfolding, and with something that would call me back again and again. I eventually arrived at three poets whose poems kept calling me back again and again: Paul Steffan Jones, Whyt Pugh, and Sally Spedding.
The winner of the 2018 competition is Whyt Pugh.
Peter Thabit Jones
Poet, dramatist, and publisher
Read the winning entries here:- Whyt Pugh 2017 WCE Online Poetry Competition Winner
Congratulations/Llongyfarchiadau to this year's winner Whyt Pugh
ENGLISH
CYMRAEG
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Gwenno Dafydd - St David's Day Ambassador To The World
Gwenno Dafydd is the instigator of the Saint David's Day Anthem (Lyrics: Gwenno Dafydd Music: Heulwen Thomas) which was launched by The Presiding Officer of the Welsh Assembly Government, Lord Dafydd Elis Thomas in 2008. She has been promoting and developing Saint David's Day activities worldwide since 2006 when the Saint David's Day Anthem 'Cenwch y Clychau i Dewi' (Ring out the bells for Saint David) was performed in public for the very first time in the National Saint David's Day Parade in Cardiff. She has instigated the tradition of 'County Banners' throughout Wales to celebrate Saint David's Day. This year, the first County Banner, The Pembrokeshire Banner, which is kept on permanent display in the East Cloister in Saint David's Cathedral, will be joined by two new County Banners, those of Montgomeryshire and Carmartheshire.
The Saint David's Day Anthem, which will this year be sold from the very prestigious Ty Cerdd website, patron Karl Jenkins, alongside the music of Welsh composers such as Grace Williams, William Mathias, Morfydd Llwyn Owen and Gareth Glyn. The Saint David's Day Anthem has been performed not only in Wales but also numerous times in Canada, Los Angeles, Patagonia, Disneyland Paris and the Houses of Parliament. Every year the Pembrokeshire Banner is paraded around Saint David's Cathedral whilst local school children sing the Saint David's Day Anthem.
She has created an Iphone App to learn the Welsh National Anthem and is the author of 'Stand Up & Sock it to them Sister. Funny Feisty Females' which had been described by Funny Women, the UK's leading female comedy community as 'the ultimate canon of female stand-up comics'. She is a Leadership and Public Speaking Coach and works extensively via Skype and even has some clients in Los Angeles.
Heulwen Davies of Machynlleth publishes Mam – Croeso i’r Clwb (Mam – Welcome to the Club) this week – a book full of facts for new mothers recording the experiences of parents, families, doctors and midwives, leading the mother through the pregnancy up to the end of the child’s first year. The volume will include an open and light discussion about the changes and challenges facing new parents whilst offering advice along the way. It will be launched in time for Mothers Day on 11 March 2018.
‘As a first time mother, it became clear that there were plenty of English books and websites available to get advice and share experiences, but there was no Welsh language or Welsh digital platform,’ explained Heulwen, ‘Although the English resources were of help, I was not able to identify with these mothers, as the majority lived in a city, were rich and posh! Their life was very different from my life - a pregnant mother in rural Wales. Not better, just different.’
‘I was keen to change the situation, to help future parents, and ensure that the experiences of parents are shared in Welsh and bilingually, to portray the life of a parent in Wales today.’ says Heulwen, ‘I started blogging my experience as a new mother and had a very good response’.
Eager to encourage more parents to discuss and support each other, Heulwen decided to write her own book and in the process she set up the popular bilingual blog, Mam Cymru.
The incentive to write the book finally came from author Caryl Lewis when Heulwen attended a one-day writing course in Tŷ Newydd, which was led by Caryl.
‘At the end of the course, Caryl's words were, ‘If you don’t take this idea to a publisher by Monday, I’m going to take it for you!’ said Heulwen.
The volume's drawings were produced by cartoonist Huw Aaron to ‘add to the humor of the book’. Huw was glad of the opportunity and went through a similar experience himself during the time spent illustrating the book’s pictures when he became a father for the second time.
Although extensive parts of the volume are based on Heulwen’s experiences, there are contributions from over fifty parents, midwives and experts from all over Wales following an online questionnaire created by Heulwen in order to gather other parents’ experiences in Wales.
‘I'm not an expert, I’m a mother, but I’m absolutely honest and eager to help and make prospective parents and parents alike smile and laugh as they realise that everything that they are going through is normal!’ said Heulwen.
‘It's impossible to explain what its like to be a mother. You’ve got to experience it for yourself as you go on this exciting, emotional, happy and challenging journey.’ she said.
‘If you take one thing from this book on your journey, I’d like you to remember the importance of Prosecco – no, I’m joking! Its the importance of time!’ added Heulwen, ‘Make the best of your time, make the most of the time together and do what’s right for you. Mum knows best!’
Heulwen Davies lives in the Dyfi Valley with Gareth and Elsi Dyfi. She travelled Wales and the world as a producer and director of television and radio, before returning to Machynlleth and begun a career as a manager and marketing consultant and events.
The book will be launched in Caffi Alys, Machynlleth at 7pm on Friday 2 March and then in Medina in Aberystwyth at 6.30pm on Monday 5 March, both in th company of Heulwen Davies and Caryl Lewis.
Mam – Croeso i’r Clwb! by Heulwen Davies (£6.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
SÊL Y GWANWYN
O’r 26ain o Chwefror tan yr 2il o Fawrth bydd gostygiad o 20% ar bob archeb ar wefan Y Lolfa.
Ewch i www.ylolfa.com i fanteisio ar y cynnig yn awr.
SPRING SALE
There will be a discount of 20% on all orders placed on Y Lolfa’s website between the 26 th of February and the 2 nd of March.
Visit www.ylolfa.com to take advantage of this offer now.
Matthew Jones is the author of many acclaimed quiz books including the bestselling Welsh Rugby Quiz Book which has been recently updated with over fifty new questions and reprinted after selling over 12,000 copies. This week, he publishes the comprehensive The Wales Quiz Book which will test the readers’ knowledge on Wales and all things Welsh.
‘It’s always fun to test your own knowledge, and even better to challenge others,’ said Matthew Jones, ‘Now here’s a chance o prove to family and friends how much you know about Wales and test your memory on Wales’ rich tapestry of history, culture, landmarks and people.’
The Wales Quiz Book includes fifty rounds of ten questions on a variety of topics including music, films, successful individuals, memorable events, geography and more. Some questions are harder than others but Matthew is confident that ‘there's something for everyone’.
‘From Tom Jones to Manic Street Preachers, Richard Burton to Rhys Ifans, there's a real spectrum of enjoyment bursting from this book’ said Matthew Jones.
‘It’s an impossible task to pack everything about Wales into 500 questions, but The Wales Quiz Book gives a fantastic mixture of facts to suit everyone.’ added Matthew, ‘ This is a fun way for you to see how much you know about the country and its people, and getting friends together is even more enjoyable – people love a good quiz!’
Matthew Jones is the author of Welsh Sports Quiz Book, The Rugby Union Quiz Book, The Lions Rugby Quiz Book, The Six Nations Rugby Quiz Book and the bestselling Welsh Rugby Quiz Book . He lives in Cardiff and does media and PR work in English or Welsh.
The Wales Quiz Book by Matthew Jones (£3.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Why not come along to Cardiff University's Welsh Summer Course!? | Beth am ddod i Gwrs Haf Prifysgol Caerdydd?
By AmeriCymru, 2018-02-23
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The hunters came from afar
to the vacuum of
scraped and scratched mountains
and scourged and scoured valleys
uninformed but brave
confident and hardy
they would stay
finding something that contented them
where the land ran out
in the north west of the continent
they had crossed as ice mass melted
their skins black against white
the waters gushing
through territories re-emerging
after their long concealment
they built homes
started families
harnessed ploughs
husbanded beasts
worked together
to engineer and erect
monumental structures
sailed the coasts
exploring
and sharing products
and ideas
they used whale bone
flint and tusk
to fashion tools and weapons
hunting some creatures to extinction
their shamen helped them
to know how to revere
and commune with their ancestors
the stars
the sun and the moon
thunder and lightning
and the munificence of the fauna
of the ocean without end
in time that sea rose around them
cutting them off from their wider family
leaving them stranded
and forgetful of who they were
where they had come from
prefering to tell a new myth of island isolation
those mothers and fathers of ours
What lies beneath the surface
below the wake of cheerful pleasure craft
and the hopeful lures of anglers
this privileged day of summer?
the old village now lies silenced
its windowless buildings
have wide open doors
that permit brown trout
to enter and leave
this street of skulls
forgotten in the march of progress
stepped over by big money
eels coil around the rusted railings
that contain the cemetery
the dead sleeping
the disturbed sleep
of new surroundings
the chapel
eyeless
wordless
the new wildlife in its pews
that does not understand
it had gasped its last hosannas
in bubbles of oxygen
that escaped its ancient walls
on the day it succumbed to deluge
the final ministration of loss
pike skulk in the classrooms
of the primary school
silt is forming over the white lines
of its playground
the lilt of lullabies
the echo of children’s boisterous songs
stifled by millions of litres
of industrialised water
the shop had been run by
a man surnamed “Shop”
on its shelves
Great Pond Snails colonise
large glass jars
that used to dispense
sherbet fountains
Parma violets
and pink and white mice
the pigeon holes at the post office
have become the domain
of smooth newts and gudgeon
managing as efficiently in their way
as had the former postmistress
who was nicknamed “Post”
the practical and descriptive
naming conventions of a people
who had loved to describe
in an inaccessible corner of the lake side
a sheep wool-snagged
barbed wire-topped fence
disappears into the depths
still taut
still connecting the abandoned homes
to the life that persists on the hillside
...
