Blogs

Today marks the centenary of Roald Dahl’s birth in Cardiff, Wales.

He wrote children's books including 'Matilda' 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' and 'The BFG'

In his autobiography ‘Boy’ Dahl talks about his childhood in Wales.

Wales is celebrating the centenary with a number of events:

http://www.roalddahl100.wales/ whats-on/

How Welsh was Roald Dahl? Find out in a BBC interview with Prof Damian Walford Davies author of ‘Roald Dahl: Wales of the Unexpected’ and Lleucu Siencyn CEO of Literature Wales:

http://www.bbc.com/news/ entertainment-arts-36963989

The characters Gari Pêl and Bronaldo go head to head in the latest issue of Mellten – published this week, as the two have a competition to see who is the best football player.

This is the second issue of the new quarterly comic for the children of Wales, comic Mellten .

Mainly aimed at children between the ages of 7 and 13, this is the first original Welsh comic to be published in decades. Edited by Wales’ best and most original cartoonist, Huw Aaron, Mellten contains contributions from many artists, cartoonists and authors.

Between the pages of the second issue, we reunite with characters such as Gwil Garw, a hero from an age before history who loves collecting and fighting monsters, Bloben and Capten Clonc – the most handsome hero in the universe. We also follow the adventures of Iola, the young pilot who dreams of winning the Space Rally Competition but she is stuck on planet Cymru Newydd (New Wales).  The second issue will also include the favourite ‘Ble mae Boc?’ (Where is Boc?) with the poor little dragon lost in Cardiff city stadium amongst a crowd of excited Welsh football fans!

There is also an opportunity to win a pair of tickets to see the Wales rugby team play against Japan at the Principality Stadium on the 19 ^th of November.

‘It has been fantastic to see the enthusiastic response of the children of Wales to the first issue of Mellten and the second issue is full of adventure, silly jokes and colourful characters!’ said the comic’s editor, Huw Aaron.

Huw Aaron will also be joining in the fun and festivities of the ‘Enormous Weekend’ in Caernarfon this weekend as he visits Penygroes Library at 10 am and Palas Print at 2.45pm on Saturday the 17 ^th of September in a cartoon making session.

The next issue of Mellten will appear in December but the fun will continue on the website with new content added regularly.  

Mellten is available to buy separately or by subscription through the website, schools, local bookshops or Y Lolfa publishers.

Huw Aaron will be at Palas Print in Caernarfon on Saturday the 17 ^th of September between 2.45pm and 3.45pm as part of the enourmous weekend.  

The second issue of Mellten (£2, Y Lolfa) is available now.

Welsh Government, New York, September 6:

“Wales means business” – that’s the message the First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones is bringing to America on a whistle-stop 5-day tour of Atlanta, Cincinnati and Chicago, Sep 5-8.

As part of the drive to further raise the profile of Wales in three states of key importance to Wales, First Minister Jones will meet with a number of Fortune 500 companies, political leaders including the Mayor of Atlanta Kasim Reed, and existing investors in Wales including Valero, S&C Electric Company and Zimmer Biomet.

He will also address members of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs about the future of Wales post ‘Brexit’ in a talk entitled ‘After Brexit::Europe, the United Kingdom, and Wales.'

The five-day visit is part of the Welsh Government’s plan to increase trade and investment between Wales and the USA - an approach which will be accelerated as part of a coordinated response to Brexit.

The United States of America is one of Wales’ most important trading partners. There are over 250 US companies based in Wales – including large multinational corporations like GE, Ford, 3M, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Kimberley Clark, Honeywell and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. Many Welsh companies like IQE, Tinopolis, Elephant Insurance and Creditsafe are also investing and doing business in the US.

The Welsh Government has trade and investment offices across the United States, with personnel based in the British Embassy in Washington D.C., and in the British Consulate-General offices in New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Chicago

The visit comes on the back of a series of record-breaking years for inward investment to Wales. The acceleration of investment in Wales can be attributed to the proliferation of innovative and hi-tech companies in the country. A recent survey by Nockolds shows that Wales has the fastest growing digital economy in the UK outside London with the number of digital enterprises in Wales jumping by 9.2% in 2015.

Members of the Friends of Wales Caucus on Capitol Hill today wished the First Minister every success on his visit saying that ‘the people of Wales and the United States have benefited greatly from their mutual bonds of friendship which span from the founding of our nation to the present day. In light of the recent vote by the people of the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, the Caucus reaffirms the importance of the economic and cultural ties between Wales and the United States of America.’

Speaking ahead of the visit, First Minister Jones said:

“We have been incredibly successful over recent years at attracting global businesses to Wales – and creating high quality jobs. With inward investment at a 30 year high, our efforts in attracting business and investment is resulting in more and better jobs being created here in Wales.

“Announcements from Aston Martin, MotoNovo, TVR, Essentra, EE and BT have demonstrated our growing reputation as the go-to country for businesses to locate to and trade from. But we need to do more to attract more investment in the future, not less. We need to take an ever more proactive approach to going out there, promoting Wales on an international stage, and reminding the world that all the things that have made Wales great, continue to make Wales great.

“Post-Brexit, we must sell Wales to the world like never before. Wales must remind the world we mean business. That’s exactly what I’ll be doing this week in the USA.”

A pioneering new book aims to present a journey through Welsh history and ‘introduce the people of Wales’ to their own history through the Welsh Christian experience.

Our Holy Ground - The Welsh Christian Experience by John I Morgans and Peter C Noble tells of the Welsh Christian story and, through showing how it is rooted in localities, tells the story of Wales.

‘This is for the people who live in Wales to learn about their own story – a story which continues to be contemporary and relevant.’ John and Peter explained,

‘We want the people who live in Wales to know their own shared story.’ they added. This is the first book of its kind which attempts to tell the Welsh story from the widest possible perspective, whilst also being a readable retelling of old and recent revisions of Welsh history and integrating both the ‘secular and religious story’.

John Morgans wrote the book and Peter Noble was the photographer. Both were aware that when they were introducing ministers from other countries to come and serve in Wales, the ministers were oblivious to the different national context and there was no straightforward book which they could recommend.

The answer seemed to be ‘put that right yourself’.

‘Our joint experience confirms our awareness that this is a story which is no longer being shared.’ they explained, ‘The majority in the churches have no concept of the wholeness of the story. Welsh denominations, as they weaken, are focusing on their own separate history and stories.’

‘But this historic story belongs to all the people of Wales. Our hope is that this book will alert the church and the wider public that there is one great story which belongs to everyone.’ they said.

‘This book is the appropriate history of a movement.’ added t he Rt. Rev. Dom Daniel OCSO, Abbot of Caldey, ‘This publication is not just a history book among many others but a re-telling the story in a way our ancestors would have done from generation to generation.’

The volume includes over a hundred photographs taken by Peter Noble as he travelled throughout Wales over a period of several years.

‘The photographs are an integral element to the book, the unique collection of images illustrating the historic narrative and at the same time the awareness of a contemporary journey.’ said Peter.

Two of these images include Our Lady of Penrhys and The Guardian of the Valleys monuments respectively which feature on the front cover.

‘The images we chose for the cover were deliberate’ they explained, ‘They symbolise a journey of discovery into forgotten Welsh history.’

John I. Morgans was born in Tylorstown, Rhondda and studied history, theology and church history at Swansea, Oxford and Hartford, Connecticut before ordination in 1967. His first pastorate included the United Reformed Church in Llanidloes and the Welsh Independent Church in Glanhafren. His ministry continued with the URC in Manselton, as Moderator for the Wales Synod, and at Llanfair, Penrhys where, with his wife Norah, he helped form the ecumenical church. He retired from pastoral ministry in 2004. Our Holy Ground is his sixth book.

Peter C. Noble was raised in Brynmawr, Gwent. Following service in the RAF he studied for ministry in the United Reformed Church at Manchester. Ordained in 1983 his ministries have been Brecon, Libanus and Cwmcamlais (UWI), Caerffili and Ystrad Mynach, Chaplain to Higher Education in Cardiff, Synod Training Officer, and Moderator for the National Synod of Wales. He is presently Ecumenical Chaplain in Cardiff Bay.

Our Holy Ground – The Welsh Christian Experience by John I Morgans and Peter C Noble (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

In a time of war and instability a new book published this week by Y Lolfa will ‘restore your faith in humanity’ according to a former politican.

Originally published in Welsh,  Evacuee – From the Liverpool Blitz to Wales is the remarkable story of Barbara Warlow Davies, an English-speaking four year old, who was evacuated from Liverpool to Talgarreg in Cardiganshire during the Second World War.

The memoir recieved wide acclaim with former politican Cynog Dafis praising the volume and saying, ‘I don’t believe I have ever read such wonderful, moving and appreciative tributes that are yet so real and sincere than the ones Barbara pays to her aunt and uncle.’

‘If you feel the need to restore your faith in humanity, I urge you to read this book.’ he added.

Born in Liverpool three years before the outbreak of the Second World War, Barbara had already experienced the Blitz of May 1941 in Liverpool when thousands died at the hands of the Luftwaffe before her arrival in Wales.

Here she recounts her life story, from losing her Mum six weeks before her third birthday, to being rescued from an explosion which killed 164 people at the Ernest Brown School before her move to live in rural Wales.

She had such a great welcome in Talgarreg that she decided to stay there after the war at the home of John and Rachel Davies in Pantglas who were like parents to her.

‘I am deeply indebted to Talgarreg School: to the two teachers, Miss Watson from New Quay and Miss Elen Thomas of Green Grove, Talgarreg, and especially Mr Tom Stephens, the headmaster, for the care, kindness and education I received,’ says Barbara,

‘Tom Stephens’ love for the Welsh language soon became ingrained in me, and I still have a great love for all things Welsh.’ she added.

Barbara recalls her wartime experiences and remembers Rural Cardiganshire after the war, with descriptions of farming customs, such as the day when the pig was killed, and how everyone coped with rationing.

The book contains moving portraits of some of the characters of the area; penned by a woman who is forever grateful for the warm welcome she received in the community of Talgarreg.

Evacuee by Barbara Davies (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

The first serious study of the life and work of William Salesbury, published this week, will investigate the disparity between his very real achievements and the hostility shown to him by twentieth century academics.

The Life and Work of William Salesbury by James Pierce is the long awaited biography of William Salesbury, a gifted linguist, scholar and lawyer who dedicated and risked his life to bring to his people the learning and benefits of the Humanist revolution.

He was the principal translator of the 1567 Welsh New Testament and is considered one of the most significant figures in the history of the Welsh language.

William Salesbury was the Deputy Attorney General for Wales from 1532. His abiding passion was language and he succeeded in steering the first Welsh dictionary and the first translation of the New Testament into Welsh through the political perils of the reigns of four Tudor monarchs.

He introduced his country to the printed word, to Renaissance and Humanist learning, and his lifetime’s work was arguably responsible for saving the Welsh language from extinction.

Salesbury was a determined and politically astute man, yet his posthumous reputation has been blighted by academic controversy.

The Life and Work of William Salesbury will illustrate his major contribution to language and linguistics and should re-instate him as one of Wales’ most influential scholars.

‘A colleague of Ridley, Cecil, William Herbert and John Dee and employed by the notorious Richard Rich, his private life was dogged by marital strife, internal exile, a disputed will, physical assault and the seizure of his property,’ said the author, James Pierce.

‘Yet he pioneered Welsh printing, wrote propaganda for Ridley, compiled a dictionary, produced the first extensive translations of the scriptures into Welsh and the first science book in English and oversaw the passage of key legislation through Parliament.’ he added.

‘His contribution to the culture and history of both England and Wales is substantial,’ said James.

‘This is a well written, coherent argument that makes an original contribution to scholarship,’ said Dr Adrian Morgan, ‘It is a much needed and long awaited biography of one of the most significant figures in the history of the Welsh language.’

Born in Gwent, James Pierce studied Art before joining the teaching profession, eventually becoming an EAL specialist working with children from around the world. He learned Welsh as an adult and has had a lifelong interest in language and literature. He is married with two children and two grandsons.

The Life and Work of William Salesbury by James Pierce (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

The assembly member Elin Jones was one of the main inspirations behind a new novel by a local Aberystwyth author it has been revealed.

The Morlan centre in Aberystwyth was packed last week when over a hundred people came to listen to a conversation between Elin Jones AC, the reviewer Catrin Beard and local author Dana Edwards.

The three were there to discuss the inspiration and background behind Dana’s new Welsh lanaguage novel,  Pam?

Pam? tells the story of Pam, Gwennan and Rhodri as they leave university and make their way in the world during the tumultuous decade that leads to the establishment of the Welsh Assembly.

But the three share a secret. As they begin to enjoy the status and privilege that comes from successful careers, what happened in Abersytwyth threatens to destroy everything.

The novel is set during the late 90s – the era of establishing the National Assembly in Cardiff, dramatic elections, and the growth of Welsh media in the form of Radio Ceredigion.

Dana explained that she chose to set the novel during the 90s because it was ‘a hopeful time, where there was a real feeling that it was possible to change society through the activism and enthusiasm of ordinary people’.

To reflect the nostalgia of the period old pop classics from the 90s were played during the evening and old issues of the contemporary magazine Golwg were placed around the hall.

It was noted that there was an element of the career of Elin Jones in the form of the main character, Pam, with both having been elected as local councillors and both having previously been a part of Radio Ceredigion.

‘It was never my intention to write the life story of Elin Jones,’ says Dana, ‘but of course Elin’s success, like many other women who secured a seat in the first Assembly, was an inspiration’.

‘A brilliant crowd came to launch Dana Edwards’ new novel in the Morlan ond a wonderful summer’s evening in Aberystwyth,’ said Elin Jones AM, ‘I enjoyed the conversation with Dana and Catrin Beard – and to stress the point once more, I am not Pam!’

This is Dana’s second novel, following the success of the English language novel The Other Half and it was chosen as the Welsh Books Council Book of the Month for August.

Pam? by Dana Edwards (£8.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.

Twenty five artists from the US and UK have recorded songs for the double-disk album which is released on October 24 ^th .

The album features; Marc Broussard ( Magnolias and Mistletoe , 2015 album), Earl Carpenter ( Les Miserables , Broadway), Melinda Doolittle (American Idol), Matt Doyle ( Book Of Mormon , Broadway), Hannah Elless ( Bright Star , Broadway), Jason Forbach ( Les Miserables , Broadway), Matthew Ford Gershwin In Hollywood ) Ashleigh Gray ( Wicked , UK Tour), Emma Hatton ( Wicked , West End), Samantha Hill ( Phantom Of The Opera , Broadway), James M Iglehart ( Aladdin , Broadway), Adam Jacobs ( Aladdin , Broadway), Arielle Jacobs ( Aladdin , Australia), Charlotte Jaconelli ( She Loves Me , West End), Rachel John ( The Bodyguard , West End), Adam Kaplan ( Newsies , US Tour), Emmanuel Kojo ( Showboat , West End), Kara Lily-Hayworth ( I See Fire , 2015 single), Rebecca Luker ( Fun Home , Broadway), Jai McDowall ( I Begin Again , 2014 single), Bryce Pinkham ( A Gentleman's Guide To Love and Murder , Broadway), Courtney Reed ( Aladdin , Broadway), Krysta Rodriguez ( Smash , NBC), Will Swenson (Les Miserables , Broadway) and Natalie Weiss (Les Miserables , US Tour).

Speaking about the release Laura Curtis said; “The name Overture represents both the dramatical context of the album, which is a sweeping journey through a number of common experiences we share in life, but the title also represents the style and structure of the album, we wanted this to feel like a soundtrack for a show.”

Daniel Curtis explained more; “Often in Musical Theatre melodies repeat and weave in and out of the story. For this reason we wrote the album as two acts, with an overture at the start of each one. We really wanted this album to feel like every song was related, even though we're moving through and representing different genres of Musical Theatre styles.”

When complete the double disk release will feature twenty-four performers, which is one of the biggest collection of Broadway and West End leading artists to come together and record an album of new music. In response to this Laura Curtis said; “We're overwhelmed by the kind support that such a large number of artists have given us. We are passionate about writing music with the input of the singer, so we can tailor and mould a song to work with a specific artist's voice and to have performers of such calibre just makes the experience very special. ”

The team working on the album include Executive Producer, Stacy Swain, Producer Al Steele, with recording taking place at numerous studios in the UK and NYC.

Overture will be released on 24th October 2016 .

The autumn edition of New Welsh Reader includes exclusive extracts from entries to the New Welsh Writing Awards 2016: University of South Wales Prize for Travel Writing including the winning essay ‘Bush Meat: As My Mother Told Me’ by Mandy Sutter, which depicts a Nigerian domestic scene where subtle and interdependent racial and class issues are seething under a tight lid. ‘The Rains of Titikaka’ by John Harrison recounts the rise and fall of the pre-Columbian city of Tiwanaku in Bolivia, ‘Stranger Shores’ by Karen Philips looks at the underground (and underwater) currents of Mayan culture in the Yucatan, Mexico; ‘Seven Days: A Pyrenean Trek’ by Nathan Llywelyn Munday depicts the highs and lows of the grand narrative on trek through the Pyrenees; the etiquette of the Trans-Siberian station pitstop is narrated in ‘Moscow to Beijing on Train Number Four’ by Julie Owen Moylan and ‘No Situation is Permanent’ by Hannah Garrard follows the progress of a pioneering school from its refugee-camp origins in Ghana.

There is also an exclusive extract from Cynan Jones’ new novel Cove (Granta) publishing in November 2016. Out at sea, in a sudden storm, a man is struck by lightning. When he wakes, injured and adrift on a kayak, his memory of who he is and how he came to be there is all but shattered. Now he must pit himself against the pain and rely on his instincts to get back to shore, and to the woman he dimly senses waiting for his return. With its taut narrative and its wincingly visceral portrait of a man locked in an uneven struggle with the forces of nature, this is a powerful new work from one of the most distinctive voices in British fiction.

In addition there is new poetry from Wales Book of the Year 2016 category winner Philip Gross , Argentinian poet Daniel Samoilovich, Chilean poet Malu Urriola, (both translated by Richard Gwyn), Ian McLachlan, Syed Shehzar Mukkarim Doja, Agatha Abu Shehab and CM Buckland.

New Welsh Reader editor Gwen Davies talks through the edition highlights:

New Welsh Reader poetry submissions editor Amy McCauley explains why she chose Philip Gross' poems:

Cynan Jones will be reading from Cove at Chapter’s First Thursday on 3 November at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff.

http://www.newwelshreview.com

@newwelshreview

"Eleanor Cobham, the beautiful but unpopular Duchess of Gloucester, is proud of her hard-won status among the English aristocracy.  She has used every trick in the book to entrap her royal husband, Humphrey of Gloucester, uncle to King Henry VI who is unmarried and childless...."  read more here

A PROMISE KEPT!

AmeriCymru: A year or so ago, when we interviewed Mari Griffith on the publication of her debut novel 'Root of the Tudor Rose', she promised that Americymru readers would be among the first to know about her new novel. And are we, Mari?

Mari: Yes, absolutely! You're certainly among the first because the book has only recently been published. And, by the way, thank you for inviting me back - it's a pleasure to be here.

AmeriCymru: Now, this is your second novel, isn't it, so just before we hear all about it, can you tell us whether the first one did well?

Mari: Very well, I'm pleased to say, particularly in the US which I wasn't really expecting. But perhaps that had a little bit to do with this very web site - who knows?! And I was particularly pleased by its success because Root of the Tudor Rose was a story woven around the little-known Welsh origins of the Tudor dynasty. Essentially it was about the clandestine love affair between Catherine de Valois, the widow of King Henry V and the Welshman Owain ap Maredydd ap Tudur. I was filled with a missionary zeal to point out that the most famous dynasty in English history wasn't really 'English' at all - there was a strong element of Welsh in there, too.

AmeriCymru: And is the second book a sequel to it?

Mari: No, not exactly and neither does it have any particular Welsh flavour though it does continue the story of one or two of the characters we've already met, particularly Eleanor Cobham who became the Duchess of Gloucester during the course of the first book.

AmeriCymru: So what made you want to write this one?

Mari: Because it's such an astounding story. Let me give you a flavour of it ... and perhaps giving you the title is a good place to start. It's called The Witch of Eye and it's the story of the events leading up to the most sensational treason trial of the fifteenth century. Now, the Duke of Gloucester, who was so very nasty to Owen Tudor in the first book, is heir to the throne of his young nephew, King Henry VI. The king is a troubled teenager, spotty and a bit dim, who is by no means suited to the position he's inherited as supreme sovereign of England and France. To the Duchess of Gloucester's way of thinking, her husband, Humphrey, would make a far, far better King of England. She also realises that if anything should happen to King Henry, then her own husband would inherit the throne and she, Eleanor, would become Queen of England. A delicious prospect and she becomes obsessed with it!

AmeriCymru: Don't tell me she tried to bump him off!

Mari: Who, the King? No, not exactly, but she did gather around her a group of advisers, some of whom could interpret certain astral signs and not only read her horoscope but also tell her what the future held in store for the young King. And one of those advisers was the witch of the title - 'The Witch of Eye'.

AmeriCymru: 'Eye' as in 'I Spy'? That's an odd name.

Mari: Yes, isn't it? In fact it was the manor farm of Eye-next-Westminster, the monastic estate which belonged to Westminster Abbey and its Benedictine monastery. If you happen to be a tourist in modern-day London, it's difficult to imagine that in medieval times, a thousand acres of land to the west of the Abbey was prime farming land. It was a cattle station, too, where drovers from Wales and the West of England would take their bullocks to be fattened up before being slaughtered and sold at Smithfield Market to the townsfolk of London who had no room to farm crops and keep animals of their own. The whole of the area now occupied by Hyde Park and Mayfair to the north, right down through Belgravia to Sloane Square and Pimlico in the south, was once part of that farm. The old name of 'Eye' changed down the centuries and became Eybury and, finally, Ebury, which is now seen only in street names. One of these is Ebury Bridge Road which leads on to Buckingham Palace Road and the palace itself stands on land which was once part of the great monastic estate of Eye-next-Westminster.

AmeriCymru: So tell us more about the treason.

Mari: Well, in a sense, poor old Eleanor was more sinned against than sinning because, above all else, she wanted to be able to give her husband a son and heir so that, in the event that he did inherit the throne, at least he'd have legitimate heirs of his own. The only problem was that she sought help from Margery Jourdemayne, a so-called 'wise woman' whose husband was the yeoman-farmer in charge of the Eye estate. Eleanor consulted Margery in her desperate search for magical potions to help her conceive a child. Not such a terrible thing in itself but when the Duke's enemies got hold of the story they blew it up out of all proportion and it all got very nasty indeed. The sensational trial at which they were accused of treason against the King was the biggest cause célèbre of the fifteenth century!

AmeriCymru: Not much chance of a happy ending, then!

Mari: There is a happy ending, as it happens, but only because I invented it! It's the only part of the story which isn't absolutely based on fact. I decided to create a new character, a young Devonshire woman called Jenna, who could provide me with a positive love story which would make things turn out all right in the end. Oh, and there's a little girl in there, too, whom readers seem to dote on. She's called Kitty, or sometimes 'Kittymouse', which is Jenna's pet name for her.

AmeriCymru: It sounds as if the characters really came alive for you.

Mari: Oh, they did. It was almost as though they lived right here in the Vale of Glamorgan - around the corner from our house! I think you've got to believe in your characters before you can expect readers to enjoy your book.

AmeriCymru: Well, from what you've said about it, Mari, it sounds as though readers are already beginning to enjoy it.

Mari: It does seem that they are because it's already picked up several five star reviews. And I'm delighted at that because I've got a bad dose of 'second book syndrome' at the moment, just hoping that people will like the second book as much as they liked the first!

AmeriCymru: So, just remind us of the title again ...

Mari: The title is The Witch of Eye and it's published by Accent Press. You'll find it on Amazon as an ebook and it's out as a paperback too, so it should be available through most US bookshops and via the Americymru web site of course. And by the way, thank you for making that possible and for letting me tell you all about it. But in case anyone has any problems, I'll leave you with some links you might find helpful:

http://amzn.to/1ThU2Hn

www.marigriffith.co.uk

www.accentpress.co.uk