Blogs
Lucy Owen’s first children’s book is published in aid of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity
By Ceri Shaw, 2016-11-01
A familiar face on BBC Wales, Lucy is also an Ambassador for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity and all royalties from the sale of the book will be donated to the charity.
Children from the hospital will be invited to celebrate the launch of the new book and enjoy a storytelling session with Lucy and husband Rhodri Owen, whose Welsh adaptation of the book, Bw-a-bog yn y Parc , will also be launched on the same day.
Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity Director Suzanne Mainwaring says,
“Lucy is such an incredible advocate of the Noah’s Ark Charity and we’re hugely thankful to her for choosing us as the beneficiary of her first book. Reading and telling stories is a central part of every childhood and as a charity that has children at the heart of everything it does, this seems like the perfect fit.
“We hope that families for generations to come will enjoy hearing the story of Tom and his monster, just as many will benefit from the proceeds it helps to raise.”
Boo-a-bog in the Park is a wonderful, reassuring, rhyming story about a little boy called Tom who finds it difficult to make new friends.
When asked what inspired her to write the book, Lucy explains that,
‘This story is about a little boy getting through a difficult time. But with the help of his imaginary monster friend Boo-a-bog, Tom finds his strength. For me, the theme of the story felt like a lovely fit with the Noah’s Ark Charity. It would be wonderful if the book helps raise money for this very special facility we have for children in Wales.”
The heart-warming story is beautifully complemented by Andy Catling’s illustrations and has already gained praise from some well-known personalities including Wales Football Team Manager Chris Coleman who said,
“A delightful, rhyming story with excellent imagery which I’m really looking forward to reading with my children.’
Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys also enjoyed the story and the positive message it conveys,
“This is a beautiful song of hope for the Tom in all of us… If only there WERE Boo-a-Bogs in adult life too. Lucy's obvious flair and talent for rhyme lets this poem of hope fly.”
Boo-a-bog in the Park is available from all good bookshops and online retailers.
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
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- Lucy Owen lives in Cardiff with her husband Rhodri Owen and their son, Gabriel
- Lucy is a familiar face on BBC Wales as she presents the BBC Wales evening news and consumer show, X-Ray
- Before moving to BBC Wales, Lucy co-presented Wales Tonight on ITV Wales
- Known for her charity work she supports many charities and is an Ambassador for the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital Charity
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Published this week, When Dragons Dare to Dream is the follow-up to Jamie Thomas’ successful The Dragon Roars Again and starts where that left off, charting the amazing progress of the Welsh football team through the Euro 2016 finals.
‘Qualification for Euro 2016 meant absolutely everything to us, as a team, as a nation of people who have waited our whole lives to see Wales competing at a a major tournament,’ said Joe Ledley. ‘That feeling of qualifying was just amazing, and we couldn’t wait to get to France to put our country on the map and make a nation proud of us once more.’
‘We players had the time of our lives – every single day was a pleasure, and I like to think the fans enjoyed it just as much as we did; we just didn’t want it to end!’ said Joe, ‘To try and tell our nation’s incredible story over the summer is no easy task, but Jamie’s done a brilliant job of it with this new book. It’s a must-read for any football fan!’ he added.
Euro 2016 was the first major tournament for the national team since 1958. The success of the team was a dream come true for many fans and culminated with the team reaching the Euro 2016 semi-finals.
The book includes in-depth analysis of and insight into the journey taken during the summer of 2016, including an exclusive interview with Mark Evans of the FAW which offers a glimpse into the preparations for and events in the team base during the tournament. Players and team staff also offer their exclusive comments, including Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter.
‘I’m very pleased to say that this is another very good book that tells Wales’ incredible story from the perspective of so many people who were involved: players, coaches, fans, journalists, everyone!’ said Chris Gunter.
Raised on Anglesey, author Jamie Thomas is a 23-year-old Media Masters graduate and lifelong Wales fan who writes on many aspects of Welsh football for various media outlets.
‘I was ecstatic with the reception my first book received from everyone – whether that be people involved with the Wales squad on a day-to-day basis, fellow Wales fans or other journalists,’ said Jamie.
When Dragons Dare to Dream by Jamie Thomas (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is published on November 1 st .
Conformist new album 'Lifestyle Bible' streaming in full now, mastered by Jerome Schmitt
By Ceri Shaw, 2016-10-31
Electronic producer Conformist releases his new album “Lifestyle Bible” on the 28th of October 2016 through Consumer Consumer records. It's preceded by lead single “Komputer Jenerated”.
Adventurous Cardiff based Electronic producer Conformist (aka Michael Simmons), releases his astounding second album “Lifestyle Bible” this winter. Following up upon and building upon his critically acclaimed debut album “Paid to Fake It” which crash landed back in 2013.
With “Lifestyle Bible” Simmons delivers a breathtaking yet concise album, fresh and ahead of the pack. Each of the 8 songs on “Lifestyle Bible” are meticulously pieced together creating a dense and layered collage of sounds; stuffed to the gills with unique samples sourced from a hoarded stockpile, revealing hidden detail with every listen.
‘Lifestyle Bible’ was written, recorded and produced by Conformist during 2014-2016. The album was mastered by Jerome Schmitt ( Alt-J, Diplo, Mr Scruff ) at The AirLab and will be released on CD and digital formats on Conformists’ own Consumer Consumer Records label. As a producer Simmons takes inspiration from Public Enemy's Bomb Squad and cut n' paste pioneers Coldcut, Steinski and The Dust Brothers and whose imaginative work has been compared to everyone from the Art of Noise to the Avalanches and Aphex Twin .
'Lifestyle Bible' channel hops through genres from the DIY-Industrial sample board of “Rock N’ Roll Dead Man” , to lead single "Komputer Jenerated" a crunchy smash n' grab dose of warped electro, that chews up Atari Teenage Riot and Kraftwerk , through the skittering Electronic mental-meltdown of “Life! Death! Prizes!” to the Vangelis- on-Acid album closer of “Nothing Important Happened Today.” The album is littered with playful stabs and homage to Punk, Hip Hop, Techno and a vast array of other genres that are all filtered through and reassembled to bring to life Simmons’s unique vision.
‘Paid to Fake’ it Press quotes:
"Paid To Fake It is the sort of record that will take your breath away...7/10" The 405
a musically kaleidoscopic head f**k...brilliant” Louder Than War
“a cluster-f**k of awesomeness” The Music Mag
“a head-spinning deluge of audacious beats and samples...staggering" Wales Online
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In Alun the Bear and the Football Match by Morgan Tomos Alun has the opportunity to train with the Wales football team. But he can't play very well so he decides to be a referee instead. But what kind of referee will Alun be?
‘I was inspired by the Wales football team’s recent success during the Euros this summer’ explained the author Morgan Tomos on what inspired the latest Alun adventure.
‘But I can’t kick a ball to save my life!’ he addedd, ‘Alun and I have that in common!’
Morgan Tomos is from Caernarfon originally but now lives in Birmingham. He is a trained animator and enjoys travelling around schools in Wales discussing books and hosting workshops with the pupils.
This is the third story in the Alun yr Arth series to be translated into English. Over 50,000 Alun yr Arth books have been sold to date and recently a new website, apps and Twitter account were launched. The series has long established its place as one of the most popular series in Wales for children under 7 years of age.
‘I look forward to seeing what the Wales team do next and Alun and myself wish them the best of luck as they look to qualify for the World Cup!’ added Morgan.
Alun the Bear and the Football Match by Morgan Tomos (£2.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
BUY A BOOK FOR WALES - SUPPORT THAT AMERICYMRU PRIZE FOR THE NOVELLA
Here at AmeriCymru we are committed to promoting Wales around the world as the nation that respects and promotes excellence in the Arts. In the past we have organised events ( Eisteddfodau) in Portland and L.A. and our latest venture is a partnership with the New Welsh Review to promote an international competition - The AmeriCymru Prize for the Novella. For more details and to enter, please see below. Meanwhile if you are not a writer you can still be a part of this initiative. Organising events of this kind costs money and we are raising funds to cover transport costs, prize money etc.. So...we are urging our members and readers to BUY A BOOK FOR WALES . All proceeds from these sales go to support the AmeriCymru Prize For The Novella . The winner will be announced at the Hay on Wye Book Festival in 2017.
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AmeriCymru Prize For The Novella - Now Accepting Entries 
The New Welsh Writing Awards 2017, run by New Welsh Review in association with Aberystwyth University and AmeriCymru, opens for entries on 26 September with two new categories, the Aberystwyth University Prize for Memoir and AmeriCymru Prize for the Novella.
Now in its third year, the Awards were set up to champion the best short-form writing in English and has previously run non-fiction categories with the WWF Cymru Prize for Writing on Nature, won by Eluned Gramich in 2015 and the University of South Wales Prize for Travel Writing, won by Mandy Sutter in June 2016.
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HALLOWEEN ON AMERICYMRU
Still time to carve your Welsh Dragon Pumpkins for Halloween!
Was William Richards (on the run in Ohio after shooting a gamekeeper in Cardiganshire) inspired to don female attire by the Rebecca Rioters? Are his descendants still alive in Ohio today?
In a fascinating blog post author and AmeriCymru member Chris Saunders tells the story of Will Cefn-Coch, a poacher from Cardiganshire who shot and killed a gamekeeper during a pursuit in 1868. After the 'incident' he wore women's clothing to elude his pursuers and escaped to Ohio where he married an Irish woman and settled down. Did he live happily ever after?
Read Chris Saunders post (linked below) for more info.
W hen people think of Welsh folk heroes, Twm Sion Cati and Owain Glyndwr invariably spring to mind, and rightly so. Not many people mention Will Cefn-Coch. In fact, I’d never heard of him myself until I recently read a book about Welsh murders. But his story is deserving of a much wider audience.
Until November 1868, plain old William Richards was an ordinary 28-year old bloke living a simple life in Cardiganshire. Times were hard in those days. There was a glaring gap between rich and poor, and lots of countryside folk took to poaching to feed their families. There simply wasn’t enough to eat, especially in winter. Although still technically a crime, most people considered sneaking onto privately-owned land to fish or hunt game a necessary evil. Except the rich landowners, obviously, who employed gamekeepers to combat the problem. These guys were not looked upon with much fondness by the locals, in much the same way I imagine Community Support Officers are these days.
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Lliwio Cymru / Colouring Wales is the first adult colouring book for adults with a Welsh theme running throughout the pictures. It contains 21 beautiful hand-drawn Welsh pictures by the artist from Llanrug, Dawn Williams, including pictures of Branwen, Saint David, Blodeuwedd, the Red Dragon, ‘Cariad’, and Calon Lân and the Welsh national anthem, Hen Wlad fy Nhadau.
There has been a recent growth in the sales of colouring books for adults and psychologists claim that focusing on colouring can remove or hinder negative thoughts or encourage relaxation.
According to the Mental Health Foundation 59% of adults in Britain say they are under more stressed today than they were five years ago. Although colouring is an activity for children it is now being used as a form of alternative theraphy to help adults relieve stress and anxiety.
‘This is a unqiue and innovative book within the Welsh publishing industry,’ said Fflur Arwel, Head of Marketing for Y Lolfa, ‘Hundreds of colouring books for adults have been published in recent years but this is the only one with a Welsh dimension to it.’
‘Research has shown that colouring can alleviate conditions such as stress or transport people back to the easier days of childhood,’ Fflur added.
The professional artist Dawn Williams was born in Bangor and raised in Ynys Môn. She now lives in Llanrug and is married with three sons.
‘From the moment I used my pencils for the first time I became hooked on art!’ explained Dawn, ‘I was very young – a child in a children’s home in Llandudno and loved to sit at the desk in the playing room and show the other children how to draw.’
‘It was a way of escaping to another world the second the pencil would touch the paper,’ said Dawn, ‘and I am encouraged by the need to escape to my own kingdom of colours and inspired by nature and people and all the world around me!’
‘I jumped at the chance to create a Welsh colouring book – art is important to me and I am very grateful for the opportunity. Its theraputic and a chance to escape to somewhere if I feel down,’ added Dawn.
Lliwio Cymru / Colouring Wales by Dawn Williams (£4.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Back to Welsh Literature page >
When Dragons Dare To Dream
Published this week, When Dragons Dare to Dream is the follow-up to Jamie Thomas’ successful The Dragon Roars Again and starts where that left off, charting the amazing progress of the Welsh football team through the Euro 2016 finals.
‘Qualification for Euro 2016 meant absolutely everything to us, as a team, as a nation of people who have waited our whole lives to see Wales competing at a a major tournament,’ said Joe Ledley. ‘That feeling of qualifying was just amazing, and we couldn’t wait to get to France to put our country on the map and make a nation proud of us once more.’
‘We players had the time of our lives – every single day was a pleasure, and I like to think the fans enjoyed it just as much as we did; we just didn’t want it to end!’ said Joe, ‘To try and tell our nation’s incredible story over the summer is no easy task, but Jamie’s done a brilliant job of it with this new book. It’s a must-read for any football fan!’ he added.
Euro 2016 was the first major tournament for the national team since 1958. The success of the team was a dream come true for many fans and culminated with the team reaching the Euro 2016 semi-finals.
The book includes in-depth analysis of and insight into the journey taken during the summer of 2016, including an exclusive interview with Mark Evans of the FAW which offers a glimpse into the preparations for and events in the team base during the tournament. Players and team staff also offer their exclusive comments, including Joe Ledley and Chris Gunter.
‘I’m very pleased to say that this is another very good book that tells Wales’ incredible story from the perspective of so many people who were involved: players, coaches, fans, journalists, everyone!’ said Chris Gunter.
Raised on Anglesey, author Jamie Thomas is a 23-year-old Media Masters graduate and lifelong Wales fan who writes on many aspects of Welsh football for various media outlets.
‘I was ecstatic with the reception my first book received from everyone – whether that be people involved with the Wales squad on a day-to-day basis, fellow Wales fans or other journalists,’ said Jamie.
When Dragons Dare to Dream by Jamie Thomas (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is published on November 1 st .
CaStLeS release their new single 'Amcanu' on the 4th of November , it’s followed by their debut album 'Fforesteering' on the 18th of November 2016
North Walian trio CaStLeS craft music that swirls between the sounds of Os Mutantes, Ennio Morricone and the mountains of Snowdonia: theirs is a unique sonic brew delightful voodoo grooves laced with psych riffs and hypnotic reverb soaked melodies.
Fforesteering is a continuation of the themes of 'PartDepart' EP which was released at the tail end of 2015, inspired and possessed by by the North Walian landscape and the location of the caravan within which it was recorded, many songs brought to life simply by being out and about in the country. The band say of the recordings: “nature is a place of comfort and reflection, to retreat to and hide from it all at times, as a subject, it can be used as an analogy to human society and our own personal nature.”
Formed in Snowdonia, Wales back in 2008 by brothers Dion and Cynyr Hamer, after various musical manifestations as a duo, they were joined by Derwyddon Dr Gonzo bassist Calvin Thomas. Early demo releases received radio plays on BBC 6 Music and BBC Radio Wales & Cymru as well as a TV appearance on S4C.
CaStLeS took a brief hiatus in 2011 whilst Cynyr and Dion were touring Europe and America with Welsh rock band We Are Animal. During this time CaStLeS were writing new material. In early 2015 the band released two Welsh language singles a week apart. Argau and Ar Agor were positively received and resulted in the band being asked to record a radio session for BBC Radio Cymru's C2 show and a live performance on S4C TV's Ochr 1.
These releases along with their debut EP 'PartDepart' as well as a live reputation earned by travelling up and down the country. Earned CaStLeS their debut performance on the BBC Introducing stage in August 2016 at Reading & Leeds Festival.
Dates
Swn Festival - 22/23rd of October
CaStLeS 'Fforesteering album launch" w/ Ani Glass, Winter Coat, Conformist at The Moon Club, Cardiff- 15th November
Links
https://www.castlesofficial.com" target="_blank" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.castlesofficial.com&source=gmail&ust=1476985899838000&usg=AFQjCNH4lBjfHtVo1Xmov1wsOhDKRtLMQQ"> https://www.castlesofficial.
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.twitter.com/
CaStLeS's debut album 'Fforesteering' out November 18th https://t.co/I2S2lumACV pic.twitter.com/YWUlY9cP9o
— americymru (@americymru) October 19, 2016
