G K Chesterton once wrote that the test of a good religion is how much it can laugh at itself. So after two successful plays and a one-man show, Vicar Joe returns with this hilarious compendium of religious jokes, including faux pas from the pulpit and notice boards; jokes about baptisms, marriages and funerals; epitaphs on grave stones; religious chat-up lines; childrens take on religion; Bible facts that may have escaped you and much much more

For some people, religion and humour go together as easily as root canal work at the dentists and a plateful of chocolate clairs. Too often the church is linked with boredom and seriousness. Compiling this book, we have come to realise that lots of funny things happen in places of worship. There are so many ceremonies where something can go wrong. Total immersion is asking for trouble and this book is also brimming with stories of mayhem in christenings, weddings, Sunday services and even funerals.

The role of a clergyman or clergywoman is one of the strangest jobs on earth. Having to be holy and a shining example to the rest of the community is quite a tall order. As many of the stories prove, there is a rich vein of humour in the fact that for twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, there are thousands of professional church people trying to be near-perfect representations of God on earth. In fairness, many of the clergy with whom weve spoken and met have been the first to tell jokes against themselves.

GK Chesterton once wrote that the test of a good religion is how much it can laugh at itself. Despite its negative perception amongst many non-attendees, the church should be a happy and jolly place. After all, when Jesus explained the kingdom of God he often used the analogies of parties and wine. You cant get much happier than a good bottle of red!

Weve had fun compiling this book. All the religious books we found seemed fairly ancient and rarely modern, so we felt it was time for a new one. We tried to resist the temptation to cram it with have you heard the one about jokes. Whilst you will find some tales of that genre, we have tried to complement them with true stories, faux pas, epitaphs and general statements made by the famous and infamous about matters of life and death.

You may already be wondering who Vicar Joe is and why this book bears his name. He was created in 2006 when Peter Read was asked to write a play about football for Swansea Grand Theatre. The comedy, which was called Toshack or Me! featured a vicar (Joe) who was so keen on watching Swansea City that he cancelled weddings if they clashed with matches. He also refused to marry one couple where the groom-to-be supported Swansea and she followed Cardiff City. Vicar Joes sermons had more references to the Premiership and the League than to holy scripture and he also got into hot water for praying from the pulpit, asking the Lord to deliver his humble side against the pride of Premiership might. In 2008 Vicar Joe reappeared in the play To Hull and Back, whilst in February 2009 the one-man shoe Vicar Joe was premiered at Swansea Grand Theatre Arts Wing. Vicar Joe is played by Kevin Johns.

We hope the book will be used to lighten up and brighten up sermons here, there and everywhere. It might also be used by after-dinner speakers or just be the means of tickling you pink whenever you read Vicar Joes Religious Joke Book. It would be pleasing to think we created guffaws on British Rail, national and local bus services. Go on, give it a try. Happy reading and laughing.

Welsh singer Karen Ann grew up in the South Wales valleys and started performing in eisteddfodau (traditional music competitions) at school. She left Wales at eighteen and fell in love with Latin America after going AWOL in Mexico at 21. Shes played in jazz duos in Costa Rica and rock bands in Argentina and sung tango in English in the USA. Finally putting down roots in one of South Americas smallest countries she felt the tug of her own and returned to singing Welsh and Celtic traditional music, forming a duo with the guitarist Jorge Galemire in 2005 which evolved into Trelew in 2007.

Q1 What part of Wales are you from?
The South Wales Valleys a small village called Maes-y-cwmmer in the Rhymney Valley. My parents still live there. I was born in Newport, Gwent.
Q2 When did you emigrate to Uruguay and why?
I'd been fascinated with South America, particularly Argentina, since I was a child. I can still recall a primary school geography lesson about the gauchos. I ended up marrying an Argentinian and we lived in Costa Rica, Liverpool, Buenos Aires and Washington before moving here in 2000. Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay where we live, is across the River Plate from Buenos Aires. It's a small city, quaint, right on the water and it has a great quality of life. I'm a Valleys girl and Buenos Aires is just too huge for me.

Q3 You are the founder of a Welsh band called "Trelew' in Uruguay, how did this come about?
We chose the name Trelew because of its Welsh and South American roots. It's the name of a town in Patagonia, founded by Welsh immigrants in the 1880s. We're not exactly a Welsh band - though we definitely draws on Welsh traditional songs and our own lyrics have Welsh themes like the Welsh emigration to Patagonia. We wrote the songs after reading the diaries of some of the early colonists incredible epic stuff. Another of our songs is about my grandmother's life growing up on charity in Aberdare after her father suffered an accident down the pit. So Welsh issues are important to our music but we're based in South America and all of the musicians except me come from Latin musical traditions.
Q4 How would you describe your music?
Traditional British folk meets Buenos Aires melancholy meets Pampas zamba (a type of South American folk rhythm). People have told me our new album could be used a film soundtrack, it evokes sweeping South American landscapes, journeys across the sea. Galemire, the guitarist is amazing. He has created these walls of acoustic guitars that are just incredible. Then there's the bandoneon which is such a haunting instrument completely associated with tango - though South Americans who know the bandoneon will find that it sounds completely original in this album. There's definitely something about the old country and something definitely South American about it, and the fusion has its own life.
Q5 Do you have any plans to tour in the America's or elsewhere overseas?
We'd really love to play the States it's amazing how many festivals there are going on... Right now we're putting together a tour of South Brazil. And of course, we really want to play in Trelew, Patagonia we're working on that one
Q6 What do you miss most about Wales?
Bacon butties and my nan.

Q7 Do you think you will ever move back to Wales?
It's not really on the cards right now. Though I go back there all the time -all my family are there.

Q8 - What are your dreams and ambitions for the future?
We'd like to complete our Welsh-Patagonian trilogy which still has only two songs!

Q9 What do you think is the best way for Wales to go about raising its profile overseas?
Publicise the countryside, the people are so friendly and the fact that it is a lot cheaper than London so worth going and spending at least a week. People who know who have been from this part of the world -IF they go at all- go for a day on the train to Cardiff. It's just not enough. My mum works in Caerphilly Tourist Information Centre next to the castle so if anyone reads this and goes there, drop in and say hello
Q10 - Do you have any messages for our AmeriCymru readers?
We'd love to get greetings from the North of the continent. You can find us on Facebook and MySpace.

Trelew's first album named Trelew was released in September. It's available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Trelew and shortly on Amazon, Itunes and all other good internet stockists.

Interview by Dave Parry

FFLUR DAFYDD WRITER IN RESIDENCE AT INTERNATIONAL WRITING PROGRAM, IOWA UNIVERSITY
Fflur is currently writer in residence at Iowa University, where she will be researching her next English language novel, The Library, between September 3rd and October 12th, 2009. She is supported by the British Council and will also be taking part in a number of events see below:
Schedule of Events for Fflur Dafydd
(as of 8/20/2009:)
Public Events in Iowa
9/9: Reading at Prairie Lights Books, 7:00 PM
15 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City, IA USA
1-800-295-BOOK; http://www.prairielights.com/
9/25: Panel Presentation at the Iowa City Public Library, 12:00 PM
Meeting Room A, 123 South Linn Street, Iowa City, IA USA
(319) 356-5200; http://www.icpl.org/
Panel Topic: Translation/Writing Between Languages
Description: In what ways has translating, or writing across more than one language, been important to your literary thinking and/or to your creative process?
Other panelists: Vicente Groyon (Philippines), Soheil Najm (Iraq), Lijia Zhang (China)
NB: other events are forthcoming and may include one or more musical performances by Fflur at one of several venues in downtown Iowa City.

Academic Presentations/Classroom Visits in Iowa
(NB: Classroom visits are NOT open to the public)
9/21 International Literature Today. Fflur Dafydd will speak for 15-20 minutes to students enrolled in this undergraduate literature course.

Special Seminar in Creative Writing
Fflur Dafydd will teach a special creative writing seminar to undergraduates at the University of Iowa. This four-week course will meet from 2:30-4:30 PM on 9/11, 9/18, 9/25, and 10/2. Students will gather in a seminar room at the Writers House at 111 Church Street, a unique campus space dedicated to fostering writing, artistic collaboration, and literary performance at the University of Iowa.

Activities in Portland, Oregon, 10/3-10/9
(Includes public events and classroom visits)
Fflur Dafydd will join four other IWP writers in Portland, Oregon for several days of readings, talks, and other professional programming. Barry Sanders (west-coast-based author, Senior Fulbright Scholar, two-time Pulitzer Prize nominee, and English professor) is hosting this series of literary events, in collaboration with colleagues at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland State University, Oregon Council for the Humanities, and other local partners. This will be the first IWP delegation to take part in such a dynamic slate of activities in the city.
The precise programme in Portland is still TBD, but will include some or all of the following activities:
An opening reception at Pacific Northwest College of Art, a fine arts college located in the city of Portland. http://www.pnca.edu/ .
Visits to classes at PNCA and the opportunity to participate in a group reading in the Commons, a large open art-space in the heart of campus: http://www.pnca.edu/studentlife/facilities/commons.php
An informal roundtable discussion at Portland State University, sponsored by the creative writing department and the English department on the topic of politics and writing.
Trips to see the countryside of the Pacific Northwest--the Gorge, the falls, the many rivers, etc.

Read more HERE

Really Welsh Coffee!! The Secrets Out

"So how is coffee thats sourced in Africa & South America, by third generation Italians, actually Welsh we hear you ask. Well, as we said, the beans are first chosen individually for their resemblance to rugby balls(slight exaggeration but bear with us) by highly trained bean spotters, who we feed only on leeks and laver bread.

Coffee beans from Pure Estates are selected and they make their transatlantic journey in welsh wool sacks, while we play Max Boyce records over and over into the cargo hold.

By the time we get them, they can virtually sing Cwm Rhondda Once on Welsh soil, our beans bach undergo a further selection, (not everyone makes the squad on a tour) then we roast them here, grind them up to release all that lovely flavour and blend the results carefully to achieve a balanced taste and bouquet."

Read more HERE