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Welsh publisher Gwasg Carreg Gwalch based in Llanrwst in Dyffryn Conwy are holding a sale at the moment. Many titles are as little as 50p (UK) which is about $0.70 (US). Of course there is postage to take into consideration but at these prices, who can resist?
Gwasg Carreg Gwalch publish of a wide range of Welsh books and Welsh interest books for adults, children and visitors to Wales. We include a few links to various sections on the site below.
Fans of Chris Keil's exquisite second novel, "Liminal" (Alcemi, 2008), will be delighted to find his first novel "The French Thing: A Novel" available for 1 pound (GBP) or approximately $1.40 USD.
The Writing From Wales section also includes pocket size selections of poems by ( amongst others ) Emyr Humphries, Gwyn Thomas, Glyn Jones and Harri Webb for 70 cents.
In the Welsh History and Myths section there are a number of fascinating titles covering hitherto little researched aspects of Welsh history. Here are a few random selections:-
"Ring the Bell in the Gaols of Brecon"
"An informative and intriguing volume which uncovers the secrets of centuries of barbarism, rape, murder and incarceration in the County of Brecon. It recounts the story of the men, women and children who inhabited the various gaols of the town, some of whom ended their lives on the gallows."
"A collection of fascinating stories from the breadth of Wales's rich folklore, from the shadowy figures which inhabit legends, to the tales of fairies and goblins, together with modern day accounts of apparitions and other weird phenomena."
"A new band we love. Bloody lush!" -Lauren Laverne, BBC 6music
Howl Griff take to the road to play two festivals this weekend - ahead of releasing a brand new single and album.
On Monday 9th July the Anglo-Welsh-American tunesmiths release new single "Fragile Diamond" a stunningly lovely exercise in three-part harmony, whose lyrics deal with gemology, geology and humanity.
Listen: http://www.howlgriff.com/music/howl-griff-fragile.html
"Fragile Diamond" is the title track of Howl Griff's forthcoming album, a set which showcases the band's versatility, steering from melodic rock to campfire cowboy songs to brain-seizing anthems to waltz-time boozealongs.
The band are taking those songs to the festival circuit, and next up is a double-header this weekend. On Saturday 7th July they play the sold-out Nibley Festival in the Cotswolds, and on Sunday 8th it's over to a repeat booking at the Penn Festival in Buckinghamshire.
Links: http://www.howlgriff.com/gigs.html
First, a freebie: Howl Griff give fans a free-download song every month, and to make up for lost time it's three favourites from previous LP "The Hum" described by The Independent as "a soothing set of pop/folk, rock-flavoured life-affirming songs that's well worth a listen an album that'll put a spring in your step".
The three songs are the rifftastic "Bluebirds", the ska-inflected "Crash & Burn" and the beguilingly harmonic "Devotion", and they're all available for zero pence from HowlGriff.com. Download them to whet your whistle for the new album...
Freebies: http://www.howlgriff.com/freemp3s.html
That's it - thanks for listening, and enjoy!
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MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/HowlGriff
Merchandise: http://howlgriffshop.spreadshirt.net
We are: Hywel Griffiths, Nick Moore,
Gary Parkinson, Steve Kennedy and you
Peter: I have to refer you to my book on the Gorsedd. I became a member in l999 at the National Eisteddfod in Llangefni, Ynys Mon (Anglesey) because of my work for Welsh Americans and Wales, especially for my organizing a Welsh society in Delaware (of which i am president), lecturing on Wales, writing about Wales, conducting Cymanfaoedd Ganu (plural) and so on. I had to be recommended as are all members of the Gorsedd by those with influence in Welsh cultural affairs.
AmeriCymru: We note further that you are a director of the NWAF ( National Welsh American Foundation ). What is the history of the NWAF and what is its role today?
Peter: Since its foundation in 1980 the NWAF has spent close on 150,000 in support of Welsh-American activities including scholarships and grants to organisations and individuals. GRANTS: Grants of some 75,000 have been made to support Welsh language training in Wales and the United States; to support Welsh-American activities such as restorations, nursery schools, museums, the Welsh National Cymanfa Ganu Association and the National Eisteddfod of Wales; to individuals engaged in special studies; and the support of cultural events presenting Welsh choirs and entertainers. Our main goal is to support Welsh America by providing scholarships for Americans to go to Wales to study the language and culture, and for Welsh students to come here in exchange. We give financial support when we can to Welsh American organizations and events. We have a quarterly The Eagle and the Dragon (which I edit) for all members.
AmeriCymru: Peter, you have consistently championed the cause of "Welshness" and the Welsh language throughout your career. I think all Americymru members would want to thank you for that. How do you see the future of the Welsh language. Rumours of its death in 1962 ( I refer of course to the famous Saunders Lewis speech of that year ) were thankfully premature. What are your predictions for the future of yr hen iaith?
Peter: I see the future of the Welsh language as precarious, but I believe the happenings of the last 20 years or more will ensure its future as a minority language. Wales will be bilingual, of that I'm pretty sure. Saunders Lewis speech galvanized the youth into action. I was in Wales at the time and was told that I was hearing the kicks of a dying language. Since then, it has rebounded.
AmeriCymru: Many people would argue that Wales has experienced a massive increase in terms of self-confidence since the devolution vote? Would you agree?
Peter: The acquisition of self confidence has accompanied the resurgence ot the language, but there must be a million or more "non-Welsh" living in Wales with no interest in its culture, its traditions, its language, or its politics, being thoroughly "British" (ie, English) in their outlook. Wales sporting success is as much as anything to inspire self confidence in those that do honor their history. For half a century, it has been "the gallant few" that have kept alive the traditions, and an even smaller few that has safeguarded the language by pressing for its use in nursery schools and in the workplace.
AmeriCymru: Regrettably many people in Wales do not have a knowledge of Welsh. Is it possible or desirable in your view to develop a distinct Anglo-Welsh cultural identity?.Can there be different "cultures" within the same language group?
Peter: There is already an Anglo-Welsh cultural identity. It was forged in the coal mining valleys of South East Wales in the 19th century. A million immigrants could not be absorbed into the language community, but because many came to the valleys from the agricultural Welsh-speaking areas, the language did not die out. A kind of mongrelization took place. On my first visit to South Wales I was amazed at the Welshness of the people in their attitude, but was also amazed that they didn't know the Welsh language, There was a kind of Wenglish spoken, strong Welsh accent and dialect, but mostly in the English language. But this is the area of the fastest growth today (well, it had to be didn't it?). Thank rugby football etc for some of this.
AmeriCymru: You have written a number of books a bout Wales. Do you have any plans to write more?
Peter: I have written quite a few books. As I approach my 75th birthday I think i should slow down. My alphabetical guide was a work of love, but endured years of toil etc. I have completed my Britain: the Rise and Fall of an Empire , in which I have covered the devolution movements in Scotland and Wales and the independence of Ireland.
AmeriCymru: Any other message for the members and readers of Americymru?
Peter: Messages are to keep at it. Never give up, despite obstacles. Our Welsh culture is worth learning about, worth saving, and worth working for.
Reviews
"Dave Lewis is a unique voice in the poetry world. His new collection is filled with a range of vivid, often quirky, word pictures. He is adept at making every word count. Despite its brevity, the haiku is anything but an easy option at its best, this short and fairly formal poem should make the reader look anew at an everyday event. This Dave does to perfection, for example, "Chain gangs of electricity/on the green mountain/armies marching". His haiku dont always conform to the traditional 5,7,5 syllable format he goes his own original way, as in a favourite of mine, "Consultants waiting room/the plant in the window/dead". Who else would have the temerity to finish on that single-beat word, dead? His thought-provoking images have some surprising last lines that take your breath away and will remain with the reader for a long time." - Moira Andrew
"Unconventional, unapologetic, unpretentious! Dave Lewis' Haiku gives us an interesting taste of outside-the-box thinking and reminds us that while we breathe, we can embrace change, bend the rules and though we walk the same path as many others before us, we can make our own tracks." - Jolen Whitworth
Dave is from Pontypridd, has published five previous books and also runs the international Welsh Poetry Competition.
To buy a copy just visit Daves web site, or go to Amazon, Waterstones or other good booksellers.
Authors web site www.david-lewis.co.uk
Some of the best young Welsh writers will be performing their work in Washington DC in March 2009, alongside local writers, as part of a week-long celebration of contemporary Welsh literature in the US capital.
Wales Meets Washington is part of the wider Wales Smithsonian Cymru 2009 programme of activities and events, which includes Wales as a guest nation at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in June 2009.
As a taster to the festival, Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Authors, with support from the Welsh Assembly Government, has organised a series of literary activities around Washington DC.
Tom Anderson, Catrin Dafydd, Fflur Dafydd, Eurig Salisbury and Owen Sheers will perform and discuss their work. Venues include Busboys and Poets, Marymount University Campus Caf and The Writers Center in Bethesda. Workshops and discussions will be held at George Washington University, American University and the British School of Washington. The writers will combine poetry, prose and music and there will also be an opportunity to hear some of the work read in Welsh as well as English. They will be joined by DC writers Rose Solari, Adele Steiner, Fred Joiner and Kyle G Dargan.
Academi Chief Executive Peter Finch says: The links between Wales and the U.S. have a long history. Academi is delighted to have a role in creating new connections today. Following in the footsteps of Dylan Thomas, five young Welsh writers will cross the Atlantic for a week of workshops, readings, exchange and debate. What better time to glance at the state of these two nations and their literatures. The inheritors of Dylan Thomas have a lot to live up to but, being Welsh, theyll do it with ease.
For a full timetable and to download a brochure:
www.academi.org/washington-meets-wales/
For further details, contact Academi on:
(00 44) 29 2047 2266 post@academi.org
Academi, Chief Executive: Peter Finch, Mount Stuart Square, Mount Stuart Street, Cardiff CF10 5FQ, Wales, UK
Academi
The Academi is the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Authors, and represents literature in all the languages of Wales. The Academi runs events, competitions, conferences, international exchanges, events for schools, lectures and festivals. Academi is also responsible for the National Poet of Wales project and the Encyclopaedia of Wales. The Academi works with the support of the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government. Academi is the recipient of an Arts Council of Wales Beacon Company Award 2008 - 2010.
Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an annual, cultural festival run by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, a research and educational unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Wales is a guest nation in 2009. The Festival takes place outdoors on what is known as the National Mall in Washington DC, an area of open parkland that is flanked by Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument and many of the Smithsonians national museums. In summer 2009 the Festival will run from 24 28 June and 1 5 July. The Festival offers a significant opportunity from which to raise the profile and awareness of Wales with a largely U.S. audience. Over one hundred individual practitioners, performers and presenters from Wales will participate in the Festival. For further information visit: www.wales.com/smithsonian
The Writers
Tom Anderson
Tom Anderson was led into a writing career through journeys taken as a surfer. He studied at the University of Glamorgan, south Wales and was the recipient of an Academi writers bursary for 2007 for his next book, a travelogue set in the USA. His book Riding the Magic Carpet: A Surfers Odyssey to Find the Perfect Wave (Summersdale Publishers Ltd) was published in 2006.
Catrin Dafydd
Bilingual author, dramatist, poet, political campaigner, performer and musician. She won the 2005 Literature Medal at the Urdd Eisteddfod, Cardiff and has won 2nd and 3rd places in the Crown, Chair and Drama Prize competitions 11 times in five years. Catrin won an Academi bursary in 2004 to work on her first novel, entitled Pili Pala (Gomer, 2006). Her first novel in English, Random Deaths and Custard (Gomer, 2007), has been shortlisted for the Books to be talked about 2009 award by the World Book Day team.
Fflur Dafydd
Novelist and singer-songwriter Fflur Dafydd is a graduate of the University of East Anglias Creative Writing MA course. Fflur has a PhD on the poetry of R.S. Thomas and currently lectures in Creative Writing at Swansea University, south Wales. Fflur was awarded the Prose Medal at the National Eisteddfod in 2006. She is the author of two Welsh language novels and one English novel, Twenty Thousand Saints (Alcemi, 2008).
Eurig Salisbury
Eurig Salisbury is currently a Research Fellow on the poetry of Gutor Glyn at the Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth and is an expert on the ancient, but still popular, Welsh verse form cynghanedd. He won the Chair at the National Urdd Eisteddfod in 2006, and has come second in the Chair competition at the National Eisteddfod of Wales on three consecutive occasions. His first collection of poems in Welsh is Llyfr Glas Eurig (Barddas, 2008).
Owen Sheers
Poet, author and playwright Owen Sheers was the winner of an Eric Gregory Award and the 1999 Vogue Young Writers Award. His first collection of poetry, The Blue Book (Seren, 2000) was short-listed for the Wales Book of the Year and the Forward Prize Best 1st Collection 2001. His debut prose work The Dust Diaries (Faber 2004) won the Wales Book of the Year 2005. His first novel, Resistance (Faber, 2008) has been translated into nine languages. Owen was a 2007 Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Fellow at the New York Public Library. He currently divides his time between New York and Wales.
For a full timetable and to download a brochure:
www.academi.org/washington-meets-wales/
For further details, contact Academi on:
(00 44) 29 2047 2266 post@academi.org www.academi.org
Academi, Chief Executive: Peter Finch, Mount Stuart Square, Mount Stuart Street, Cardiff CF10 5FQ, Wales, UK
Academi is the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Authors. Academi is funded by the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Rotation Urls
1. Toronto http://www.storyforgestudios.com/americymru/directory/index.php/136-North-American-Festival-of-Wales-Scranton-2012
2.
Peter Lewis http://americymrunet.jamroomhosting.com/data/media/0/0/Ning_Media/blogs/1/1231_blogs.jpg
Link http://www.zazzle.com/walesirelanddesign?
Link http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/shop/
3. NAFOW
David Western 
Tenovus
Portland Poet,David Cooke Returns To Defend His Title - West Coast Eisteddfod 2012
By Ceri Shaw, 2012-06-30
Portland poet David Cooke , the winner of the 2010 West Coast Eisteddfod Live Poetry Competition will be returning to defend his title this year. Think you can beat him? Come and 'ave a go if you think you're 'ard enough
About David
"DAVID COOKE writes his poems in Portland, Oregon. His debut poem Edges won the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize and was nominated for a 2010 Pushcart Prize. His poem Meat Puppet won second in theWinning Writers War Poetry Contest. Most recently his work appeared in Toe Good Journal of Poetry . Additional work appears in Flatmancrooked , Hunger Mountain , A River & Sound Review , Heavy Hands Ink , Neglected Ratio and in performances at the Blackbird Wine Shop , Show and Tell Gallery , Stonehenge Studio , and KBOOs Talking Earth . Find him on Facebook at David Cooke or Poetry Box . He is also known as The Lawn Guy throughout Portland and Lake Oswego for his lawn maintenance business. Much of his current work is included in his forthcoming chapbook, Discretion."..more HERE
West Coast Eisteddfod 2012 Live Poetry, Storytelling and Comedy Competitions
The 2012 West Coast Eisteddfod will be held at the Multnomah Arts Center in Portland on Saturday October 13th between 5 and 11pm. More details of the program can be found HERE Meanwhile anyone interested in the Story-telling, Poetry or Comedy competitions should contact americymru@gmail.com for more details asap. At the moment the WCE is planned as a one day event with satellite events at other locations but this may change as our plans evolve. Keep checking back for further details.
Official Event Poster by Peter Lewis of Wales Ireland Design
