Seren News - May 2011

Welcome to Seren News.

T.V. Cameras were out at the Senedd this week for the launch of T he Dragon and the Crescent by Grahame Davies. Catch up with the live coverage and interviews by clicking here. Visit Seren's Facebook page to see exclusive pictures from all events.

Are you joining Seren at the Hay Festival this year? If you would like to see Seren authors during your visit at Hay, we have a programme with some of Seren stars readings, at the bottom of this email newsletter Look forward to seeing you there.

Awards &Prizes

WINNER! Ruth Bidgood wins the Roland Mathias Prize 2011 for her collection Time Being . Congratulations Ruth!

Pascale Petit has been long-listed for the Welsh Book of the Year with her recent collection of poetry What the Water Gave Me: Poems after Frida Kahlo . Shortlist to be announced Thursday 19th May 2011 at the Espresso Bar at John Lewis in Cardiff. Please RSVP by Monday 16th May 2011 call 02920 472 266 or email post [at] literaturewales [dot] org . Good Luck Pascale!!

Graham Mort has been short-listed for the Edge Hill University Short Story Prize 2011 for his collection of short stories Touch .

Latest Titles

The Dragon and the Crescent: Nine centuries of Welsh Contact with Islam by Grahame Davies In recent decades the relationship between the West and Islam has become the subject of intense study, curiosity and tension. The Dragon and the Crescent revealsthe full and surprising story of the long Welsh relationship with Islam. Paperback 12.99 ISBN: 9781854115577

Noteworthy: Images of Welsh Music by Bruce Cardwell One man's view of the acoustic music scene in Wales, illustrated with black and white photography to present the musicians in context in their surroundings. Catch Bruce's exhibition of the Noteworthy project, at Pontardawe Art Centre now. Hardback 14.99 ISBN: 9781854115409

The Quality of Light by Richard Collins "They were nearly lovers onceand nowboth arewandering the same cityon different journeys ... " A lyrical new novel from Richard Collins, author of the Whitbread Shortlisted novel The Land as Viewed from the Sea . Paperback 7.99 ISBN: 9781854115362

Coming Soon - Available for Pre-Order Now!

The Captains Tower: Seventy Poets Celebrate Bob Dylan at Seventy eds. Phil Bowen, Damian Furniss, David Woolley Unbelievably, Bob Dylan isseventy in May. With a foreword by Ronnie Wood, The Captains Tower is a birthday present anthology of poems reflecting on Dylans life, his work, and his cultural impact. Publication May 2011 Paperback 9.99 ISBN: 9781854115607

Real South Pembrokeshire by Tony Curtis. The 'Real' Series is moving to west Wales with a new volume focused on Tenby and its hinterland. The mix of new and old, of memoir, anecdote and history gives us new insights one of the most beautiful places in Britain. Publication June 2011 Paperback9.99 ISBN: 9781854115379

The Last Hundred Days by Patrick McGuinness. An intricately plotted thriller about Ceausescu's final days in power, from an author who was a first-hand witness to the regime. When a young English student with a damaged past and an uncertain future, arrives in Bucharest to take up a job he never applied for and whose duties are never made clear, he finds himself caught up in the demise of a corrupt and authoritarian society. Publication May 2011 Paperback 8.99 ISBN: 9781854115416

Meet the Author

Thursday 12th May, 8.00pm: Three Seren poets will be reading as part of the 'Four Poets' event at Lauderdale House in May. John Haynes , Fiona Sampson and Tim Liardet will be joined at the event by Carole Satyamurti.Tickets: 5.00/Concessions: Concession: 3.00 Concessions are available for students, people on benefit and over 60s. Proof must be provided when collecting tickets.

Friday 13th May, 8pm: Co author Phil Bowen reads from The Captain's Tower - 70 poets celebrate Bob Dylan at 70. St Ives Arts Club, Westcotts Quay, St Ives, Cornwall Tickets 8 Call: 01736 799 450.

Monday 16th May, 8.00pm : 'ASummer Chorus' at the Troubadour with Carrie Etter , Roisin Tierney, Jennifer Martin, Martyn Crucefix, Jacqueline Saphra, Geraldine Paine, Robert vas Dias and Eve Grubin. Tickets 7/Concessions 6. The Troubadour, 263-267 Old Brompton Road, London SW5. For info, booking, season ticket & mailing list enquiries email: coffpoetry [at] aol [dot] com or visit the website: www.coffeehousepoetry.org

Friday 20th May, 7.30pm : A Sense of Place featuring Peter J. Conradi , Christopher Meredith & Tom Bullough. The literature of Wales; writers inspired by landscapes near and far, CARAD is proud to announce an evening of inspired readings by three exceptional Welsh authors. 6.50 CARAD, East Street, Rhayader, Powys, LD6 5ER

Saturday 21st May, 1.00pm: Nia Williams The Colour of Grass book signing at Waterstones, The Hayes, Cardiff. "This read will draw you into its story within minutes" Woman Magazine

Monday 23rd May: Nerys Williams will be reading from her debut collection Sound Archive at the Boathouse, Laugharne.

Monday 23th May: Carrie Etter will be reading as part of the CB1 series at The Punter, 3 Pound Hill, Cambridge 5/3 concs.

Sunday 15th May - Saturday 21st May: Making Words - a poetry writing course at Chateau Ventenac in the South of France with Pascale Petit. www.chateauventenac.com

Saturday 28th May: Pascale Petit will give an illustarted talk from What the Water Gave Me TriaLogos Poetry Festival, Tallinn. Festival hosted by Doris Kareva

Wednesday 1st June: Dylan as Philosopher. Poet and editor Phil Bowen The Captain's Tower leads a celebration-cum-cross-examination of the work of Bob Dylan on the Protean singer-songwriter's 70th Birthday. Part of the 'How The Light Gets In' Festival at Hay - Venue: Talk Tent.

For further details of all these events and many more, visit the Events page of Seren's website.

SEREN AUTHORS at HAY

Event 146 - Venue: Summer House
Monday 30th May, 2.30pm: Mabinogion Series - Two more new versions of the Welsh mythologies. Gwyneth Lewis spins the tale of Blodeuwedd, the woman made of flowers, into a sci-fi setting in The Meat Tree . Niall Griffiths conjures an Iraq-bound and a Cardiff gangsta in The Dreams of Max and Ronnie .

Event 178 - Venue: Elmley Foundation Theatre
Tuesday 31st May, 11.30am: Artist Ken Elias talks to Ceri Thomas about Thin Partitions . An illustrated conversation surveying forty years of the esteemed Glynneath artist's work in painting, collage and photomontage.

Event 257 - Venue: The Moot
Paul Henry reads and discusses his New and Selected Poems The Brittle Sea . The individual human voice, the ragged vagaries of the heart and soul, the joys and sorrows of family life feature here but this poetry is personal without being confessional, preferring tender observation to sensationalism or didacticism. Chaired by Benna Waites

Event 275 - Venue: Sky Arts Studio
Thursday 2nd June, 10am: Broadcaster Mavis Nicholson talks to Sarah Crompton about the book What Did You Do In The War, Mummy ?, Mavis has interviewed women from lumber-jills and landgirls to undercover spies and entertainers about the new freedoms, the make-do and mend, the hopes and the fears, as well as the post-war adjustments they had to make.

Event 291 - Venue: Elmley Foundation Theatre
Friday 3rd June, 10am: Peter Conradi , Brenda Maddox and Tom Bullough discuss At the Bright Hem of God: Radnorshire Pastoral. How the wild, rural landscape of Radnorshire inspired their work and that of others before them, from Gerald of Wales to Vaughan and Traherne, Francis Kilvert, Eric Gill, David Jones and Bruce Chatwin.

Event 340 - Venue: Elmley Foundation Theatre
Saturday 4th June, 10am: Grahame Davies , author of The Dragon and the Crescent : Nine centuries of contact between Wales and Islam talks to Merryl Wyn Davies, the Director of the Muslim Institute.

For further information and to book tickets visit the Hay website: www.hayfestival.com

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