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Seren News - May 2012
Latest News
 | Celebrations are in order yet again for Patrick McGuinness as The Last Hundred Days is placed on another two prize lists. The book has been long-listed for the 2012 Desmond Elliott Prize along with nine other debut titles including a best seller, Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson. The shortlist will be announced next week, followed by a winner announcement on June 29th at Fortnum & Mason, London. The Desmond Elliott Prize, which was set up in memory of the celebrated publisher and literary agent Desmond Elliott, is in its fifth year and the winner will be awarded 10,000. The Last Hundred Days is also on the shortlist for the Authors Club Best First Novel 2012. The winner will be announced on the 6th June at the National Liberal Club. |
Hay Festival 2012 is upon us and there will be some of our fantastic authors reading, including Owen Sheers and Patrick McGuinness. For a listing of the all our author events click here
New Titles Out Now
 Clueless Dogs by Rhian Edwards An astounding Welsh poet with performances that get you in the emotional gut Ian McMillan on The Verb , Radio 3. Clueless Dogs is the first collection of poetry by Rhian Edwards, the winner of the 2011/12 John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry and Audience Prize . Already a noted performer of both her songs and poetry, this book, full of verve and humour, confirms a startling talent. ISBN: 9781854115737 Paperback: 8.99 |
 | After Brock by Paul Binding Paul Bindings After Brock , is a story of Pete, a talented and intelligent schoolboy, though an outsider in both home and school life. One December night he meets Sam, an attractive and flamboyant boy, but something of a misfit with whom his infatuation is instant. They begin a tempestuous friendship seeking a world removed from the difficulties of home life: Sams alcoholic mother and Petes frayed relationship with his unappreciative family. ISBN: 9781854115683 Paperback: 8.99 |
| | The Flying Trapeze by Duncan Bush One of the most significant voices of his generation, a new book by Duncan Bush is an eagerly awaited event. The Flying Trapeze , his sixth poetry collection, is characteristically unsentimental, tough-minded, and fiercely lyrical. With many of the poems inspired by places he has lived in or travelled to The Flying Trapeze is never less than subtle, smart and true. ISBN: 9781854115942 Paperback: 8.99 |
Forthcoming Titles
 Lightning Beneath the Sea by Grahame Davies The first collection of poems in English by Grahame Davies. Already well-known for his prize-winning Welsh-language poetry and fiction, and for his scholarly non-fiction, Davies brings an intimate, conversational tone, and a raised civic awareness to these poems. ISBN: 9781854115751 Paperback: 8.99 |
 | Poet to Poet: Edward Thomass letters to Walter de la Mare edited by Judy Kendall This book offers still more insight into the highly influential writer and poet Edward Thomas through his correspondence with Walter de la Mare: 318 letters from between 1906 and 1917, of which only three have been previously published. The letters provide new and crucial evidence about Thomass poetic processes, the start of his mature poetry and also show the mutual support the two poets enjoyed. ISBN: 9781854115805 Paperback: 14.99 |
 | Witch by Damian Walford Davies Witch by Damian Walford Davies is a striking portrait in verse of a small town in England struck by the Witchcraft panic of the 17th century. The poems in this collection are dark spells, compact and moving: seven sections, each of seven poems, each of seven couplets, are delivered by those most closely involved in the 'making' of a witch. ISBN: 9781854115799 Paperback: 8.99 |
Meet the Author
Sunday 6th May, 7.30pm: Rhian Edwards will read from her debut poetry collection Clueless Dogs at the Crunch / Skye Extravaganza event. Mozarts, 76B Walter Street, Uplands, Swansea SA1 4QA. For a list of all Rhian's events visit www.rhianedwards.co.uk
Monday 7th May, 8pm. A new season of fortnightly Monday readings hosted by Anne-Marie Fyfe for Coffee-House Poetry at the Troubadour. Entrance 7.00/ 6.00 concessions.
Thursday 10th May, 7pm: Join Literature Wales at Theatr Bryncheiniog in Brecon as they announce which writers have made it on to the Wales Book of the Year 2012 Short List. The audience will be treated to readings by some of Wales' best loved poets including Eurig Salisbury and Ceri Wyn Jones current and former Bardd Plant Cymru respectively, National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke and Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. Tickets: 10/ 8 contact Theatr Brycheiniog on
Friday 11th May, 5.30pm. After Brock by Paul Binding will be launched at Yarborough House, The Square, Bishops Castle, Shropshire, SY9 5BN. All are welcome. Telephone: 01588 638318 for further details.
Sunday 13th May, 12.003.30 pm. Rear Window themed creative-writing workshop with Anne-Marie Fyfe for Coffee-House Poetry at the Troubadour. Advance booking only: Price 28.00/Concessions 24.00.
Monday 14th May, 8pm. Barry Plummer editor of Evan Walters: Moments of Vision will be in conversation with Dr Kim Howells at the Cowbridge Book Festival 2012 at the Minstrels Gallery, The Duke of Wellington.
Tuesday 15th May, 11am. Tony Curtis , Margaret Curtis, Lynne Rees and Peter Finch present Tokens for the Foundlings at the Cowbridge Book Festival. Ballroom, The Bear Hotel.
Wednesday 16th May 7.30pm: Rhian Edwards will read at National Flash Fiction Day at The Millennium Centre, Cardiff. For more information visit www.wmc.org.uk
Wednesday 16th May 6.30pm: Authors Club Best First Novel Award 2012 Shortlist discussion. Patrick McGuinness will read from his debut novel The Last Hundred Days and discuss his work with Suzi Feay, chair of the judging panel. Patrick will be joined by two other shortlisted authors. 113-119 Foyles bookshop, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB
Thursday 17th May, 7.45pm. A dramatic performance of the new poetry collection, Witch by Damian Walford Davies at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre. A part of the 'Open Platform' scheme.
Thursday 17th May, 6.30pm. Patrick McGuinness will give a talk and sign copies of his Man Booker longlisted novel The Last Hundred Days at Linghams Booksellers, 248 Telegraph RdHeswall, Wirral, Merseyside CH60 7SG Tickets 5
Friday 18th May, 1.00pm. Poetry Ireland in association with the National Gallery of Ireland presents a lunchtime reading by Welsh poets Gillian Clarke & Tony Curtis . National Gallery of Ireland, Merrion Square West, Dublin 2.
Friday, 18th May, 8pm. Paul Henry will be reading at South Street Arts Centre, Reading. Further details: Ashley Harrold afharrold@virginmedia.com
Sunday 20th May, 7.30pm. Rhian Edwards launches Clueless Dogs at Gwdihw, Guildford Crescent, Cardiff, South Glamorgan CF10 2HJ
Monday 21st May, 8pm. Redgrove's Life:a Celebration of Peter Redgrove's poetry with Penelope Shuttle, Alan Brownjohn, Katrina Naomi and Pascale Petit .
Thursday 24th May, 7.30pm. The Promised Land, Cardiff.Music legend Bob Dylan is 71 on the 24 th May. A year ago, Seren marked his 70th by publishing The Captain's Tower - Seventy Poets celebrate Bob at Seventy . All three editors and selected contributors will be reading from this fantastic anthology.
Friday 25th May, 7pm. Rhian Edwards reads from her debut poetry collection Clueless Dogs at Bauhaus, Bridgend. Rhian Edwards is the 2011/12 winner of The John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry.
Friday 25 th May, 7.30pm. Christopher Meredith reads from his latest novel The Book of Idiots . Joining Christopher is Horatio Clare, who will read from his Mabinogion retelling The Prince's Pen . The Melville Theatre, The Drama Centre, Pen y Pound, Abergavenny.
Thursday 7 th June, 7.30pm.Join Horatio Clare and Grahame Davies for the last in the First Thursday season followed by an Open Mic session. 2.50 Media Point Room, Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff. Event is supported by Literature Wales.
Poem of the Month
Parents Evening
We feel she may be cheating
at reading and spelling.
She has failed to grasp the planets
and the laws of science,
has proven violent in games
and fakes asthma for attention.
She is showing promise with the Odyssey,
has learned to darn starfish
and knitted a patch for the scarecrow.
She seems to enjoy measuring rain,
pretending her father is a Beatle
and insists upon your death
as the conclusion to all her stories.
Rhian Edwards debut poetry collection Clueless Dogs is out now 8.99
