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Chris Keil''s long awaited and widely acclaimed third novel ''Flirting At The Funeral'' was launched at Waterstone''s in Carmarthen on September 25th. AmeriCymru spoke to Chris about the novel and his future plans. Read our review of Flirting At The Funeral. Chris''s new novel is published by Cillian Press and is available from amazon.com. Buy it here:- Flirting At The Funeral
AmeriCymru: Hi Chris and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. You are celebrating the publication of your third novel ''Flirting At The Funeral''. How has the book been received?
Chris: Really well. I’ve been very lucky in having a brilliant new publisher - Mark Brady of Cillian Press - a new star in the publishing universe! We’ve got events lined up in UK, Ireland and Portugal in the near future, and many more in the pipeline. Best of all has been the amazing response from readers - enthusiastic, emotionally sophisticated, alert to language - exactly the kind of readers I write for. Readers have responded to the narrative, to the interplay between characters, but also to the aspects of language that engage me as a writer - to tone, rhythm, cadence, to repetition, half-rhyme, musicality. I can’t ask for more
than that.
AmeriCymru: ''Flirting at The Funeral'' has been described as "...urbane, serious but also seriously entertaining writing." How difficult is it to be serious and seriously entertaining at one and the same time?
Chris: Many thanks to Jon Gower for those generous words! Not an easy question to answer. Flirting deals with serious themes, but hopefully not in a heavy-handed way. Life is scary,funny, sexy, sad - often all at the same time - and one of the functions of art is to try to capture some of that texture.
AmeriCymru: The book betrays a profound pessimism about the current political and economic condition of Europe. To what extent is this a major determining factor in the actions of its characters? Would you describe ''Flirting At The Funeral'' as a political novel?
Chris: OK. I don’t feel that Flirting is simply a political novel, although it’s certainly about politics, among other things. It’s been called a philosophical novel, and it’s a novel of ideas, I suppose, but ultimately it’s a novel about people, about human beings and their complex, tragi-comic interactions with each other and with the world. I’m not sure that the book ‘betrays a profound pessimism…’ If there’s a single emotional theme, it’s probably more like rage, but the emotional tone is not unified - it’s disaggregated across the range of characters in the book: certainly the terrorist Dave Leaper is filled with venom, but among the central characters Morgan is detached and a little cynical, Matty is… I’ll come back to Matty; and the young film-makers are busy trying to take themselves seriously while having a seriously good time. But of course the melancholy span of history across the last forty years hangs over the book, like the suspension bridge across the Tagus in Lisbon. “The people, united, will never be defeated…” Oh really?
AmeriCymru: Two characters meet each other after years living separate lives; in the interim, they''ve each enjoyed success but seem to have each come to a point in their lives in which they have to compromise as they get older - how did you develop them and the choices they make and do you think we all come to that point in our own lives and have to make those same choices?
Chris: I suspect that this never sounds quite plausible, but I really find that when the process of writing fiction is going well, the characters develop themselves. What happens to them, and what choices they make, derives from who they are, from their individual autonomies. With each of my books, I’ve probably spent as much time not writing, as writing. When I finally get down to starting the book, I’ve spent so much time thinking about the characters that they hit the page fully-formed, if not running. They’ve existed for a year or two in a fluid, inchoate and unwritten state before hardening into flesh and bone and personality. By that time they make their own choices, or fail to choose, or choose unwisely.
AmeriCymru: Is youthful idealism always destined to fade? Is life nothing more than a series of grudging compromises with mere survival as the ultimate goal?
Chris: No it isn’t! That’s really depressing! Of course, the book suggests that life has the capacity to destroy you - before it kills you, that is - but a person is always implicated in their own psychic destruction, at least to some extent. If your life ends up as ‘a series of grudging compromises’ (good phrase, by the way!) it’s because you weren’t quite brave enough, or passionate, or crazy enough, above all not clear-headed enough, to resist the compromises that fear or insecurity offer. Matty says: “People make choices, don’t they? I choose what happens to me. Or maybe I have no choice. I suppose it comes to the same thing in the end.” For me, those words inscribe her epitaph, metaphorically. Incidentally, it’s been very reinforcing for me as a writer to see the range of readers’ reactions to Matty - who is after all the central character of the book - from fascination, to loathing: intensely positive or intensely negative, but always intense.
AmeriCymru: There are conversations in this book in which it seems as though the characters are speaking to each other at right angles. One character responds to questions and statements about his wife''s illness with completely inapposite topics; what is this dialogue telling us about these characters and about this story?
Chris: There’s a couple of points I’d want to make about dialogue in Flirting. Firstly, it reflects the way I hear people speak, although obviously in a heightened, theatricalised mode - for me, the effect of naturalism is achieved by pretty much the opposite: exaggeration, over- emphasis, over-articulation. What I wanted to capture was the way that I hear people talk: at each other, across, over, down to each other; they hear things that haven’t been said, answer questions that weren’t being asked and ignore the ones that were. And beyond that of course, many of the characters in the book are alienated, isolated from each other and from themselves, trapped in their own speech-bubbles, so to speak.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Chris Keil? Are you already working on another project or have one in mind?
Chris: Yes I do. The next book is going to be a re-imagining of the life of the Roman poet Ovid, transposed into modern times. It’s a story full of possibilities I think. Ovid was the most talented and successful poet of his generation, writing glittering erotic satires, mixing with the elites of Roman society; he was a super-star. And then, unwittingly, he did something to offend the Emperor - people think he must have been complicit in a scandal involving the Emperor’s family - and was banished, forced to leave Rome and live in exile and virtual imprisonment in Tomis, on the Black Sea, in what is now Romania but was then the very edge of the Empire and the known world. “Beyond here,” he wrote, ‘lies nothing.” He spent what was left of his life writing the Tristia - the Lamentations - poems of terrible grief, of obsessive longing for the past. I’m going to set it in the present, and the current working title is “Vodka, Depression and Temazepam.” Only kidding; it’s going to be very pacy - more or less an out-and-out thriller… but with added metaphysics.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Chris: Yes, I have two. Firstly, Portland is a brilliant city, full of beautiful and talented people, and I aim to be back there in 2013. Secondly - this is for everybody - as soon as you’ve finished reading this interview, find the Amazon button on the AmeriCymru site and buy a copy of Flirting at the Funeral! Do it now!
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(from left to right, Gwenllian Jones (Office Manager), Carolyn Hodges (English language editor), a Robat Trefor (Welsh language copy editor)
Lolfa publishers have welcomed three new staff members this month.
Gwenllian Jones has been appointed Office Manager, Carolyn Hodges as English language editor and Robat Trefor as Welsh language copy editor.
Gwenllian Jones, the new Office Manager, is from Aberaeron originally and graduated from Aberystwyth University. She previously worked with Avanti in Cardiff before moving back to Ceredigion.
‘I’m glad to be back in Ceredigion and look forward to working for such a busy and colourful company!’ said Gwenllian.
The new Welsh language copy editor is Robat Trefor from Anglesey who will also be working part time at Ysgol y Gymraeg in Bangor university.
‘Its quite a responsibility but I’m very happy to be joining the team and returning to the world of books!’ said Robat Trefor.
Carolyn Hodges will be stepping in to the role of English editor – which is a new job at Y Lolfa.
Carolyn comes from Buckingham in England originally and began her editing career at Oxford University press where she worked for 14 years.
‘I learnt Welsh myself by using Say Something in Welsh and had always dreamed of moving to Wales to live and to be able to speak the language everyday,’ said Carolyn, ‘so I feel very lucky to be given this opportunity.’
Said Y Lolfa’s managing director, Garmon Gruffudd,
‘It is with great pleasure that we welcome Gwenllian, Robat and Carolyn to our team at Y Lolfa. All three are very experienced and will be a great asset to the company as Y Lolfa continue to publish new and exciting publications in Welsh and English.’
Y Lolfa will be celebrating their 50 th anniversary next year.
It is also the story of three ladies who formed a musical partnership called The Dorian Trio in the early twentieth century. Generations of children who were brought up in Wales in the 1930s, 40s and 50s knew of the Trio who travelled around schools performing and educating. They worked at University College of North Wales for ten years and later at Aberystwyth, travelling around south Wales giving concerts. However, by World War II they had turned their attention to farming in Llanarth, Ceredigion where they kept Welsh indigenous breeds. Their main interest was Welsh cobs. The Llanarth stud became world famous; their knowledge of genetics added impetus to the quality and standard of their stock. They were winners at international events. The three ladies were single-minded achievers. In the 1980s, they bequeathed the enterprise to University College of Wales, Aberystwyth for safekeeping.
As Teleri Bevan notes, “But unfortunately, old age brought a tragic ending to the story, with the dismantling of the farm and stud by the university who had been gifted the estate and farming enterprise. Many will remember the acute anger and disappointment at the final sale, the dispersal of the Llanarth stud and the press headlines and television programmes. Pauline and Enid died of broken hearts.”
Teleri Bevan was raised on a farm in Ceredigion. She spent most of her working life at BBC Wales as a radio producer, becoming the first Editor of Radio Wales when it was launched in 1978. Subsequently, she became its Head of Programmes. Now retired, she enjoys writing and this is her fourth book.
The Ladies of Blaenwern is published by Y Lolfa, priced at £8.95 and will be launched at the International Pavilion at the Winter Fair in Builth Wells on Monday 29 November.
Stori drist fferm cobiau Blaenwern, Ceredigion
Mae’r llyfr The Ladies of Blaenwern yn adrodd yr hanes fel y bu i Goleg Prifysgol Cymru werthu fferm magu cobiau o enwogrwydd rhyngwladol a ewyllyswyd iddynt, nôl yn yr 1980au.
Yn ogystal, mae’n sôn am stori tair gwraig a luniodd bartneriaeth gerddorol The Dorian Trio yn negawdau cynnar yr ugeinfed ganrif. Teithiai’r Dorian Trio o gylch ysgolion Cymru benbaladr, yn diddanu ac addysgu plant. Bu’r Trio hefyd yn gweithio yn adrannau cerddoriaeth colegau y brifysgol ym Mangor ac Aberystwyth yn ddiweddarach, ac yn cynnal cyngherddau yng nghymoedd y de. Ond erbyn adeg yr Ail Ryfel Byd roedd y gwragedd wedi troi eu sylw at ffermio yn Llanarth, Ceredigion ac yno roeddynt yn cadw bridiau brodorol. Eu diddordeb pennaf oedd magu cobiau Cymreig.
Daeth y fferm yn fyd-enwog; roedd eu gwybodaeth am eneteg yn rhoi symbyliad uwch i ansawdd a safon eu stoc. Roeddynt yn enillwyr mewn cystadlaethau rhyngwladol. Roedd y tair yn gyflawnwyr unplyg. Yn y 1980au, ewyllyswyd y fferm i Goleg Prifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth er mwyn ei diogelu i’r dyfodol.
Fel y dywed yr awdur, “Yn anffodus, wrth i’r gwragedd heneiddio, daeth diwedd trychinebus i’r stori, gyda’r fferm magu cobiau yn cael ei gwahanu’n ddarnau a’i gwerthu. Bydd sawl un yn cofio’r dicter a’r siom yn ystod yr arwerthiant olaf, y penawdau papur newydd a’r rhaglenni teledu. Bu Pauline ac Enid farw o dorcalon.”
Cyhoeddir The Ladies of Blaenwern gan Y Lolfa. Pris £8.95. Bydd y llyfr yn cael ei lansio yn y Pafiliwn Rhyngwladol ar faes y sioe yn Llanelwedd, adeg y Ffair Aeaf, ar ddydd Llun 29 Tachwedd.
AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh author Cynan Jones about his contribution to the Seren New Tales From The Mabinogion Series - ''Bird,Blood,Snow''. In re-imagining this myth for a contemporary audience Cynan Jones has adopted for his hero the juvenile terror and scourge of a modern council estate. Read our review here
Author of Bird,Blood,Snow
Read our previous interview with Cynan Jones
Other Titles by Cynan Jones
Everything I Found on the Beach
...
AmeriCymru: Hi Cynan and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Care to tell us a little about your latest book ''Bird,Blood,Snow''?
Cynan: Bird, Blood Snow is different. Bird, Blood, Snow is a bicycle kick. By that I mean the process of writing it was instinctive and spontaneous.
It''s a re-telling of an ancient Welsh myth. More accurately, an Arthurian myth. It''s part of the New Stories from the Mabinogion series.
Seren formally approached me with the commission in November last year (''11), then we had to wait for the funding process to run through before they confirmed in March.
The book was scheduled for October 2013, which would give me plenty of time. Then at the end of March, Seren asked whether I could hit the slot for this year. I said yes. Which effectively left me three months to deliver the book. That certainly fed into the eclectic approach I took.
AmeriCymru: The book is based on the Mabinogion Peredur tale. How would you describe ''Peredur'' for anyone who is not acquainted with it?
Cynan: I was the last author to be approached for the series and Peredur was the only tale left. There were good reasons why. It''s narratively disjointed, the imagery that thunders through most of the other tales is scant, and its allegories are uncertain of themselves.
It tells the tale of a youth bent on recognition in King Arthur''s court. He leaves the isolated home his mother has removed him to in the hope he won''t follow his father and brother''s into a violent life; then he tries to draw attention to himself through a series of violent acts in Arthur''s name. That''s it in its simplest terms.
AmeriCymru: How difficult was it to re-imagine for a modern audience?
Cynan: As I''ve said, it was a bicycle kick. That''s evidently a very difficult skill, but it''s something you do without thinking in some ways. You don''t think of the difficulty, or the physics of it. You just go for it. It''s in retrospect you think... wow. Ok...
If the time scale for delivery had not changed it''s likely I would have done something much more in line with my other writing. It was good I didn''t.
AmeriCymru: Peredur, as cast in ''Bird,Blood,Snow'', is not a sympathetic character and his ''biographer'' is dismissed for having attempted to romanticize him. Do you think he has any redeeming qualities?
Cynan: He is immune to mildness. That might be regarded a redeeming quality. And he is self aware. He is violent with great target, rather than disruptive. But he doesn''t want to be redeemed. He openly admits to living in his own little world. He''s not bothered about integrating himself into society.
It''s interesting to write a character who is essentially vicious but meanwhile make him compelling. You don''t have a sympathy for him but his honesty is magnetic.
AmeriCymru: You say in your Afterword that the Peredur story is an early unfinished version of the medieval ''questing'' tale. Care to elaborate?
Cynan: This is purely my reaction to it. The Mabinogion tales were originally oral stories. Given that, there would have been great opportunity to alter the tales, to introduce contemporary factors and influences.
I wonder to what degree the Peredur tale came about because of an emerging fashion for Arthurian myth. Storytellers would have been requested to relate certain types of story, so would need to react to new trends much in the way film makers nowadays do.
My feeling is the Peredur myth had not actually formalised into a set story at the time the tales came to be written down in around the 1300s / 1400s.
But once you write something down you essentially fossilise it. If that process happens wrongly, the fossil is imperfect, scattered. It has to be pieced back together by the reader. The fact there are several disparate versions of the Peredur tale supports the guess.
AmeriCymru: What is the ultimate goal of Peredur''s quest in ''Bird,Blood,Snow''?
Cynan: Acknowledgement.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Cynan Jones? Any new books planned or in the works?
Cynan: There''s a new book in the mix. It''s ready to go to publishers.
Meanwhile, I''m looking forward to getting on to the next story. It''s gestating a the moment. Hopefully I''ll begin early next year. It won''t be as lunatic as this one.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Cynan: Thanks for the continued enthusiasm. Also, there''s a quest within the book. I''d like to invite readers to dig about in the story a bit, do some archaeology. I''ve buried several artefacts from other texts. Some more easy to uncover than others. But do get in touch if you think you''ve found something!
Interview by Ceri Shaw Ceri Shaw on Google+
Award winning Welsh writer Cynan Jones pens the latest addition to Seren''s critically acclaimed series:- New Stories From The Mabinogion
Read our interview with Cynan Jones
Other Titles by Cynan Jones
The Long Dry Everything I Found At The Beach
...
As befits any retelling of the Mabinogion ''Peredur'' story this is a grim and sanguinary tale. The original revolves around the hero''s attempts to win favour and esteem at the medieval court of King Arthur.
In re-imagining this myth for a contemporary audience Cynan Jones has adopted for his hero the juvenile terror and scourge of a modern council estate. No mere ASBO, we follow with horror as Peredur graduates from juvenile delinquency to the status of full blown adult psychopath. In the Afterword Cynan speculates that ''Peredur'' is an early, fragmentary and unfinished example of the medieval questing tale. Consequently the story is related by means of a series of testimonies, police and psychiatric reports and occasional press clippings. There is also a sprinkling of handwritten notes left by the protagonist and excerpts from an unnamed ''biographer'' who has ".....hijacked Peredur, tried to mythologise him".
These different perspectives are woven together skilfully to ensure a seemless narrative flow which is never jarring or disconsonant.
At age eight Peredur is the topic du jour at a local police planning conference:-
"All growed up. Oh well. At least he''s livened things up a bit. We were in need of some entertainment....what do you do with a f****** eight year old who sticks a f****** stick in someone''s eye?"
Later in his career of infamy he is interviewed by his biographer and reveals that:-
"...You can get a person all slopey with a collar bone, easy with something heavy. Not highly technical. Good, satisfying crunch when they go. Ribs are tricky. Sometimes they go, sometimes they dont. You kind of know when you''ve popped a lung though; easily confused mind with a cracked sternum: either way f****** cant breath."
The attempt to mythologize and romanticize Peredur referred to in the opening letter to the editor consists of a series of psuedo Nietzschean ramblings which, whilst they may throw some light on the internal workings of a diseased mind, do very little to make the character any more sympathetic:-
"Usually people make peace with the world and work out compromises so that the two will not hurt each other badly.
Well, some few do not make peace. And some of these are locked away as hopelessly insane and full of fantasy.
I know full well I choose now, one way or another, whether to climb aboard, let myself be spun up in my delusion: in the speed and whirl of it. Let the world of my merry go round turn into a blur. It''s all choice. That''s what the sane sometimes don''t recognize....."
All in all this is a ghastly tale superbly well told. Not for the squeamish it is a must read for anyone with a taste for Welsh noir.It might also serve as a reminder to some that the tales of the Mabinogion have little to do with unicorns, fairy tale castles and damsels in distress.They are often accounts of ghastly and murderous events justified by a barbaric pre Roman, dark age and medieval warrior ideology. And of course.....none the worse for that.
Review by Ceri Shaw
Book Details
Available in Paperback
Alina: the White Lady of Oystermouth - An Interview With Author Ann Marie Thomas
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-07-06
Buy ''Alina: The White Lady of Oystermouth'' here
From the interview:- " The ruins of Swansea Castle are right in the middle of the city, and I was looking up at them one day when I wondered what the castle was like when it was intact and in use. I went home and Googled it, as you do, and got fascinated by Gower medieval history."
"Alina''s ghost has been seen in the castle, and is called the white lady of Oystermouth."
...
...
Ann: This is a local history book about Alina de Breos, heir to the Lordship of Gower in South Wales in the 14 th century. Her father was always desperate for money and tried to sell Gower to three different lords at once! He eventually sold it to King Edward II''s favourite, Hugh le Despenser the Younger. Alina''s husband John de Mowbray took control of Swansea Castle in an attempt to save her inheritance, and Hugh persuaded the king to intervene. The other barons, who were unhappy with the king''s behaviour and Despenser''s power over him, supported Alina and John. It led to civil war and eventually toppled Edward II from the throne. But Alina and John paid a heavy price: John was executed and Alina ended up in the Tower of London! There is a happy ending, and Alina spent the rest of her life at Oystermouth Castle in Gower. She built the chapel on the castle, which can still be seen today. Alina''s ghost has been seen in the castle, and is called the white lady of Oystermouth.
AmeriCymru: What inspired you to tell Alina''s story?
Ann: The ruins of Swansea Castle are right in the middle of the city, and I was looking up at them one day when I wondered what the castle was like when it was intact and in use. I went home and Googled it, as you do, and got fascinated by Gower medieval history. Swansea is famous for its industry in the 18 th and 19 th centuries, but before then I always thought it was a quiet backwater. It turns out that the medieval Lords of Gower were involved in every major event of British history for over 300 years after William the Conqueror. History in school was boring, but this was real people''s lives and it caught my imagination.
When I first wrote the history, I didn''t know what to do with it. Then I had a stroke which left me disabled. Preparing the book for publication and learning how to promote it, gave me a vital interest in the days that followed, and saved me from falling into depression at all the things I could no longer do.
AmeriCymru: How easy ( or difficult ) is it to get a book on medieval Welsh history published today?
Ann: A local publisher sat me down and explained why no publisher would touch it – because it is too small a market to justify the publishing costs. I wanted to tell the story, so I self-published. Because the market is principally locals and tourists, I needed a print book for people to buy on impulse, although there is an ebook as well. My judgement was right, as I have sold very few ebooks.
When I was medically retired by my employer I used money from my pension to pay for the printing, and expected not to recover my costs. To my surprise and delight I sold over 250 copies in the first summer season and not only covered my costs, but made enough profit to finance another print run and put money towards the second book!
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about the illustrations in the book?
Ann: I felt the book needed illustrations but couldn''t afford to pay for them. My husband emailed the art department of the local university, and they ran a competition, with the winner providing the illustrations as part of her course work. She also sold prints at the book launch which raised money towards her studies. Carrie Francis is very talented, and has now graduated and set up as a freelance portrait artist and illustrator.
AmeriCymru: You are working on a second book at the moment. Can you tell us more?
Ann: Delving further into my research I found another story, set a century before Alina . This too turned out to have national significance. William de Breos was one of King John''s closest confidants, and he gave him the Lordship of Gower, and many other lands and titles. At the height of his favour he was one of the richest men in the kingdom. But when William''s wife blurted out John''s greatest secret, John turned on them brutally and hounded them to death. When the barons, already unhappy with John as king, saw how he treated William and his family, it was the final straw that led to Magna Carta. William''s sons and grandson turned to the famous Welsh leader Llewelyn the Great for help to regain their lands. So this story involves important events in Wales as well as Britain. The book is called Broken Reed: The Lords of Gower and King John, and is finished and formatted. I am just waiting for the illustrations, once again done by Carrie Francis, and hope to publish very soon.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Ann: These books bring to light little-known stories from Gower history. They are told in an easy to read, story-telling style, but are academically sound, with bibliography and endnotes, so can be enjoyed by everyone, including older children.
Alina is available as a Kindle ebook from Amazon US
Kindle ebook and in print from Amazon UK (with international delivery)
and all other ebook formats from Smashwords
The book has had 5* reviews at Ask David and Readers Favourite
My blog, which talks about all my writing and things to think about, is found at
Ann Marie Thomas, Author: Thinking Out Loud
Drop by, or follow me on Twitter @AnnMThomas80 and watch for the publication announcement for Broken Reed.
The author has placed a strong emphasis on the guide’s practicality: “My wish is to enthuse potential visitors, so I have spent more time on access than is usual, having visited every castle. I particularly hope to interest people in the lesser-known castles well worth seeing, many of which are open to the public without charge.”
Castles In Wales has a wide-ranging introduction, setting the castles in their historical, cultural, political and military context. The main guide comprises nearly 80 entries on medieval castles, including notes on access, grid references, history and the buildings themselves. Two appendices comprise a list of over 400 medieval castles and a shorter list of “possible, post-medieval and lost castles” in Wales. The book is fully illustrated with over 100 black and white photographs.
Author Gerald Morgan lives in Aberystwyth and likes to describe himself as a teacher and historian in that order. After teaching English at Ysgol Maes Garmon, Mold, and at Ysgol Gyfun Aberteifi, he served 22 years as head teacher of Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni, then of Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig, Aberystwyth. A second career saw him teaching Welsh and local history in the Extra-Mural Department of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He has published books and articles on a wide range of subjects. Castles in Wales is published by Y Lolfa and will be available in bookshops and on www.ylolfa.com from the 11 th of August for £6.95.
An Interview With Welsh Writer Lloyd Jones - Electric Sheep And A Small Mouse
By Ceri Shaw, 2013-08-25
Lloyd: The book begins and ends with Mog Morgan washing up at the sink on the morning after his fiftieth birthday. We go on a journey of discovery along the Welsh borders as Mog traces the history of his marriage to Meg. Using devices such as questionnaires, e-mails and postcards, Mog reveals a lot about his attitude towards women and love. Brought up in a children''s home, he is inept and frightened of life; he lives in a daydream and has a comical relationship with his psychiatrist. The book is a bittersweet and tragi-comic examination of the self in relation to one''s homeland and other people. I hope it''s rather sad and quite funny.
AmeriCymru: Y Daith is dedicated to Pol Wong and Carrie Harper from Wrexham "who were responsible for bringing to the public''s attention the Welsh Assembly and local authorities'' underhanded plans for destroying the beauty and culture of north Wales through unlimited housing development and the encouragement of immigration," Can you tell us more about the dedication and the campaign against the housing development?
Lloyd: This has been such a bad experience, and an illustration of the widening gap between the people and politicians of Britain. No-one was happier than I when the Welsh Assembly came into existence, but then a group of campaigners led by Pol and Carrie discovered that our politicians and councillors had been working covertly with English agencies to establish townships in North Wales which would be colonised by immigrants. I''ve nothing against immigrants, but desecrating Wales''s legendary beauty and killing off what''s left of the native culture is surely too high a price to pay. What really rankled was the sneaky way our ''leaders'' went about it. For instance, a bunch of venture capitalists want to build a huge greenfield estate by a lovely little Welsh village, Bodelwyddan , famous for its landmark marble church, so the Welsh Assembly went behind our backs and downgraded the land so that the plan could go ahead. The whole thing stinks to high heaven.
AmeriCymru: You are also contributing a volume to the Seren New Tales From the Mabinogion series. Which of the tales are you ''modernizing'' and when can we expect to see it in print?
Lloyd: I''m writing a modern version of the third branch, about Manawydan, a nice bloke who has to put up with a lot of shit. It''s an honour to be involved, since the stories so far have been told by the cream of Welsh writing, and I''ve enjoyed their renditions. It''s all downhill from here folks! I think my version comes out next Spring.
AmeriCymru: Many people enjoyed your first collection of English language short stories My First Colouring Book . Do you have any plans for further collections?
Lloyd: That little book didn''t register on the literary richter scale in Wales. Not a blip. A very small mouse stifling a yawn in a dark hole three miles below Llanddewi Brefi would have had a greater effect on Welsh literature than My First Colouring Book. One the other hand, the Wales-inspired Extreme Sheep LED Art on YouTube has enjoyed well over 15 million hits, so the obvious answer is to write exclusively about sheep running around the Welsh hills, fetchingly adorned with fairy lights. I did consider writing a tract comparing the decline of the Welsh Mountain Sheep (rather gorgeous) in direct relation to the native Welsh (also rather gorgeous) but I was afraid I might attract the attention of the authorities again. Last time I got away with a fine and a warning, but I wouldn''t get away with it again.
AmeriCymru: For three years now you have generously agreed to be the judge for the West Coast Eisteddfod Short Story Competition. Do you have any advice for this years competitiors?
Lloyd: Be yourself, and just enjoy it.
AmeriCymru: What are you reading at the moment. Any recommendations?
Lloyd: I''m reading In the Shadow of the Pulpit by Professor M Wynn Thomas, a very readable book about the influence of the Nonconformist religion on Welsh literature. Together with a family history I did recently, it tells me exactly where I came from, and why I write the way I do. It''s very well written by a very nice man who knows his subject inside out. I''ve been wading my way through the Penguin Modern Classics recently and two American authors have made a distinct impression: I loved the rampant use of language in Don DeLillo''s Americana, and I was mesmerised by Walter Abish''s writing style in How German Is It.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Lloyd Jones?
Lloyd: Over the years I''ve produced a couple of poetry chapbooks, featuring squibs and short light poems. I''ve taken it up a notch or two and I''m trying to write a decent book of poetry.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Lloyd: Hia!
