Tagged: books
Fortunately the book does not concern itself solely with these superstar desperadoes, colorful though they may be. There are short sections here on Welsh cowboys, ranchers, prospectors, miners and railway workers all of whom played their part in the building of the West.
The real strength of this volume is that it treats of characters who did not make it into the history books. You will find no Wikipedia entry for John Reynolds Hughes who single-handedly tracked and subdued two gangs of murderous cattle-rustlers before deciding to do it professionally and joining the Texas Rangers. Likewise, history does not record much about the exploits of Jack Farmer - railroad pioneer, who successfully treated his rheumatism with Kentucky Bourbon whilst surveying in the Rockies.
Published by Y Lolfa at $12 (approx) this book is an excellent introduction to the Wild Welsh in the old West.
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."
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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.
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AmeriCymru: Hi Peter and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Care to introduce the Batch Magna novels for our readers?
Peter: Thank you, Ceri, for inviting me. I appreciate it. The novels, of which The Cuckoos of Batch Magna is the first in the series, are set in a river valley in the Welsh Marches, the borderland between Wales and England (though I’m sure that doesn’t need explaining in this company). The squire of the village there, Batch Magna, dies, and what’s left of his decaying estate crosses the Atlantic and passes, through the ancient law of entailment, to distant relative Humph, an amiable, overweight short-order cook from the Bronx.
Sir Humphrey Franklin T Strange, 9 th baronet and squire of Batch Magna, as Humph now most remarkably finds himself to be, is persuaded by his Uncle Frank, a small time Wall Street broker with an eye on the big time, to make a killing by turning the sleepy backwater into a theme-park rural paradise for free-spending US millionaires.
But while the village pub and shop, with the lure of the dollar in their eyes, put out the Stars and Stripes in welcome, the tenants of the estate’s dilapidated houseboats take a different view, and when they’re given notice to quit by the new squire they stand their ground. And the fun begins.
The novels were inspired by nostalgia, of a time in the mid 1970s spent gloriously free living in a small colony of houseboats on the River Medway, in deepest rural Kent. The houseboats there were converted Thames sailing barges; for my houseboats, on Batch Magna''s river the Cluny, I used converted paddle steamers (once part of an equally fictitious Victorian trading company, the Cluny Steamboat Company), simply because I like the vessels.
They are feelgood books (The Wind in the Willows for grown-ups, as one Amazon reviewer described Cuckoos), pure escapism - for me now, looking back, and I hope for my readers.
AmeriCymru: What is the connection with Wales? How much of the action takes place west of Offa''s Dyke?
Peter: The stage is shared equally. The books were conceived with a nod both to Mercia and to Powys. The imaginary Welsh/English border running through Batch Valley and its village twists and turns, bestowing Welsh nationality on one villager in one part of it and English on another. And their accents, as they tend to in the Marches, share that duality, sounding Welsh to English ears and English to Welsh. A duality which also allowed me to have fun with Welsh/English banter.
AmeriCymru: How many books are there in the series and how would you say the plot and characters have developed over time?
Peter: I have two sequels to Cuckoos finished and waiting their turn (why this is so involves rather complicated reasons when I was under contract to my last two publishers), and I’m several chapters into a third sequel. And I think there’s enough mileage in the characters and place for at least several more. I don’t think anything changed much really, apart from the plots. The characters, I suppose, like actors, have settled into the parts more in the sequels, are more perhaps rounded, but rather like Batch Magna itself, everything else is just as it always was.
AmeriCymru: I have to ask....did you have any particular village in mind as a model or paradigm for Batch Magna?
Peter: Yes, well two villages, actually, Ceri, and appropriately enough, one was in England (Somerset), the other in Wales (Pembrokeshire). The interior of the Batch Magna pub, the Steamer Inn, was taken from Somerset, the shop and post office from the Pembrokeshire village.
AmeriCymru: How has your background as an ex-actor, fringe theatre director and script writer influenced your writing?
Peter: That’s an interesting question. I am all of those when writing. I write the script, while seeing the scene through the eye, as it were, of the camera, direct and act it out on paper. But it’s that first bit, the ‘seeing’, I think that is important, it’s from that which all else follows. The late Yorkshire novelist John Braine said you can break all the rules written about novel writing, and still write a good novel. But if you break the rule which says you must see the action as you write it, no matter how trivial that action might be, then your words will stay on the page, will never take on a second life in the imagination of the reader (and reading should also be creative). And when a writer hasn’t done that then I think it’s noticeable – especially in any kind of action novel.
AmeriCymru: Are all the books in the series currently available? If so where can readers go to purchase them online?
Peter: It pains me to have to past up an opportunity for a plug, but I’m afraid the answer to that must be that your readers can’t, not yet. The second book will be out sometime this year. but I can’t even give a date for that yet.
AmeriCymru: What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?
Peter: I’m reading a book I picked up the other day in a second-home book shop in Hay on Wye (where all the second hand bookshops of the country are massed, ready to make a last stand) It’s a book of essays called At Home and Abroad by one of the great travel writers, V. S. Pritchard, a writer with a marvellous ability to conjure up the essence of a place and its people. (He was also of course, in addition to his biography and literary criticism, a renowned short story writer)
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Peter Maughan? When can we expect a new episode?
Peter: Well, as I said, there are two sequels finished, which, as with Cuckoos, I’m bringing out under my own imprint of The Cluny Press, and I now have to judge what is the optimum time to release the first one.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru? .
Peter: Well, if they’ve followed my ramblings this far I’d like to thank them for that. And to thank you also, Ceri, for having me. And from me to them and you: hwyl fawr.
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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.
2006 Welsh Book of the Year winner Rhys Evans has just launched the biography of Gwynfor Evans, hailed by many as the ‘Welsh Gandhi’, at the Hay festival. The launch was chaired by newly appointed Director of Communications to Boris Johnson, Guto Harri. During the event at the Sky Movie stage Rhys was questioned on Gwynfor Evans and his vast contribution to Welsh politics.
Comparisons were made between the pressure Gordon Brown is presently under to what Gwynfor Evans suffered on numerous periods during his career. But Rhys Evans explained that Gwynfor just kept on going through thick and thin to become one of the main Welsh political figures of the 20 th century. Rhys Evans said: “For Gwynfor to be preseident of a nationalist party for 36 is unsurpassed anywhere in Europe as far as I know, except maybe for Tito in the old Yugoslavia!”
Regarding his contribution, Rhys Evans said: “Wales and Wales's position within a devolved UK would be unrecognisable were it not for the labours of Gwynfor Evans over four decades. The central argument of this book is that Gwynfor Evans should be critically regarded as one of the three Welsh architects of post-war Wales. Whilst the lives of the other two key figures, Aneurin Bevan and Lloyd George, have been dispassionately chronicled, this is the first attempt to tell the complex and often tortured story of Gwynfor Evans."
Gwynfor Evans propelled Welsh politics onto the UK stage. He was one of the rare politicians to have forced Margaret Thatcher to make a U-turn, when he threatened a hunger strike to campaign for a Welsh-language TV channel, and was the winner of one of the most famous by-elections when he became Wales’ first nationalist MP. His leadership of the Welsh resistance against the flooding of Welsh valleys gained Plaid Cymru UK-wide publicity, and he is credited with paving the way for our post-devolution UK-politics.
The 500 page hardback book, Gwynfor Evans: Portrait of a Patriot is published by Y Lolfa. The original Welsh version won Welsh Book of the Year award in 2006 and Hywel Williams in The Guardian described Rhys Evans’s “sumptuous new biography” as a “major event”. It has also been described as a “masterpiece, both comprehensive and extremely interesting” by International Politics lecture Dr Richard Wyn Jones.
Author Rhys Evans was born in Carmarthen and raised in Aberystwyth. He graduated at Hertford College, Oxford where he studied Modern History. He’s been a journalist in Cardiff for more than a decade and is currently BBC Wales’ Deputy Head of News and Current Affairs.
Wales Favourite Bad Boy Rediscovers His Welsh Roots - A Review of 'Two Dragons' by Howard Marks
By , 2010-12-03
This book opens dramatically with a description of a major cardiac incident resulting in hospitalization for the author. Thankfully the attack was survivable and we move on rapidly to a description of the rather stressful lifestyle which produced it.
For anyone who doesn''t know who he is, Howard Marks a.k.a Mr Nice a.k.a Marco Polo , born in Kenfig Hill, South Wales is one of the world''s most notorious and successful drug dealers. In a career which spanned the 1970''s and 1980''s he moved vast quantities of cannabis around the globe and became one of the most wanted international criminals in the USA. Eventually apprehended in 1988 he served seven years in the infamous Terre Haute Correctional Facility in Indiana. Upon his release Howard left dope-smuggling behind and rapidly transformed himself into a best selling author and media personality. Recently his first book ''Mr Nice'' was made into a film starring Rhys Ifans in the title role. Would be viewers in the US will have to wait as it has, as yet, no US distributor. Howard Marks is now regarded as a folk hero by many in Wales and this book finds him exploring his Welsh roots with surprising and fascinating results.
Howard Marks genealogical researches reveal that his great great grandfather was Billy the Kid''s brother. He also establishes that he is distantly related to the infamous Welsh smuggler William Owen whose previously unknown autobiography was discovered in 1982. Marks says of him that:- "...his chronicle of scams, acquittals and debauchery would put any modern day smuggler or playboy to shame." Additionally there is a Chicago mob connection. We learn that Howard is related to Willie Bevan Marks. At one point in the book his aunt Afon Wen informs him that:- "...., your great-grandfather Dafydd''s brother, became a notorious Chicago gangster, He was Bugs Moran''s first lieutenant. I wasn''t a bit surprised when you became a famous smuggler. Not a bit"
The book has its more serious and reflective moments. Recalling a subsequently cancelled BBC project to produce a biopic based on his life the author observes that:- "...opinions vary when people consider whether criminals should benefit indirectly from their offensive behaviour." He goes on to point out that:- "I am still making money writing and talking about my past criminal adventures, and I am having a wonderful time." Wherever one stands on this issue I believe that Mr Marks deserves kudos for having raised it and for demonstrating an acute awareness of the moral dilemma which his post incarceration activities pose for many people.
The title ''Two Dragons'' reflects the books true theme. The contrast between the Wales that Howard Marks hated as a child and couldn''t wait to get away from and the modern Wales which he has returned to. Overall he takes an optimistic view:- "But now, the country is alive. One giant cauldron of musical talent, mysticism and enthusiasm" This view is balanced by a rather stoical, if defiant, observation made elsewhere in the book:-"No doubt the bad times will come again. But we are aware of that and we know ourselves. A few centuries of English force-feeding isn''t going to change anything as going through slavery and imprisonment is an integral part of growing up."
In the final chapter we find Howard Marks returning to his former globe-trotting ways. But no longer to facilitate megaton shipments of cannabis. This time he is visiting the former haunts of his boyhood hero Henry Morgan, former buccaneer and Governor of Jamaica. The account of his visit to Henry''s final home in Llanrumney, Jamaica is a delight to read . In particular it is fascinating to reflect that a labyrinthine series of caves underneath the site may contain vestiges of Captain Morgan''s fabled treasure. Howard is pictured at the site standing next to a large stone inscription which reads simply - ''Cartref'' ( home ).
All in all there is so much in this book, and so many further fruitful avenues to explore, that anyone with a love of Welsh history would be foolish to deny themselves the pleasure of reading it. There can be no hesitation in giving the book a five star rating and recommending it as the perfect christmas gift for anyone with a taste for lovable ( and not so lovable ) Welsh rogues.
Howard Marks discovers his roots and embraces Wales and Welsh culture in new book
Immortalised for his criminal activities, Howard Marks public life story is a heady mix of fact and fiction that begins and ends with his career as one of the most sophisticated drug barons of all times.In his new book Two Dragons , Howard Marks pulls together, for the first time, the stories from his life that show the private quest he embarked upon following a chance conversation with a black American in prison for murder. It's an account of a personal journey that took him back to his Welsh roots and around the globe to discover his family history, including links with none other than the equally notorious outlaw, Billy the Kid, as well as an account of the making of the film Mr Nice and the role of the film in the wider Two Dragons story.
This warm, humorous and personal account uncovers a family history that is stranger than fiction. He learns of a distant relative, William Owen, a famous Welsh smuggler whose chronicle of scams, acquittals, and debauchery would put any modern-day smuggler or playboy to shame. He also discovers that his fathers family were part of Jesse Jamess gang and that his great- great grandfather was half-brother of Billy the Kid.
Howard Marks speaks of two Wales' in his experience, one he couldn't wait to get as far away from as possible and the other he is now warmly embracing once again. Throughout his journey into his past, and from one Wales into the other, Howard Marks makes new and firm friends with some of Wales biggest names in the acting and music industry including Rhys Ifans, Super Furry Animals and the Stereophonics. His search leads him to a past and present inextricably linked to his sense of identity and nationality and ultimately pride in being Welsh. In Two Dragons, we once again get to enjoy some of the well known stories associated with Howard over the years, as well as plenty of brand new ones, and all in a new, fascinating context.
Another chance conversation, this time in a pub in Laugharne, led to Howard collaborating with author Alun Gibbard in putting the story of his quest together. Two Dragons also includes new photographs especially commissioned for the book by photographer Emyr Young. The images include a literary festival in Caernarfon, a Goldie Looking Chain golf event, the Welsh Premiere of the film Mr Nice, and portraits taken of Howard in his home village of Kenfig Hill. It also includes photographs that Howard took when he visited the set of Mr Nice during filming, as well as his visits to South America and the Caribbean.
Two Dragons will be launched at the Grant Theatre, Swansea during An Evening with Mr Nice 7.30, Sunday 28th November. To contact Howard Marks call Alun Gibbard on 07747 694 643 or email agibbard@btinternet.com.
Life in the Coal House reminds us of those pleasant and not so pleasant experiences and contains the family’s personal photographs. The experience certainly changed the family’s way of thinking. Debra comments, “I look at things differently now… having lived in circumstances where I know that, if the fire went out, there would be no food for the family, well, that does change your outlook on all sorts of things. I really appreciate thinks now that I used to take for granted.”
Cerdin adds, “I’m extremely proud of the way that my family coped with their various experiences in the Coal House… the children went through massive changes, like speaking another language as well as adapting to a whole new way of living, and they did all this without complaining or protesting too much.”
Life in the Coal House may make interesting reading for the Snowdonia house incumbents. Life in the Coal House retails at £3.95 and is published by Y Lolfa in October 2010.
Set in the early eighties, shortly after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and now published in the wake of the Israeli massacre in Gaza, it likely to prove controversial as the author is a committed Zionist.
However Judith Maro, the author, who now lives in Mumbles, Swansea, insists she disagrees strongly with present Israeli policies, as do many other Jewish intellectuals.
Author Judith Maro said: “I do hope the novel will also stimulate discussion about some difficult political issues which are relevant to Israel, Lebanon and Gaza today.”
Judith was brought up in Jerusalem and after graduating at the university there, joined the Zionist paramilitary Haganah organization. She met her future husband, Welsh sculptor Jonah Jones, at a British Army education centre in Palestine. She has lived for long periods in North Wales and Cardiff before settling with her family in Swansea.
She has written four novels in both English and Welsh and various essays and reviews and a memoir. She is fluent in both Hebrew and Arabic.
Cafodd Judith Maro ei magi yn Jerusalem. Priododd y cerflunydd Jonah Jones, ac wedi byw mewn sawl ardal o Gymru, mae bellach wedi setlo yn y Mwmbwls ger Abertawe. Er ei bod yn Iddewes, mae hi fel nifer o feddylwyr Iddewig eraill, yn anghytuno a pholisïau presennol llywodraeth Israel. Mae’n gobeithio y bydd The Stoat yn annog trafodaeth am faterion gwleidyddol sy’n berthnasol i Israel, Libanus, Gaza a Chymru heddiw.
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It is in the variety of roles he has played – both on and off the stage – which makes his life such an interesting story. He has (amongst many other things) been heavily involved in charity work, played football with Emlyn Hughes, interviewed Tony Blair and played a wind-up on Alastair Campbell, put on children’s entertainment at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster, helped with a late-night soup run on the toughest streets of Glasgow, preached sermons, sung with Bonnie Tyler, and entertained the crowd at half-time during matches at Wembley Stadium.
Johns is very generous with amusing anecdotes and experiences which have affected him deeply. He is not afraid to reveal his insecurities or emotions, making this a very personal look at what makes him tick. The result, even for those who may be unaware of Johns before reading the book, is the feeling that one knows him personally by the end – or would like to get to know him better.
Kevin Johns was born in Swansea in 1961. He went to Dynevor Secondary School and two Bible colleges. He presents the radio shows Sunday Hotline and Heart and Soul for Swansea Sound. He has made many theatre and television appearances, becoming one of Wales’ best-known entertainers. Johns will again be performing in pantomime this year, with Su Pollard and Chris Jarvis at Swansea’s Grand Theatre. Cinderella will run from 17 December 2008 to 18 January 2009. He will attend book signings during the run.
Oh Yes It Is…Kevin Johns! by Kevin Johns and Peter Read, will be published by Y Lolfa on 23 October. The book will be launched on the same date at the Grand Theatre, Swansea at 7.15 pm.
REVIEWS OF GERALD MORGAN TITLES
''A well-organised, articulate and stimulating work... beautifully illustrated'' – Richard Moore-Colyer on Ceredigion: A Wealth of History.
''A splendid study, balanced, sensitive and nicely setting local events and trends within the wider Welsh and British context.'' David W. Howell on Nanteos – A Welsh House and Its Families.
'Wingspan' - A Review
The two characters (father and son) who dominate this narrative are from profoundly dissimilar backgrounds and lead acutely contrasting lives.
The father, an ace US Air Force commander in WWII, describes his excitement as his formation emerges from cloud cover after another successful bombing mission over wartime Germany:-
We emerge number one in the high squadron, coming to the surface as if from dark water, and then we see the others breaking through, their tailfins first, large dull fish suddenly plated gold by the sun. Someone says "Wow!" on the interphone, "would you look at that!" Not many people get to see such wonder. Thirty-six forts in formation moving gently in the currents.
The son, a mild mannered headmaster at a rural English school, relishes the feeling of comfort and security he experiences viewing factory lights from a passing train:-
Industrial units, so often a feature of derelict ground near stations these days, have dull amber lights over their back doors. I feel well off, suddenly: if I were out there I''d be confronted with something that might threaten my mortality. I''m thinking motiveless murder. All from a light above a door. I used to look out of my bedroom as a child and watch the rain lashing past the amber street light. It''s a similar feeling. I''m safe.
The action takes place in England, Wales and America and the story unfolds in episodes from the war period and the present day. The plot details are skifully interwoven and as layer upon layer of the unfolding drama is revealed we become engrossed in the son''s ongoing quest to connect with the ''ghost'' of his dead father. In deciding to pursue this quest, he embarks upon a voyage of self discovery which ultimately transforms his life and circumstances.
Readers of Jeremy''s first novel ''Dovetail'' may be surprised by the contrast in thematic material and content but this only demonstrates his extreme versatility as a writer. What both novels have in common is that they are beautifully crafted and a delight to read. A former ''Book of the Day'' selection on the Welsh American Bookstore, this title comes highly recommended.
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An Interview With Jeremy Hughes
AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh author Jeremy Hughes about his latest novel ''Wingspan" - "Jeremy Hughes was born in Crickhowell, south Wales. He was awarded first prize in the Poetry Wales competition and his poetry was short-listed for an Eric Gregory Award. He has published two pamphlets - Breathing For All My Birds (2000) and The Woman Opposite (2004) - and has published poetry, short fiction, memoir and reviews widely in British and American magazines,. His first novel Dovetail was published in 2011."
AmeriCymru: Hi Jeremy and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. How would you describe your new novel ''Wingspan''?
Jeremy: Wingspan is the story of a WWll American bomber pilot who has always believed he can fly and who crashes when returning from a mission, leaving behind a wife and baby son. The first half of the book explores his world. The second half of the book is set fifty years later with the son searching for the father he never knew.
AmeriCymru: What does the novel have to say about the importance of understanding and re connecting with our past?
Jeremy: The past is integral to our lives. The novel explores the relationship between familial generations and their historical significance. The global is always played out in the domestic.
AmeriCymru: The experience of wartime flying is superbly evoked in the book. How did you research this topic?
Jeremy: Even though the book is relatively short, it contains a great deal of research. This includes finding out about the training of pilots, hunting out documentaries, feature films, visiting the American war cemetery at Madingley, Cambridge, visiting airfields and crash sites, as well as the Imperial War Museum, Duxford where they have a Stearman and Flying Fortress in the collection. All of these contributed to the book in some way. A great deal of research is always left out.
AmeriCymru: A number of American and British planes crashed in the Welsh mountains during World War II. What attracted you to this theme or setting?
Jeremy: I discovered a pamphlet in the mid-1990s which plots the locations and stories of the aeroplanes which have crashed in the area. I was very moved by the story of “Ascend Charlie”, a Flying Fortress which crashed when returning from a mission. Its crew of ten perished and were buried at Madingley. I couldn’t stop wondering about each of these men and their individual lives: who they were in civilian life, what had been their hopes and ambitions, who they had left behind. This is what set me off. I’d been thinking about it for years.
Tim is emasculated by a gang of bullies at the age of fifteen and devotes his life to revenge. He plans to build a machine that will kill each member of the gang one by one. Each death must be aesthetically beautiful, and so Tim apprentices himself to a brilliant craftsman to acquire the skills he needs. Then he begins to practice the perfect murder. A psychological thriller set in Spain and south east Wales, focused on obsession and the far-reaching evils of perfectionism.
AmeriCymru: Your first novel ''Dovetail'' was also set in the Welsh hills. Care to describe it for us?
Jeremy: Reviewers described ‘Dovetail’ as a psychological thriller and as literary horror. For me it is quite simply a revenge story. The protagonist devotes his life to putting right the wrong perpetrated upon him by a gang of boys when he was fifteen. He apprentices himself to a brilliant craftsman in order to acquire the skills he perceives he needs to build a killing machine out of fine timbers. He is obsessed with perfection. The moment at which the machine is perfect is when it kills beautifully. The book interrogates the notions of aesthetic beauty and moral imperfection, as the protagonist busies himself with a love of birds, craftsmanship and the story of Saint Sebastian with whom he identifies.
AmeriCymru: In addition to writing novels you are also a published poet. Care to tell us more? Where can readers go to buy your poetry online?
Jeremy: Before I wrote ‘Dovetail’ my whole world view was poetic. I interpreted what was around me in terms of poetry constantly. I published the first poems I wrote as an undergraduate. I was shortlisted for an Eric Gregory Award and was awarded first prize in the Poetry Wales competition. I had a great deal of magazine publication. I published two pamphlets: breathing for all my birds and The Woman Opposite . I read enormous amounts of poetry and built up a great library. Then it all stopped when I entered the world of fiction.
I had wanted to be a novelist when I first started writing but didn’t know how to achieve this, so turned to poetry because I thought it was ‘achievable’: poems were short and I could complete one in a reasonable amount of time. I haven’t written a poem for several years but without the experience of crafting poems I would not be the kind of prose writer I have become. Baudelaire said, “Be a poet even in prose,” or something like that…
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Jeremy Hughes? Are you working on a new book at the moment?
Jeremy: I am working on a crime novel set in Abergavenny and Madrid. The book’s central idea is related to identity. The criminal is a portrait painter. The police officer returns to the small town of his upbringing with the skills and years of experience he acquired as a detective in the Met. People disappear and artistic clues are left behind. The criminal and the officer share an event in the past which causes these disappearances.
I carried out research at the Prado and Reina Sophia in Madrid, the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, the fine gallery in Céret, southern France and the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Jeremy: I am so pleased to be able to connect with readers around the world. I love writing about the place of Wales within a global context, however modestly. I hope that American readers enjoy the books I make as much as I enjoy creating them.
All best wishes from Abergavenny,
Jeremy Hughes
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About the Author
Jeremy Hughes was born in Crickhowell, south Wales. He was awarded first prize in the Poetry Wales competition and his poetry was short-listed for an Eric Gregory Award. He has published two pamphlets - Breathing For All My Birds (2000) and The Woman Opposite (2004) - and has published poetry, short fiction, memoir and reviews widely in British and American magazines,. His first novel Dovetail was published in 2011. He studied for the Master''s in creative writing at the University of Oxford. He now teaches Creative Writing at Oxford and the University of Wales, Newport, as well as literature for Aberystwyth. He is married with a daughter and a son.
Product Details'Dovetail' - A Review
The unbalanced state of Tim''s mind is explored with cold, clinical precision as he apprentices himself to his Spanish mentor and perfects his skills with devoted and obsessive diligence. The love interest is provided by Elena, his childhood sweat heart but to dwell on that would be to give away too much of the plot. .
Practical woodworking tips abound as this macabre tale unfolds accentuating the obsessive nature of Tim''s mission and perhaps providing a useful supplementary primer for students of the craft. A mysterious, imaginary character called ''The Conductor'' also makes frequent appearances. His conflicted relationship with Tim is related in the form of an ongoing interior dialogue fraught with ominous overtones. ''The Conductor'' is based upon a character in a 1946 movie called ''A Matter of Life And Death'' starring David Niven.
Interview With Author - Jeremy Hughes
AmeriCymru: Hi Jeremy and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. I have seen Dovetail described in the following terms:- "American Psycho meets The Wasp Factory". Care to comment? Does it have anything in common with these two titles?
Jeremy: The voices in American Psycho and The Wasp Factory are both thrilling to me. The protagonist of American Psycho describes his actions and beliefs with conviction and ‘normality’, though his evaluation of situations and events is completely warped when judged against what is conventionally acceptable. The Wasp Factory is a master class in keeping the reader interested. I hope I’ve managed to capture something from both of these books.
AmeriCymru: Revenge and obsession. Would you agree that these are the twin themes of ''Dovetail''?
Jeremy: These might be regarded as main themes, but there is also striving for great art and the exploration of personal identity. Love and death are clearly important, too, as well as the tensions between binary opposites throughout.
AmeriCymru There is an enormous amount of detail concerning the art and craft of woodworking in the book. How did you go about researching this?
Jeremy: I trained as a carpenter/joiner before I went off to university, so most of the research was what I already knew. Craftsmen have a particular and almost ineffable relationship with their tools.
AmeriCymru: You reference the David Niven film ''A Matter of Life and Death'' a number of times in ''Dovetail''. Care to tell us a little about its significance?
Jeremy: I first saw the film as a child and was completely enamoured with the fantastic nature of the story i.e. that a man fails to go to heaven at his allotted time, and the normality of Niven’s character being able to see heaven’s Conductor 73. The significance of the film within the book ultimately lies with the reader.
AmeriCymru: Given the intensely ornate and detailed nature of the infernal apparatus with which Tim despatches his victims were you tempted to include graphics in the book, diagrams etc ?
Jeremy: The killing machine is better left to the reader''s imagination, but I did sketch details for my benefit when I was working out the book.
AmeriCymru: Can you reassure our readers that there are currently no mass murderers on the loose in the vicinity of Twmbarlwm?
Jeremy: The last time I was there, no, but now...
AmeriCymru Who are you currently reading? Any recommendations?
Jeremy: Over the last twelve months...
Fine Memoirs:
Andrew Motion’s In the Blood
Bill Bryson’s The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid
Diana Athill’s Somewhere Towards the End
And one especially for Welsh expats: Byron Rogers’s fabulous Three Journeys. He also wrote the very good biography of R. S. Thomas, The Man Who Went into the West.
Many war books, including Karl Marlantes’s novel Matterhorn (Vietnam), Sebastian Junger’s reportage War (Afghanistan), and Patrick Hennessey’s memoir The Junior Officers’ Reading Club: Killing Time and Fighting Wars. Adam Thorpe’s novel The Rules of Perspective(WWll) is wonderful: humane, perceptive, writerly and surprising. Pat Barker’s superb novel Regeneration (WWl). I found Michael Ondaatje’s novel The English Patient (WWll) deeply satisfying.
Other novels:
Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections
Paul Harding’s Tinkers
Don DeLillo’s Point Omega.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Jeremy Hughes? Any new work currently in progress?
Jeremy: My second novel, provisionally titled Tender Green, is very different, set in America, England and Wales. The first half of the book concerns the pilot of a USAAF Flying Fortress who is stationed in Suffolk, England during 1943. He marries a woman from the nearby town and is lost when returning from a mission his aircraft crashes in Wales. It’s a mystery, since the bodies of the crew are recovered, but not the pilot’s.
The marriage produces a son who is not permitted to know about his father, because the mother is so grief-stricken. When the mother dies and the son turns fifty, he sets out to find the place where his father crashed. He unearths much more than he expected about his father and mother, as well as himself.
I am about half-way through the first draft of novel three, Paint, a crime novel set in Wales, Madrid and Barcelona. I’ve had a wonderful time doing the research, visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, as well as the Reina Sofia and Prado in Madrid.
AmeriCymru: Where can our readers go to find your other published works?
Jeremy: I have published two pamphlets of poetry, breathing for all my birds, which is no longer in print, and The Woman Opposite, which is. Unfortunately, I haven’t written any poetry for several years since concentrating on fiction.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Jeremy: I am delighted that there is an audience for Welsh writers in the US.
I have been meaning to visit New York for some time (yes, I realise that’s not representative of America!), to visit the fine museums and galleries. There are so many paintings I’d like to see. But all sorts of things have conspired to prevent me. One day.
I hope AmeriCymru readers enjoy Dovetail.
With all best wishes,
Jeremy Hughes
Book Details
Dovetail
Tim is emasculated by a gang of bullies at the age of fifteen and devotes his life to revenge. He plans to build a machine that will kill each member of the gang one by one.
Written by: Jeremy Hughes
Published by: Alcemi
Date published: 2011-09-11
ISBN: 0956012531
Available in Paperback
Jan Fortune-Wood is a Welsh author and publisher. She has published four novels and is the proprietor of one of Wales' most innovative and dynamic independent publishing houses. AmeriCymru spoke to Jan about her writing and her future plans for Cinnamon Press.
AmeriCymru: You are both an author and a publisher - which came first and did one lead to the other?
Jan: Ive written all my life. My creative writing took a back seat for a long time while I was home educating my children and working (I was a Church of England minister), but I did write books on home education and alternative parenting during this time. About ten years ago i was seriously ill and we moved to North Wales. When I was beginning to recover I went back to writing poetry and had an offer from a small press to publish my first collection. A bit later I did an MA (masters degree) in novel writing and the same publisher took my first novel. By this time Id began to dabble with publishing via a small press poetry magazine and I was also realising that in my MA I particularly had editing skills that I could use so Cinnamon Press was born.
AmeriCymru: Your novel 'Standing Ground' is set in a future time dominated by the despotic E-Government. But it is replete with references to mythical Arthurian characters. Can you tell us a little more about the book?
Jan: Ive written four novels and The Standing Ground was far and away the most fun to write. It was aimed at older teenagers, but seems popular with adults too. The ideas came when home education in the UK was under attack from government moves to dictate more of the content of education at home and have more invasive policies into family life. At the time there were also wider moves to introduce ID cards for everyone which my older children were involved in opposing.
The Standing Ground imagines a not too distant future in which the benefits of technology are magnified, at least for the affluent, but the price of this is an all pervasive controlling government that no longer trusts parents to raise their own children, but instead removes them to pods attached to schools with minimal parental contact and a restricted curriculum, no history or philosophy, for example). One of the main characters is Luke, a fifteen year old who is pushing against the system, partly because he senses that his own father is different and not so tied into the system. Nazir, Lukes father, is a famous artist, but also seems to have privileges that Luke cant quite understand. Despite this connection Lukes freedom is threatened when he begins to ask too many questions and it seems likely that he will be sent to a draconian correctional facility to be made to conform.
Online Luke has met the other main character of the book, Alys. She claims to live outside of E-Government in a corner of Wales (present day Gwynedd) that has resisted and maintained a small population of free people. Luke has no idea if Alys is real or just an online fiction to trap him, but he has decide whether to take drastic action to try to reach Alys in The Standing Ground.
Alyss family have their own problems within The Standing Ground there is a fierce debate as to whether this fragile free area should use their resources to try to communicate with the wider population and break the control of E-Government (Alys and her mysterious maths mentor, Emrys Hughes, have their own project to break government encryptions) or whether they should use the European parliament to gain recognition as an independent state, giving them more security.
Ive always been fascinated by mythology and the archetypes it gives to stories. The Arthurian legends speak of Arthur returning at dark times to bring freedom and living in North Wales. The landscape is steeped in the legends of the Mabinogi, including the stories of Artur (or King Arthur). So in this story the characters slowly emerge as modern representations of those archetypes and their power of maths and technology also contains older powers that converge to stand against the darkness.
AmeriCymru: What are your future writing plans?
Jan: I have a new novel out this month, Coming Home a novel about a man who abandons one family only to later abandon another, returning to Wales to try to pick up his life and written from the perspective of himself and the women in his life.
Im currently working on two new books. The first is a poetry collection centred on a village in the mountains above my home called Cwmorthin. It was once a large slate mine with barracks and houses and chapel and mine workings, a harsh industrial place known as the slaughterhouse because of the high death rate of the miners working there, but also a thriving community with cabans in which the men met daily to discuss politics, religion, philosophy and to sing. Now it is a place of picturesque ruins and utter tranquillity, but the culture has gone. Im examining the emotional landscape of the place through natural landscape and architectural ruins in poetry sequences.
The second is a novel that deals with issues of transformation, centred on three characters who undergo major life changes in traumatic circumstances and whose stories interweave. Its set in England, Wales and Zimbabwe and covers periods from the Zimbabwean bush wars to the present day. Its involved lots of research and lots of getting to know the characters, but Im hoping the writing will come together over the next year and then the editing can begin.
AmeriCymru: When was Cinnamon Press founded and what tempted you into the publishing business?
Jan: Cinnamon Press was five years old in 2010 so were still relatively young. I was looking for a new direction after major illness and life change (I had a series of severe work place assaults in my parish work) and started a magazine to keep my brain ticking over. Then, doing the MA, I realised I had a knack for editing so Cinnamon began as a very small scale tentative project, but the success of early books helped it to snowball. We are still very much a small press and run on a shoestring with a lot of voluntary input, but the books have gone from strength to strength.
AmeriCymru: What does Cinnamon Press look for in a work for publication or an author?
Jan: Our tag line is independent, innovative, international Were really looking for distinctive voices whether in poetry or prose books that have something to say and say it with skill. We put a lot of care into editing, but we dont have the resources to take on books that are really not ready to be published so authors need to be sure the book is of high quality before they submit. In simple terms we want good writing that engages us.
AmeriCymru: In addition to publishing, Cinnamon Press provides a range of services and competitions for aspiring and established writers. Care to tell us a little more about this aspect of your work?
Jan: Its often hard to get started in writing and small presses can be good places to get that first platform. The competitions run twice a year. The novella/novel competition and the poetry collection competition are for first time authors in those genres from anywhere in the world. The competition leads to a full publishing contract for a first collection or first novel/novella and the books that have been published in this way have done very well, including being short listed for some prestigious literary prizes. The short story competition is open to any story writers and the winning story appears in an anthology named after the story along with the best runners up from the story and poetry competitions. Weve also gone on to take single author collections from two of the authors whove done well in the story competitions.
We offer other services to help writers, both beginners and more experienced writers. These include several writing courses that run through the year and a mentoring service that I run with two other Cinnamon Press writers.
AmeriCymru: Cinnamon Press also publishes Envoi magazine, can you tell our readers about that?
Jan: Envoi is the oldest poetry magazine in the UK, now in its 54th year. Its a large format, perfect bound magazine with a good range of poetry from new and established poets, reviews, articles and features such as guest poets or poetry in translation. Envoi receives an enormous amount of submissions so its very competitive to get into, but this means that the quality stays high.
AmeriCymru: Where can people buy Cinnamon Press titles online?
Jan: We have a dedicated website at www.cinnamonpress.com with all of our books available and postage rates for international customers set up there. Books are also available at www.inpressbooks.co.uk an Arts Council site promoting small press books and at the Welsh Books Council site, www.gwales.com The books are on Amazon in the UK and the Book Depository in the UK, but our own site or Gwales or Inpress are the recommended ones.
AmeriCymru: How do you see Cinnamon Press developing over the next few years?
Jan: We started with poetry collections and then added full length fiction. Over the last couple of years weve published some unique and exciting nonfiction of cross genre titles and we will be continuing to develop this area of publishing. Weve also just published our first single author short story collection and will be developing this genre further. Another new area in 2010 was a book combining poetry and imagery I Spy Pinhole Eye by Philip Gross and Simon Denison won the Wales Book of the Year award and this year we have our second imagery and poetry collaboration, a very exciting book that looks at issues of ecology, Where the Air is Rarefied by Pat Gregory and Susan Richardson. With such wonderful books my main development aim is to get the books out into more arenas these books really deserve to be read.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Jan: Welsh publishing generally exists on tiny budgets and our readers really matter. Do support the books in any way you can and if youd like to be added to our monthly mailing list with news of new books and offers send me an email jan@cinnamonpress.com
Thank you for reading and all the best for 2011.
"Novelist, poet, photographer, essayist and short story writer, Jo Mazelis was born in the middle of a summer storm on the edge of the Gower Peninsula. She grew up in Swansea, later living in Aberystwyth and London for over 14 years before returning to her hometown.
She has won a prize in the Rhys Davies Short story award five times, was longlisted for the Asham Award and her first collection of short stories Diving Girls was shortlisted for both Wales Book of the Year and Commonwealth Best First Book. Her work has appeared in New Welsh Review, Spare Rib, Poetry Wales, Raconteur, Cambrensis, Nth Position, the Big Issue, Corridor, The Ottawa Citizen, Everywoman, Tears in the Fence and Lampeter Review amongst others. Several of her stories have also been broadcast on BBC Radio 4."... Read more here
AmeriCymru spoke to Jo about her writing and her new novel Significance
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Jo has also contributed a short story, 'Mechanics' for the forthcoming edition of eto. For an excerpt click here
Jo Mazelis: It’s hard to explain in a nutshell – on the surface it seems to be a book about crime and its detection, but it isn’t - not in the traditional sense. The title ‘Significance’ draws attention to the way a reader looks for and finds significance in plot and character which is how all novels function. When there is a crime involved in a story these signs or clues seem to point to a solution and thus narrative resolution. In the real world when a crime has happened, especially a serious crime like murder, those closest to it begin to review past events differently, they restructure their thinking, their plans, their judgement of other people and their surroundings, and crucially even when the culprit is caught people remain haunted and altered by the crime.
I began writing ‘Significance’ in 2007 at a very unhappy moment in my life and I think that is why the book is so much about running away and escape – escape from external factors but also from the self. At times I had to imagine I was an entirely different person when I was writing it; a more confident person who was not afflicted by the self doubt and self hate and depression I was suffering.
I think if the book had to be categorised it would be a novel of ideas rather than thriller or detective genre. I spend a lot of time explaining what it is not and as I said find it difficult to summarise what it actually is. My aim was however to produce a work which could be read at different levels and lent itself to multiple interpretations – sometimes I had in mind a giant riddle or perhaps a maze, but what the answer to the riddle is I prefer not to say. In a similar way I very much wanted the narrative to be open ended. Not so that I could write a sequel (though at times that crossed my mind) but because I wanted readers to make up their own minds about it.
AmeriCymru: When did you decide to start writing and why have you concentrated on short stories until now?
I think there is a lot of confusion around short stories currently; people try to read them by ploughing on through a collection as if it were a novel. Each story needs to be read and savoured, then reflected on. Of course this demands a certain level of engagement on the part of the reader – or rather a different sort of relationship than a reader has with a novel. Further confusion seems to exist around word length – how short or how long should a story be?
Sadly in the UK there are few (if any) general interest magazines that regularly publish short stories – no equivalent to The New Yorker for example. I think it’s such a pity that newspapers like The Guardian or The Times don’t have regular short stories, not only from the point of view of opportunities for writers but as a means of familiarising ordinary readers with the form.
It struck me a few years ago that while Britain is meant to be the country of long tradition (to the point of rigid stodginess) while the US is that of innovation (think of that clichéd image of flashy newness) it is in the US where you find that a magazine like the New Yorker sticks to its menu of quality fiction and brilliant journalism on a wide range of topics from politics to science to culture. The New Yorker you might say – knows what it is – and doesn’t attempt to change itself somewhat hysterically every couple of years.
Despite the gloomy prospects it was a combination of a love affair with short stories and a lack of time that kept me glued to the form. Annie Proulx followed a similar pattern; publishing short stories in magazines for at least ten years before her book Heart Songs came out.
When my first collection of short stories Diving Girls was well received, being shortlisted for both Commonwealth Best First Book and Welsh Book of the Year, I discovered that what was expected of me next was a novel. This was perplexing as I had spent years working on the short story form with its particular demands of speedy elegance and brevity, and I felt I’d proved myself to some extent. But no, the attitude seemed to be that short stories were a lower form, done only as exercises in the run up to the real event, the novel. A case in point followed the untimely death of Raymond Carver, when some critics bemoaned the fact he hadn’t quite got around to writing that novel and therefore his true status was open to debate.
It’s no coincidence that the great age of the novel was the nineteenth century and that many of its most notable authors had swathes of time on their hands and few distractions. But for me, in the period after Diving Girls I was still a single parent, still working almost full time, still broke. I tried to write a novel but failed, and instead brought out a second collection of stories Circle Games. For some reason this book sunk without a trace and I, as its captain went down with it.
I began Significance in 2007 and had a first draft completed by 2010 or thereabouts. After the book had been rejected by the London publishers I had got to the point where I was planning on self-publishing, merely to have a few copies to distribute amongst friends, when someone suggested I approach Seren and thankfully they took the book.
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about your two published anthologies, ''Diving Girls'' and ''Circle Games''?
It was another fourteen years before my first book was published. When I look back at my writing career I think anyone with an ounce of sense would have given up long ago. I suppose every so often something or someone along the way reaffirmed the idea that I had some talent to go along with my staying power.
Recently on a short story forum someone asked if a collection should have a theme or not? It struck me then that a lot of new writers especially those doing creative writing degrees were constructing collections of short stories in a far more formal way than I ever did. My stories came one at a time, each changing according to what was happening in my life at that moment; what I was reading, or remembering or experiencing.
For example Too Perfect was informed by several sources; a news story about supposedly documentary photographs of lovers embracing on the streets of Paris. Someone had come forward to claim that the images had been posed by models. As documentary photographs get much of their power from the idea that they represent truth this was shocking. A year or so before I learned that a woman student at college with me was having an affair with one of our lecturers and then I read The Morning After: Sex, Fear, and Feminism by Katie Roiphe. I think I also saw David Mamet’s play Oleanna about this time. So essentially all these informed my story, in particular the questionable view that a photograph represents a moment of truth and secondly the idea that a woman (if she is over 21) does not act under her own volition. I wanted to make the man and woman in the story equally culpable, equally reckless, equally regretful afterwards. This description makes that story sound like a dull thing built purely on theory, but when I created it I was hardly aware of everything I’ve just described. It was only with hindsight that I was able to see the subconscious mechanism behind the creative process.
Too Perfect as a phrase is tautological and I used it for that reason - calling attention to a thing which cannot in reality exist. The story is about surfaces; how people judge things by their appearance only, so this motif recurs more than once in the story and is at its heart.
AmeriCymru: Is there any one of your stories that you are particularly proud of or that you would like to especially recommend?
Jo Mazelis: I think I am always most enamoured by whatever the last thing I produced was – maybe because new work makes me feel more alive and active and hopeful. I was recently commissioned to create a story that reinterprets a classic Welsh story by Arthur Machen and it was such a pleasure to write that it is still buzzing about in my head. Buzzing so loudly that I wonder if I shouldn’t try to develop it further and create a novella.
There isn’t a lot of my work available online but I have a story called Atlantic Exchange which can be found in The Lampeter Review. It’s a magic realist story about Dylan Thomas and Sylvia Plath meeting in New York and is quite different from much of my other work. Also online is a non-fiction piece called Haunted Landscape available in Wales Arts Review’s nature issue.
AmeriCymru: I''d like to ask you about your writing process. Do you have some kind of creative routine or do you write as and when inspiration occurs?
Jo Mazelis: You can’t sit around waiting for inspiration; you have to actively summon it. Sometimes that means writing even when it feels flat and mostly worthless, but doing this means that you acquire the habit of writing. I always use a pen and notebook in the first instance as this seems to allow me to find a sort of natural flow. My words are somehow more tangible on paper and rather childishly I like to look back on page after page of my handwritten text. Strangely I’ve noticed how my handwriting improves when things are going well and deteriorates when I’m struggling.
AmeriCymru: Are there any writers that you draw inspiration from or especially admire?
Jo Mazelis: There are so many it’s hard to know where to begin. Lately I haven’t been reading so much fiction, but among non-fiction I love Joan Didion. I first read her in the seventies and more lately she’s produced two powerful memoirs, The Year of Magical Thinking and Blue Nights. I loved Graham Swift’s 1983 novel Waterland and Ian McEwan’s collection of stories First Love, Last Rites. After reading Jane Eyre when fairly young, Wuthering Heights just left me reeling with its claustrophobic weirdness. I read everything by Richard Brautigan from In Watermelon Sugar to Sombrero Fallout to So the Wind Won’t Blow it All Away. Everything by Edna O’Brien too. I adored Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies, in particular the story A Temporary Matter.
A huge influence on me when I was young were the stories of Hans Christian Anderson and also an unexpurgated copy of the Brothers Grimm that I found in my grandmother’s house – in these books little girls get their feet cut off or freeze to death and false princesses are put in barrels filled with spikes, princes are blinded by thorns and wander through the world helpless, children are abandoned in the forest and cloaks are woven from stinging nettles. These stories still take my breath away.
AmeriCymru: What are you working on at the moment?
Jo Mazelis: I’m hoping to bring out a third collection of stories – these will be a mixture of stories that have been published in magazines and unpublished work new and old. Because there is an excess of material – I’ve got around 125 stories of which 36 appear in my first and second books leaving around 90 potential stories. I just don’t know how to decide which to choose. Some form parts of my attempts to create linked stories for example there are several stories set around the early 20th Century in an invented village called Cwm Bach, another group are set in 1969 in a large Welsh comprehensive school. Other stories might be linked because they are ghostly or gothic or dystopian.
I think the most important thing for me now is to complete a second novel. I’ve got several in different stages of development and they are all very different from each other and different from Significance. As with the period when I was writing Significance I may have to stop writing any new short stories or anything else at all and immerse myself totally in the new novel, but what that book will be is very uncertain at present.
AmeriCymru: Hi Evonne and croeso i AmeriCymru. If I may quote you:- "...walking on the beach to the sound of the waves and the gulls....and plotting murder." Could you tell us a little more about your creative process? Which part of the Welsh coast do you most favour or frequent
Evonne: For me, producing a book is as much about the thinking process as it is about writing. At least, that is my excuse for staring into space, sitting in the garden, walking on the beach … There is quite a long gestation period before I begin drafting, when I test out ideas, do research, collect background material and absorb atmosphere. Once the book is begun there are always points where it ties itself into knots, or where your characters run off and do something that you did not expect, leaving you to deal with the mess! Then you need some space, to sort it out. I was born and brought up by the sea, in Barry, although I spent a long time living in London, so for me the word “walk” always means “beach”. I now live about ten minutes from the Barry Island section of the Wales Coastal Path and my feet go towards the sea automatically. I also have very good memories of childhood holidays in Pembrokeshire. In that case it was beaches and castles.
AmeriCymru: How would you describe your work? "Romantic fiction with a dark edge"?
Evonne: I write romantic thrillers – what are known in the States as romantic suspense. There is always a strong love story and I adhere firmly to the principle of a happy ending, although it is not achieved without a struggle, and some characters do not make it to the end of the book. I blame the thriller elements of my work on my addiction to the theatre, especially early exposure to Shakespeare and the Jacobean dramatists, as in those plays betrayal, murder and mayhem are always mixed with love, beauty and poetry.
Evonne: Out of Sight, Out of Mind is a paranormal romantic suspense, with a hero and heroine who read minds. It was my first excursion into writing romantic thrillers and was a finalist in several contests on both sides of the Atlantic, but the biggest was the American Title contest, which was run by Romantic Times Magazine (Now RT BookReviews) and Dorchester Publishing. American Title was a reality writing contest. Parts of the novel were printed in the magazine, and readers voted for their favourites, over the Internet. I didn’t win, but I had a fabulous time and travelled to Pittsburgh for the RT Booklovers Convention where the award was presented. The following year I entered the contest again, and was again chosen for the final – the only person ever to have done it twice. I didn’t win that time, either, but had a lot of fun. And that book was Never Coming Home .
Evonne: Kaz Elmore, the heroine of the book, has lost her young daughter in a fatal car crash while she was on holiday in the United States with her father, Kaz’s ex husband. Six months later, in London, Kaz has a visit from a stranger, who has a very different version of the crash from the one Kaz received from her ex. Naturally she needs to know what happened to her daughter, and she hires the stranger, Devlin, to help her find out. The search for answers takes them across Europe and uncovers a complex web of plots and conspiracies. Something very nasty from Devlin’s past comes back to threaten him, people start dying and Kaz and Devlin fall for each other. This is a particular problem for Devlin, as he considers he is not capable of love, because of things he has done in the past.
It has been an incredibly exciting journey to see the book published. The excitement was compounded in May this year, when Never Coming Home won the Joan Hessayan New Writers’ Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association, here in the UK.
AmeriCymru: We learn from your website that you have many unpublished manuscripts including one particular favourite - ''The Time We Have Left''. Are there any plans for publication? Please tell us more about the book?
Evonne: The Time We Have Left is the book that ran away with itself. It’s meant to be the first part of a trilogy, and is over 140,000 words - which is a very fat book. It’s a regional family saga, set in the South Wales coal ports of Barry and Cardiff during World War Two, charting the lives and loves of a family of three sisters. It was written a number of years ago and is nothing like what I write now, but it was a major part of my learning curve as a writer, when I was experimenting to find my style and favourite genre. Although it is an early manuscript it has received good feedback from experts and I have a very soft spot for it, as I spent a long while writing it - 140,000 words do not happen overnight. I did a considerable amount of archive research for it and it also owes a lot to family members and friends, who gave me first hand background material on what it was like to live through those times. It also records and celebrates things about Cardiff and Barry, particularly buildings, that have disappeared or been substantially changed - landmarks and lifestyles that no longer exist. It would be lovely to work on it with an editor, to find out if it could be brought up to publication standard, but I don’t see it happening in the near future. A retirement project, perhaps?
AmeriCymru: What do you read for pleasure and what are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?
Evonne: I’m a compulsive reader in all sorts of genres. In my own genre of romantic suspense, Karen Rose, Nora Roberts and Jayne Anne Krentz are favourites. I also read historicals and I enjoy the golden age detective stories, as well as contemporary police procedurals and thrillers. I’ve recently finished Season of Storms from Canadian writer Susanna Kearsley.
For anyone interested in sampling a wide variety of women’s fiction from the UK, they might like to take a look at what is on offer from my publishers, Choc-lit, who are small independent publishers. The Choc-lit authors have a number of award winners amongst them and we all write in different genres – paranormal, historical, fantasy, romantic comedy, thrillers, contemporary romance …
Choc-lit are currently looking to recruit two new authors, one from Australia and one from the U.S., and are running competitions for unpublished writers. They also have a tasting panel, made up of readers, who comment on submissions and recommend them for publication. Choc-lit are recruiting from America and Australia for that also. Details of the writing contest, the tasting panel and the Choc-lit catalogue are all available on the Choc-lit website. All the authors blog there too,on a regular basis.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Evonne Wareham? Any forthcoming publications or projects in the works?
Evonne: Never Coming Home , my debut published novel, was the finalist from my second American Title contest. Choc-lit have also contracted for Out of Sight, Out of Mind and that will be out in the UK in March next year. So – both my American Title books will be published, but in reverse order. I’m hoping to make it over to the States next year to attend the RT Booklovers Convention. Fingers crossed on that one. I’d also love to attend some of the crime and thriller conventions such as Bouchercon and Thrillerfest, but I think that will have to wait for a while.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Evonne: I like to include at least one scene set in Wales in all my books, so if Americymru members and readers are persuaded to try one of them, I hope they will enjoy the connection to Wales. In Never Coming Home the scene is a short but crucial one, near the end of the book, which takes place in and around Cardiff station. In Out of Sight, Out of Mind , Wales has a much larger role, as a chunk of the action takes place in Pembrokeshire.
I’ve really enjoyed talking to Americymru and would like to thank Ceri for some interesting questions. If I’ve tempted you to read my work, I do hope you enjoy it.
Lorraine: I suppose that I have always enjoyed it and I liked the idea of being a writer, long before I actually started writing! I wrote a book when I was about 30, but knew as I was writing it that it was pretty hopeless, but I persisted for the practice. I started writing my first published novel, Chocolate Mousse and Two Spoons when I was about 32.
AmeriCymru: We learn from your bio that your official writing career started one Sunday morning when you had a hangover. Care to tell us more?
Lorraine: Yes, it was a bit of a killer! I was living in Builth Wells and had a difficult job and was working all hours. I also had a fantastic social life and was never able to refuse an offer to nip out for a pint or to head to the hills at weekend with friends to go walking or mountain biking. I wanted to be a writer and had the story in my head, but never seemed to have the chance to sit down and write it all down.
On that Sunday when I had my hangover, I also had a day out with friends planned and some work to do for a meeting the next morning, and I realised that I would have to put off the writing for another day – yet again. That’s when I had one of those moments in life and thought That’s It! Something has to change – so, I gave myself six months to change everything and I did! I was single at the time, so I just quit my job, rented out my house and bought myself a round-the-world ticket to give myself time to actually write – and I was very lucky as, bar a few adventures, it all worked out in the end!
AmeriCymru: You are originally from Lyme Regis in the south of England. What prompted you to make the move to Mid-Wales? Tell us a little about your background.
Lorraine: I had a great time growing up in rural south west England with my three brothers and two sisters and then went to University in Cardiff to study Town Planning. When I was there I met a Welshman…
I moved to Builth Wells for a job in 1994 intending to stay for a year or so, but had such a good time, I stayed!
AmeriCymru: Your first novel "Chocolate Mousse and Two Spoons" was written while back-packing in South America. What can you tell us about your experiences there and how did you come to write a novel during your trip?
Lorraine: The trip was following my moment of clarity mentioned earlier. I decided to go to Patagonia first as I’d been learning Welsh and had this plan of working in a Welsh tea shop, practicing my Welsh, learning some Spanish, getting a bit of sun and writing my book.
Once in Beunos Aires, I wasn’t in a rush so I decided to walk to Patagonia (yeah, now I know it was a bit foolish!) so I would walk from town to town across the Pampas desert, hiding my tent behind a bush at night and trying to forget that there were still wild things out there.
In that little tent that I shared with mice, bugs and once a fox, I wrote my book. I eventually got to Patagonia, by which time my Welsh had merged with my Spanish and I’d become rubbish at both, so I drunk loads of proper tea, ate piles of Welsh cakes and then carried on walking. Eight months later, and after many adventures including a fight with a man with a knife (it’s OK, I won!) I had finished my novel and so I headed home.
AmeriCymru: Your second novel ''Eating Blackbirds'', set in the fictional Welsh village of Cysgod Y Ffynon, has been described as a ''feel-good'' novel. How would you describe the novel for our readers?
Lorraine: It’s about a man who works for the Council and is waiting for early retirement. He is a bit of a tight-fisted git who pinches tea-bags etcetera to save himself money. Through his work, he meets a lady who has a second home and he slowly moves into the empty house, trying to avoid his young niece who has turned up on his doorstep with a baby. However, the woman comes back to the house when he is there and things don’t go quite to plan…
I used to work for the Council and so this is my expose!
AmeriCymru: Your third novel "Cold Enough to Freeze Cows" is set in rural Mid-Wales. What for you is the most interesting or significant feature of the local agricultural lifestyle?
Lorraine: For me, it’s the hard continual work that people have to do day in, day out. It’s the slog that I think that people don’t appreciate when they think of a “rural idyll”. I live in a farming area and there are a number of women farmers (as the women tend to do the animal side of the farming around here) who come to collect their children from school and they are always covered in some sludge or other, depending on what time of year it is! But it’s also so down to earth – it’s hard for people to be pretentious when they have afterbirth on their foot.
AmeriCymru: You have been quoted as saying, ""I don''t write traditional Chicklit - my characters tend not to be chicks, but wellywearing, ruddy-cheeked folks who have adventures!" Care to elaborate?
Lorraine: As an author, I’ve found it difficult trying to tell people why they should buy my book over someone else’s (apart from parading my children in rags). People assume because they are written by a woman and are about “life things” that they are therefore Chicklit – but to me, the Chicklit I’ve read, tends to be about women who spend / want to spend lots of money on shoes and fancy Guy in Accounts, and that’s just not my world. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong about fancying Guy in Accounts, but my books are about farmers wearing three acrylic jumpers to keep out the cold, and 60 year old men who cook supernoodles in thermos flasks. I think that there is a difference, and I am just trying to distinguish between them.
AmeriCymru: Is there such a thing as "chicklit? If so, how would you define it?
Lorraine: I must admit, I do struggle a bit with “Chicklit”, as it does have a slightly dismissive tang. (This isn’t helped by authors shouting, “I don’t mind if people call my books chicklit!” – it reeks a bit of protesting too hard, and if people didn’t mind, they probably wouldn’t feel the need to mention it!) Female authors who write contemporary or commercial fiction are tagged with this dismissive category, whereas male commercial writers aren’t tagged with a dismissive category.
Saying that, it’s a fabulously successful brand, and those that are at the top of it, do really well! I haven’t quite worked out what I think of it: it’s like wanting to be the leader of a gang that you don’t like.
My work was described recently as being a cross between Tom Sharpe and The Vicar of Dibley, and I’m much happier with this description…
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Lorraine Jenkin?
Lorraine: I’m trying very hard to win The People’s Book Prize - the X Factor of the book world as it is decided by the public’s votes. The next round of voting is in June, so I might be back with a small post to ask for help… Other than that, I want to teach our three young girls to pick up their socks, and to clear out our garage which went to the dogs last summer.
Also, I’m part way through my fourth novel and my plan is for it to go global…
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Lorraine: My trip to the Americas had a big impact on my life – not just the adventures, but the lovely people I met there. Now I am self-employed and a mother of three young girls I look back on my time there as a complete luxury in terms of the time I had to myself. I would sit, alone, out in the wilds watching the sun go down over Tierra del Fuego whereas now I read Cinderella seven times a week and scrape at Weetabix that has been welded to the floor. Life is good, but it is very different!
Also, I would like to thank the people of AmeriCymru for their warm welcome to me on the site – it’s been really nice to receive such messages from strangers!
Rachel Trezise studied at the University of Glamorgan in Wales and University of Limerick in Ireland. Her first novel, In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl , released in 2002 received broad critical acclaim. In October 2006, Trezise won the inaugural Dylan Thomas Prize for her book of short stories, Fresh Apples , describing life in the mining valleys in South Wales. In 2007, Parthian Books published Dial M for Merthyr , an account of her time spent on tour with Welsh rock band Midasuno. Her latest novel is Sixteen Shades of Crazy . Americymru spoke to Rachel about her work and her current literary plans.
Americymru: Care to tell us a little about your latest book ‘Sixteen Shades of Crazy’?
Rachel: ‘Sixteen Shades of Crazy’ is a story about three women, Ellie, Siân and Rhiannon, girlfriends and wives of Welsh punk band The Boobs, whose lives are turned upside down by the unexpected arrival of Johnny, a handsome and mysterious Englishman, a rare occurrence in tiny close-knit Aberalaw where very few people leave and even people fewer arrive. I always intended this novel to be an antidote to How Green Was My Valley , about what happened after the mine shafts were filled and the chapels had been converted to nightclubs and Indian restaurants. In it I am writing about a unique environment, the south Wales valleys, which are neither urban nor rural but an intriguing and complicated fusion of both. Since industrialisation the area has suffered an identity crisis; it is predominantly English speaking, yet it is not English. I am fascinated by this paradox and Johnny represents England and the way some Welsh people regard it, at once despicable and exotic. Also it is my paean to the place where I grew up and still live.
Americymru: The book is dedicated to Gwyn Thomas who wrote extensively about life in the Rhondda Valleys in the 1930’s. Do you see any parallels between life in the valleys then and now?
Rachel: The Rhondda Valleys have changed in many ways over the years. Globalisation, technology and economics have had the same consequences in Welsh communities as they have all over the world. The valleys appear less close-knit and have in some ways become suburbs of the city of Cardiff. But one remaining facet is the poverty that the area continues to endure. In the 1930s there was work but it was dangerous and low paid. Now there’s a significant problem with unemployment. The people of the south Wales valleys are the perennial losers in the relentless march of capitalism, but hardship breeds creativity and gall. Gwyn Thomas said that watching real life in the Rhondda Valley was like watching some kind of tragic-comic theatre production and that’s still true. I never have to look far for a good story or character.
Americymru: Your first book ‘In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl’ is largely autobiographical. How difficult was it to write?
Rachel: ‘In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl’ wasn’t difficult to write at all. I’d had a hard time growing up with an alcoholic mother and an abusive step-father. By the time I came to write the book those experiences were burning up inside me, ready to be spewed out somehow. Anger can go one of two ways, inwards or outwards. Luckily mine came out in an artistic way rather than in violence or something negative like that. Writing it all down was quick and cathartic and I felt calm and renewed afterward. The result is really dark though. I have trouble reading that book now.
Americymru: Your first short story collection ‘Fresh Apples’ won the Dylan Thomas Prize in 2006. How important a milestone was that in your literary career and do you have any plans for further anthologies?
Rachel: ‘Fresh Apples’ was a huge milestone in my writing career because it was my first work of fiction; because ‘In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl’ was autobiographical I had no idea how to plan or embark on a fictional story. I didn’t really know what a full and rounded story was. I started three novels and gave up after the first chapter of each. Then I started getting commissions for short stories and started looking for story ideas. They were my fictional baby steps, my first attempts at playing with characters and voices and scenarios, so I was absolutely stunned when they won the Dylan Thomas Prize. I’ve been busy writing novels for the past five years but I’ve written a few short stories between drafts and I’m hoping to put a second collection together in the not too distant future.
Americymru: Your third book ‘Dial M for Merthyr’ which follows a Welsh band on tour was the inaugural winner of the Max Boyce Prize. How did you research the book and how important is music in your life?
Rachel: I researched ‘Dial M for Merthyr’ simply by going on tour with the band, a young unsigned rock band from Merthyr called Midasuno. Initially the book was going to be about the LostProphets. What I actually wanted to write about was their journey from obscurity in Pontypridd to becoming worldwide household names in a matter of a few months, and that’s the story that my publishing company commissioned. But we just couldn’t get the band on board. As it turned out Midasuno were candid and willing hosts. They let me follow them wherever they went and sleep on their tour bus. I think the book tells a universal truth about what it’s like for all young bands starting out. Music is hugely important, both for me generally, and for my work. Since I finished ‘Dial M for Merthyr,’ I haven’t been all that interested in live music or in rock music actually. You’re more likely to find me listening to Leonard Cohen or Regina Spektor on my ipod. I hope it’s a time issue rather than an age issue, and that the music bug comes back at some point.
Americymru: You have also written for theatre. (I Sing of A Maiden, Lemon Meringue Pie). Any plans for further theatrical works?
Rachel: I never planned to write for theatre when I started out; I came to it by accident. ‘I Sing of A Maiden,’ was a favour to a friend, the folk musician and writer Charlotte Greig. She asked me to write some monologues about teenage pregnancy to punctuate her songs on the same theme for a multi media theatre production, which I did. And from there a producer from Radio 4 asked me to write a radio play, ‘Lemon Meringue Pie’, which was broadcast in 2008. I’m hoping to begin writing my first full length theatre play, a valleys family saga, in January 2011. It’s a good way to keep writing about Wales while I move onto other areas in my fiction.
Americymru: What’s next for Rachel Trezise? Any plans to visit America?
Rachel: The novel I’m working on at the moment is set in America, in North Carolina and New York. It’s a love story about an unlikely couple, a Hasidic Jew from Williamsburg and a former prostitute from the South who becomes a madam in New York City. It sounds controversial at worst and kooky at best but it’s actually quite a tender tale about love being able to conquer the tribulations thrown up by dysfunctional upbringings. I’ve spent a bit of time in New York and was writer of residence at Texas University in 2007, so it hasn’t been too difficult to write a book set entirely in America at a desk in the Rhondda Valley. But there is a bit of research still left to do so I’m hoping to be back in New York for a few weeks in 2011.
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Blessed Are The Cracked This interconnected collection of five novellas and two short stories from the casebook of retired local policeman Tegwyn Prydderch, is set in the fictional West Wales farming community of Llanefa.
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These are not ''comfortable'' tales and Llanefa is no ''chocolate box'' Welsh village. Author Delphine Richards worked as a cop in rural Wales for a number of years and one can only assume that she brought her experience of real crime and real police work to the pages of this book.
From the prologue we learn that DCI Tegwyn Prydderch has retired from the force and is being urged to while away his retirement years writing his memoirs. Forced to convalesce after a hip replacement operation Tegwyn finally succumbs. As he ponders his old case files he wonders how best to put them to literary use:-
"If only the people themselves could tell the story, he thinks, a ''warts and all'' account of how it all came to be. Now, there would be a book worth buying!"
In each of the tales which follow we are treated to precisely such an account. These stories are not ''whodunnits'' but rather a blow by blow account of events as they occurred, told from the perspective of the victim or perpetrator.
In the opening tale ‘ Donald’s Cat’ , a home help becomes trapped in an abandoned explosives container while searching for a missing cat. Her fear of suffocation and dehydration are graphically described as she battles to preserve her sanity in her pitch black surroundings. She fixates on recent traumatic events and unfinished business that she has left behind outside the metal frame which confines her. Despite this claustrophobic setting the story is a masterful and fast paced thriller with an unexpected twist in it''s tail.
If you are an afficionado of the ''grittier'' school of crime writing then there is much in the pages of Delphine Richards for you to savour. Welcome to the seamier side of life in rural Wales. I for one am looking forward to the next offering from the Welsh Elmore Leonard.
About Delphine Richards
Cambria Books website:- "An experienced writer in several formats from magazine articles, short stories, to a weekly newspaper column, Delphine Richards’s new work draws on her real life experience as a member of the Welsh Police in rural Wales. In these dark tales, she brings to fictional life a new, uniquely Welsh, policeman character, Tegwyn Prydderch, from whose grisly casebook and early memories these stories are drawn."
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The Seedy Side Of Life In Rural Wales
''A friend is a good egg, even if they are slightly cracked - blessed are the cracked for they shall let in the light''
Buy ''Blessed Are The Cracked'' here
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Delphine: My new book Blessed Are The Cracked is the first in a planned series of three set in the fictional west Wales farming community of Llanefa and featuring retired detective Tegwyn Prydderch. It has been described as ''dark crime'' with some disturbing scenes. A reviewer wondered if tourists would think twice about holidaying in west Wales after reading this!
AmeriCymru: 'Blessed Are The Cracked'' consists of a series of five novellas and two short stories. Why did you choose this unusual literary configuration?
Delphine: The novella is making a bit of a comeback by all accounts and this appealed to me as I have enjoyed a few ''shorter'' novels. I read somewhere that people lead such busy lives these days that they don''t want to commit themselves to a very long novel and I thought it was worth trying. However, my courage failed me when I thought about writing a single novella as I''m not convinced that such a work by an unknown writer would hit its mark. I have enjoyed books such as ''A Visit From The Goon Squad'' (Jennifer Egan) and ''Hearts In Atlantis'' (Stephen King), where a series of novellas were combined and inter-linked through characters and over several decades. The more I thought about it, the more apt this seemed for ''Blessed''. I pretty well let the stories set their own length which explains why they range from 10,000 to 22,000 words (for the novellas). Of the two short stories, ''The Family Man'' just seemed right at its length but ''The Perfect Wife'' wanted to run for longer. I decided against it because it is written entirely in dialect and, although I can hear the voice clearly in my head, I wondered if readers would find it difficult to follow if it went on for many more pages.
AmeriCymru: We know that you draw on your experience as a police officer in rural Wales for inspiration. Can we ask if there are any particular cases which are reflected in the stories in ''Blessed''? One shudders to think that the events related in ''Donald''s Cat'' for instance, might have had a basis in fact.
Delphine: Sadly, abuse is common to all police officers, so there is nothing in those stories that I have not dealt with at some time. ''Donald''s Cat'' (Donald is named after my horse, by the way!) is not based entirely on real events but I have had dealings with people becoming trapped in some way - with varying outcomes. As far as the explosives store is concerned, at one point I was involved with going to inspect explosives stores at local privately owned coal mines. They had a regular inspection by police and the security aspect was very rigorous - the earth bank for instance, as mentioned in the story, was a definite guideline. I am a bit claustrophobic and it used to make my hair stand on end every time I saw the explosives store and I used to wonder how awful it would be to become trapped in one.
The story that mimics real life the closest is ''Heatwave (Tegwyn''s Story)'' which was extremely similar to an event I remember as a young teenager. My father worked for the Electrici ty Board and he came home one day and told us about a Meter Reader who had been attacked by a hippy on drugs (though not to the extent it happens in the book). There had also been a murder there that day. It was a big wake-up call to all of us who lived in the area and had never had to lock our doors and cars.
AmeriCymru: ''Blessed Are The Cracked'' is a superb title. How did you come by it?
Delphine: Much as I would love to take the credit for this, ''Blessed are the cracked, for they shall let in the light'' is a quote from Groucho Marx. When I was halfway through writing this book, I had a jokey email from a friend. It showed animals and people doing the daftest things. It contained that quote and then added ''A friend is a good egg, even if they are slightly cracked - blessed are the cracked for they shall let in the light''. The email formed part of the story where Kay receives it from her best friend - the reasons becoming apparent as the story continues! It sort of stuck in my mind and I eventually changed the title to its present form. Strangely enough, the first thing people say is how much they love the title - it has convinced me that I made the right decision! I think it also sums up its slightly off-beat tone.
AmeriCymru: You will be visiting the US in the near future. Can you tell us more about your itinerary?
Delphine: Having never been on a plane until 1998, I have found that I love travelling! A major operation prior to that date made it impossible to fly, so when that medical decision was turned around, there was no holding us back. My husband and I have been to the US twice before but I have never been to New York. So, next April, we are going to an event and meeting up with friends at Lancaster, Pennsylvania but going to New York first. I''m hoping that there will be some interest in my book and I will be able to sell/sign a few while there.
AmeriCymru: Do you read crime fiction? If so, who? What other genres or authors currently interest you?
Delphine: I have a fairly varied choice of reading. I love Nicci French, Sophie Hannah, Ruth Rendell (especially Rendell''s non-Wexford novels - she always creates some kind of weirdo that hooks me like a magnet!). I''m reading a Jodi Picoult book at the moment - I came across her books in South Africa three years ago and I am working my way through them. You will not be surprised to hear that I also like Elmore Leonard - thank you for your kind review on that topic! I am also a huge Stephen King fan - will I sound like a stalker if I say I''ve had a photo taken outside his house? (But, hey, he''s welcome to come and have a photo taken outside MY house!)
AmeriCymru: We know that you are currently working on a follow up to ''Blessed Are The Cracked". Care to tell us more?
Delphine: The follow up to Blessed is to be a complete full length novel rather than the series of novellas (unless I am convinced to do otherwise). I am already well into it though as it goes back a year or two before Blessed, I''m constantly checking the timeline - not as easy it sounds - some characters just WANT to be there but when I check, they''ve already been killed off!
The third book (optimism is a fine quality in a writer, don''t you think?), goes forward to events that Tegwyn Prydderch becomes involved with after Blessed. I''m hoping that Blessed continues to sell well enough to make these two ''new'' books a reality. So far, Blessed has reached No 36 in the Amazon Top 100 in its category, but there is a long way to go yet! Check out the link to my author page and details on Cambria Books or Literature Wales and look up Writers'' Database.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Delphine: I think it''s great that a country the size of the US has some affinity with Wales (which is only slightly bigger than New Hampshire, I believe). If American readers are supporting Welsh writers by buying their books, then I feel very humbled and grateful. I also hope that writers can give something back to those who live in the US but are ''missing'' Wales. Diolch i chi gyd.
Delphine Richards.
Peter Luther - The Vanity Rooms - The Welsh Dan Brown sets new thriller in Cardiff Bay
By , 2013-02-02
Penarth author Peter Luther, whose supernatural thrillers have resulted in him being dubbed by critics as the Welsh Dan Brown, is about to launch his fourth novel.
A successful solicitor and an accomplished musician, Peter Luther’s first novel Dark Covenant became a word-of-mouth publishing sensation and has already been reprinted twice by Ceredigion-based publishers Y Lolfa. Following the success of the widely acclaimed Dark Covenant and his follow-up novels, The Mourning Vessels and Precious Cargo, the man critics have dubbed the Welsh Dan Brown will be launching his fourth novel in Cardiff Waterstones on Friday evening.
The Vanity Rooms is located in Cardiff Bay, in a decrepit building that offers free accommodation to wannabe actor Kris Knight. His room contains a chess game which has a life of its own, where the pieces come to resemble real people, and very soon the game becomes a ruthless one of life and death. The Vanity Rooms is the third in a series featuring Tristyn Honeyman, a Welsh minister and spiritual detective on the trail of a secret society.
Peter describes his books as supernatural thrillers with historical backdrops, but which have modern, relevant themes at their heart. “I write in an unfashionable genre – the supernatural thriller without vampires,” explains the author. “All of my stories are set in Wales, as it’s a beautiful, dramatic country with inexhaustible sources of inspiration. The majority of my scenes are, however, set in my home city of Cardiff, because of my familiarity with the area.”
He admits that his fictional work is influenced by his personal experiences. “I’m a great believer in writing what you know about, and this is true even of supernatural thrillers. My stories aren’t set on some alien planet or alternative reality. Cardiff is an important location in my books, and the characters are normal people with normal lives.”
Peter Luther has built a loyal band of followers, as testified by the response to his first three novels on his website, www.peterluther.co.uk . The Vanity Rooms will be launched in Cardiff Waterstones tomorrow night, Friday, 22 February at 6.30pm.
Acclaim for Peter Luther’s novels:
“This captivating story will keep you reading until the last page… Five stars.” Waterstones
“This is classic good versus evil horror stuff, enough to make you flinch at times, while admiring the imagination and accomplishment of a very fine author.” Western Mail
Precious Cargo promises couples beautiful and gifted children when all other means have failed, but it’s a lifetime deal. The newborn children are ruled by its Trustees’ baptism gifts, handcrafted toys that nurture their talent and aspirations. The toys also understand what’s at stake, for while two Precious Cargo children are born every year, only one survives past age sixteen. Their fate seems linked to a Fabergé egg with an impossible lock, the clue to an old, fanatic crime…
As with all Peter Luther novels, the concept behind the story is bizarrely original: handmade toys communicating with a terrifying code, and a mystery that reaches back to the era of Marie Stopes.
Peter says of his third novel, “This is my most ambitious work to date. I always feel a sense of trepidation when my books are released because the ideas are so left field, so I wonder how they will be received. Fortunately, my readers have shown themselves to be very receptive to something which doesn’t neatly fit into one particular genre. In truth, my novels are human interest stories masquerading as supernatural thrillers, albeit with some entertaining twists.
“As someone who has trod the bitter path of IVF, Precious Cargo is also inspired from experience. The book is dedicated to my wife, the most courageous person I know.”
Peter Luther , a successful solicitor and an accomplished musician, lives in Cardiff and has already published Dark Covenant and The Mourning Vessels , supernatural thrillers which have been widely acclaimed in Wales and beyond. He has been called the ‘Welsh Dan Brown’.
Precious Cargo is published by Y Lolfa and was launched at Waterstone’s, Cardiff on 16 April 2010.
Peter , a Cardiff solicitor, was delighted at the news, saying, “It’s wonderful to have received such a positive response in a genre that’s so difficult to penetrate for a new author. I believe Dark Covenant has appealed to a wide range of readers, notwithstanding its ‘supernatural’ tag. This is perhaps because it explores the oldest of stories, that of gaining the world to lose your soul.”
Peter writes completely original supernatural thrillers, which address real life themes. His second novel, The Mourning Vessels , was published in October 2008 to critical acclaim and is the first in a series featuring Tristyn Honeyman, a Welsh minister on the trail of a nefarious secret society. The next instalment in the series, Precious Cargo , will be published by Y Lolfa in February 2010.
Cardiff author Peter Luther has just launched his second novel, The Mourning Vessels . It is loosely located in his favourite town of Tenby. The fast paced supernatural thriller is based on the machinations of a Satanic coven –The Divine Sentiment and the story follows the main character Ellen’s quest to unriddle their sinister operations and free the souls of her dead parents.
Although he is a new face, he has built a loyal band of underground followers, as testified by the response to his first book on his website www.peterluther.co.uk . His fans will be pleased to hear that Peter revealed at the launch of Mourning Vessels, in Waterstone’s Cardiff , that he has already written his third novel Precious Cargo and hopes to see it published next year.
Peter Luther , a successful solicitor and an accomplished musician, admits that his fictional work is influenced by his personal experiences, his latest born from the tragic loss of both his parents and his next relates to his wife’s experiences of receiving IVF treatment. He will be touring bookshops throughout Britain in November and December.
The Mourning Vessels in available in bookshops and www.ylolfa.com priced at £7.95.
Peter Luther will be signing copies of Mourning Vessels at the following shops in November
November 1 November
Waterstones, 9-11 Regent Street Wrexham at 11:00am – 1:00pm
Waterstones, 14 Eastgate Row, Chester at 2:30pm – 4:30pm
8 November
Waterstones Nottingham, 1-5 Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham at 11:00am – 1:00pm
15 November
Waterstones, 4a High Street, Abergavenny at 11:00am – 1:00pm
Borders, New Park Shopping Centre, Llantrisant at 2:30pm – 4:30pm
22 November
Borders, 14 The Hayes, Cardiff at 1:30pm – 3:30pm
29 November
Waterstones Chiswick, 220-226 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick at 11:30am – 1:30pm
December and January dates to be confirmed
The Vanity Rooms by Peter Luther - A Review
The Vanity Rooms is the third episode in the Honeyman saga in which a de-frocked Baptist minister battles an old, demonic Welsh priesthood.
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The estate agent begins to pay attention when she learns that he is an aspiring writer and his name is Kris Knight. She remembers her client telling her:-
" He is wanting to be artist.
His name is chesspiece."
She drives at speed across Cardiff Bay to ''The Gathering'' an 18th century dwelling with stunning interior decor and a sinister past. An inscription in the hallway reads:-
" It became customary to gather in front of the Huts or around a large tree: song and dance, true children of Love and Leisure, became the amusement or rather occupation of idle men and women gathered together. Everyone began to look at everyone else and to wish to be looked at himself, and public esteem acquired a price. "
The one who sang or danced the best, the handsomest, the strongest, the most skilful, or the most eloquent came to be highly regarded, and this was the first step at once toward inequality and vice: from these preferences arose vanity and contempt on the one hand, shame and envy on the other. "
But there is no pressure to take the vacant room:-
" We can leave if you want ", she said.
" What? "
" Kris, " she said....." It's important that you know that. In fact they told me to say that. You dont have to see the room. You can just go. "
But Kris Knight does not leave soon enough and he becomes embroiled in the machinations of Temple 1313. Believing initially, that he has found a benign and benevolent sponsor for his artistic endeavours, he is convinced that his boundless ambition will be rewarded with success and popular acclaim under their guidance. The sinister ''cellphone'' he is given and the extraordinary ''real life'' chess game that he is forced to play soon disabuse him of this notion. He comes to realise that, in order to escape, he must master the game or face a life of hellish servitude.
This is ''sophisticated horror'' and Peter Luther continues to provide his growing audience with exquisitely crafted and electrifying supernatural thrillers.
Whatever your take on the authors fantastical plot devices and whatever you make of his twisted and macabre supernatural themes you will not be able to put this book down until you reach the last page. Be warned! You too will become a temporary tenant of ''The Gathering''.
... Peter Luther is an author of exquisitely crafted and electrifying supernatural thrillers. Peter, who lives in Cardiff has been referred to as the ''Welsh Dan Brown''. In 2010 AmeriCymru spoke to Peter about this comparison, and other matters including his new ( then forthcoming ) novel The Vanity Rooms Visit Peter''s website here
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Peter: In my opinion there is no better training for writing fiction than being a lawyer. You meet interesting people and encounter a lot of unusual situations.
Dark Covenant mirrors the rough and tumble of my career as a practising solicitor, but the law does spill over to my other novels. There is an understanding probate solicitor in The Mourning Vessels , and a stressed criminal solicitor in Precious Cargo .
I also think being a lawyer hones your analytical skills: my stories have very tight plot structures, with strict rules within the bizarre world I have created. I’m sure this is partly as a result of my legal training.
On a general note, I think life experience is very important for being a novelist. I tried writing in my early twenties, but when I returned to it in my late thirties my perspective was far more rounded.
AmeriCymru: All your novels so far have been set in Wales. Is there any particular reason for that or is it just familiarity with the area?
Peter: I do a lot of signings in England, and the readers I meet are always pleased to see a story set in Wales. I don’t think there are enough of them east of the Severn Bridge. It’s a beautiful, dramatic country with inexhaustible sources of inspiration.
The Mourning Vessels is set in Tenby, probably my favourite place in the whole world.
The majority of my scenes are however set in my home city of Cardiff, which is because of my familiarity with the area.
AmeriCymru: Were you a horror fiction fan? Are there any particular horror writers whose style you admired or were inspired by?
Peter: I’m not a horror fiction fan per se, but I love anything that is original and well-conceived. In this respect I was very influenced, along with the rest of my generation, by the early Stephen King novels.
The Mourning Vessels involves bereavement counsellors visiting the recently bereaved and offering to ‘solve’ their grief, which they achieve by trapping the departed in the things they coveted in life. These objects - clocks, typewriters, even a bespoke Cluedo board (or is that Clue in America?) - then turn evil and leprous. This has more than an echo of Pet Semetery. It’s sort of a Pet Semetery with antiques...
AmeriCymru: You are quoted as saying that your novels are 'human interest stories masquerading as horror fiction' - what do you mean by that?
Peter: 100,000 words of things that go bump in the night would leave me asleep on my Mac. I need to write about the things that are important to me, which have relevance to my own experience. My characters are ordinary folk with all the ordinary problems: career, money, bereavement, fertility, parenthood. This gives the books what I would describe as their emotional heart, which hopefully leaves a mark on the reader even after all the paranormal conceits and puzzles have been digested, and which saves them from being left on train seats...
AmeriCymru: Could you have written your characters, their relationships and situations in a non-genre drama or in other genres? If so, what do you think you would have to change, if anything?
Peter: That’s a difficult question. If I have a talent, it is that I can take a completely off-the-wall concept and make it believable, and so I cannot really imagine writing in any other genre. With the supernatural anything is possible, and that’s what holds my interest.
That said, I can see myself writing a legal/corporate thriller one day, but it would need to have a very unusual angle.
AmeriCymru: You described your first novel, Dark Covenant , as "a parable of materialism" and your second, The Mourning Vessels, as "a parable of bereavement" - would you describe these as moral tales?
Peter: I wouldn’t be as pretentious to suggest my novels are moral tales, but they certainly have a message. Perhaps the message is a personal one, that I’m writing letters to myself.
In Dark Covenant a struggling lawyer makes a pact with the Devil through the crossword in a lifestyle magazine built from his desires. For me, the magazine represents the contracts we all make in life. We all bargain our time, and sometimes our principles, for the things that we need. For the things that we think that we need. The story is essentially Faust with a modern twist.
The Mourning Vessels was inspired by the loss of my parents. I lost my mum on Christmas Day 2004, and my dad succumbed to grief on Christmas Day 2005. During the year he was alone he created shrines to her memory, from photographs and the little things that she treasured. I didn’t think it was healthy. The book is very much about dealing with bereavement, and I suppose if there’s a message it’s that you need to let go. Remember the ones you loved with a smile, not with pain and torment.
Precious Cargo was based on another sad time in my life: my experience with IVF. There’s a chapter in the book called ‘the imagined child’, because I believed I could see my unborn child’s face, that the child was so close. We tried four times then gave up, because carrying on would have damaged us, I think. Sometimes you need to accept the cards life deals you, and be happy. Anyway, that’s what I believe.
AmeriCymru: how did you imagine the fantastical devices and sinister 'toys' in Precious Cargo?
Peter: I honestly don’t know. These screwball ideas come naturally, if that’s the right phrase...
AmeriCymru: You have been referred to as the 'Welsh Dan Brown'. How do you feel about the comparison?
Peter: My novels have some codes and puzzles, but that’s really where the similarity ends. Mr Brown has a very readable style, but I confess that I find his historical subject matter more interesting than the plot and the characters. That could be because I now read modern fiction with an editorial, critical eye; for this reason I much prefer reading classics or history, when I can completely turn off.
AmeriCymru: We learn from your website that you are working on a fourth novel ('The Vanity Rooms') at the moment. Care to tell us anything about that?
Peter: This is the third novel with my main character Tristyn Honeyman, an ex-Baptist minister from North Wales and a sort of spiritual detective.
The demonic society he encountered in the The Mourning Vessels and Precious Cargo are now posing as an arts charity, giving struggling artists free accomodation. This is in a building in Cardiff Bay once occupied by a chapter that escaped from Revolutionary France, who were obsessed with the Roussean concept of ‘amour propre’, or self image.
The apartment comes with a mobile phone, which has some unusual functions and a strange address book. Both apartment and mobile are infested by the eighteenth century chapter, who are determined to find the true meaning of celebrity, that exclusively human need to be admired.
I know, it’s not the work of a well man...
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of ameriCymru?
Peter: Thank you so much. I’m trying to do something a little different, and I’m writing in a very unfashionable genre: the supernatural thriller without vampires. Your support means everything to me.
AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh crime fiction writer and roving guitarist Andrew Peters:-
" I was born in beautiful Barry on June 21st many years ago. That''s the longest day of the year ("Bloody felt like it too" Mrs GE Peters) so I have always yearned for the sun. After looking for it in vain in the UK, I toured the world as a guitarist and finally settled in Spain in 2004. "
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AmeriCymru: Hi Andrew and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. Can you tell us a little about your Welsh background and how you came to be living in the wilds of central Spain?
Andrew: I was born in beautiful Barry on June 21st many years ago. That''s the longest day of the year ("Bloody felt like it too" Mrs GE Peters) so I have always yearned for the sun. After looking for it in vain in the UK, I toured the world as a guitarist and finally settled in Spain in 2004.
My parents left Wales when I was 10 and insisted I accompany them, but I have returned often, since my mother''s family are landed gentry in the millionaire''s playground of Aberdare, and Mother now lives in upmarket Saundersfoot.
AmeriCymru: At what point did you take up writing crime fiction? Would you describe your work as crime fiction?
Andrew: I never wrote anything at all until June 2012, when I wrote a story about murdering my ex (every boy''s dream) in response to some banter with Facebook friends. Inside two months, I had forty short stories written, all brilliant, and probably dictated by aliens.
Most of my stuff is crime related, and definitely fiction, though I am not one for the meticulously researched police procedural, and there will be no ritual serial killers sending cryptic clues to drunk policemen with unsupportive bosses and troubled marriages.
Most of my stuff has a Welsh connection and my puerile humour, but I did write two "straight" crime novels (JOE SOAP & SUBTRACTION) from which all Welshness and every joke was carefully removed. People still claimed to laugh at them.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about Otis King, Memphis'' Number One Welsh Blues detective?
Andrew: Well, The Blues Detective started out as just one short story in a collection, but has now expanded to twenty short stories, three Kindle novellas and two novels.
Otis K 
AmeriCymru: Care to introduce your character Retired Chief Superintendent Williams (the semi-legendary "Williams Of The Yard") for our readers?
Yes, I know...very far-fetched.
AmeriCymru: We learn from your bio that you share your place with two gorgeous local cats, more guitars than you can count and a fridge full of wine. Can you tell us a little about your guitar collection?
Andrew: Well.....one picture is worth 1000 words...
AmeriCymru: And,.... the all important question, are you a red or white wine drinker?
Andrew: Yes! But only to excess.
AmeriCymru: What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?
Andrew: I don''t read much at all these days, much prefer the guitars and getting outside in the real world. I recommend Robert B Parker, Damon Runyon, Dylan Thomas & PG Wodehouse...all of whom are too dead to sue me for blatant plagiarism.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Andrew Peters? What are you working on at the moment?
Andrew: I think my oeuvre is complete now, ten books seems a nice round number, and nobody''s offering me millions to churn out any more. Not written a word since August and have no ideas.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Andrew: Awfully nice of you to chat to me, everyone please buy all my books immediately and make me stinking rich, famous and more attractive to women. Failing that, never forget you''re Welsh and if you ever have any Blues-related cases that need solving, call Otis King 634-5789
" I am interested in the demonstration of human resilience in the face of failure and in the saving grace of humour "
AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh author Bel Roberts about her writing, travels and future plans. Works by Bel Roberts:-
BOOKS BY BEL ROBERTS...
Bel: Whilst I was an undergraduate at Aberystwyth University (1959-62), I wrote comedy sketches and acted in them during annual Rag Week Charity Events. Later, as a qualified teacher, I taught English up to GCSE ‘A’ Level standard to pupils in 7 secondary schools in England and Wales over 30 continuous years and also achieved the position of Deputy Head Teacher in 2. In some of these schools, I contributed articles for school magazines and wrote pantomimes and sketches for end-of-term concerts, but it was only when, following spinal surgery, I retired prematurely from teaching in 1993, that I had time to write fiction with the intention of getting it published. My first short story, A Touch of Gloss, won second prize in a national open short story competition judged by novelist, Beryl Bainbridge and was broadcast twice on BBC Radio 4 during Armistice Week in 1995. Between 1995 and 2004, I won 5 national open short story competitions and further short stories were included by Honno Women’s Press in 3 of their anthologies, Catwomen From Hell (2000), Written in Blood (2004) and All Shall Be Well (2012). I have had several poems published in various anthologies. In 2000 I was awarded an MA in Creative Writing by Bath Spa University.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about your first novel ''A Discerning Woman’s Guide To Manhunting''.
Bel: T.V. sit-com series scriptwriter of The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrrin and prolific novelist, David Nobbs, was my tutor on a Creative Writing Course in Ty Newydd in Gwynedd. He appreciated my robust sense of humour and encouraged me to write A Discerning Woman’s Guide to Manhunting, which took me 30 years as a serial manhunter to research and 3 years to write! It traces the desperate attempts of Geri, a retired sixty-year-old ex-teacher, to find an intellectually stimulating and sexually active partner. She is DISCERNING, so she’s looking for Mr Right – Mr Will Do just won’t do! The book is about starting again, re-defining self in middle-age and facing real limitations and challenges with a spirit of optimism. Geri not only becomes a mature student, studying alongside teenage students, but also acts as part-carer for her octogenarian mother who has the first stages of dementia but who adamantly resists going ‘into care’. Geri is typical of many middle aged women today who multi-task and get little acknowledgment for their selflessness but Geri is unusually head-strong, non p.c. and outrageously funny. She is not a defeatist, a whinger, or a dignified dear old lady. This woman is dynamite.
AmeriCymru: You have travelled and taught in South Africa and elsewhere. Care to tell us a little about your experiences there?
Bel: My partner and I first visited South Africa as tourists on a fortnight’s sight-seeing holiday at Christmas 2001. On the second day of our visit, we decided that we would like to spend our long, wet British winters there, so we invested in a small coastal shack in the Eastern Cape. Between 2002-7, we spent 6 months of the year there as ‘swallows’ ie fliers migrating to the warmth of an African summer; Chris becoming a typical ex-pat (ie spending most of his time on the Bowls’ Club green, or in its bar!), while I assisted in teaching school leavers English at two township schools. I also did a little relief work at peak holiday periods at a local AIDS & TB children’s clinic, but I had no specific duties to perform there.
I have travelled extensively abroad: New Zealand, Australia, Goa, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Canada, Mexico, W. Indies and sailed down the Amazon as far as Manaus. On my retirement from teaching and as a mature student of the German Language, I visited most cities in Germany as well as other European destinations in Italy, France, Portugal and Greece. Having the time to travel is the main advantage of old age. Despite the current inconveniences at airports etc, I feel a compulsive need to travel whilst I am still mobile. I have a weak back (supported by 2 titanium posts and 8 titanium screws) but I don’t allow it to stop me doing anything. I love seeing new places and meeting different people. I attend a gym every other day and I am full of energy and enthusiasm for new ventures and experiences.
AmeriCymru: You won a number of prizes for your short stories prior to the publication of your first anthology ''Opportunity Mocks''. How did it feel winning The Bill Naughton Short Story Competition amongst others?
Bel: In 1999 I was a runner-up in the Bill Naughton Short Story Competition and in 2000 I was awarded first prize and had a second story entry in the same competition highly recommended. The winning stories were published in ‘Splinters Winners Collection’ (Waldron Dillon 1999 and 2000) respectively. It was an immense honour to win successive Irish literary awards, especially those in honour of Bill Naughton, playwright and author ( 1910-92).
AmeriCymru: Could you tell us a little about ''Opportunity Mocks''? What can readers expect to find between the covers?
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about ''Surfing Through Minefields''?
AmeriCymru: We learn from a recent newspaper article that you intend to donate to the Aber Valley National Mining Memorial Fund. Care to tell us a little about the fund and your personal reason for supporting it?
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Bel Roberts? When can we expect to see your next title in print?
Bel: I am currently working on a fictional novel influenced by my post-war childhood in the Rhondda. The MS needs to be double its present length and to give a more focused sense of ‘place’. If I were to cut down on my travelling, the book might be finished by early 2014. I am constantly torn between the two priorities in my life: writing and travelling. I am also re-editing half a dozen poems that have been lying dormant for a decade.
AmeriCymru: It is always of interest to know what our favorite authors are reading currently. Any recommendations?
Bel: I loved Hilary Mantel’s biographies of Thomas Cromwell: ‘Wolf Hall’ and ‘Bring Up The Bodies’ and eagerly await publication of the last book of the trilogy. By contrast, I’ve recently finished reading and reviewing Duncan Whitehead’s debut novel ‘The Gordonston Ladies’ Dog Walking Club’, a black-comedy crime story, which I found hilarious. Duncan is an English ex-pat now living in Florida.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Bel: I am pleased and honoured to be part of the cultural twinning of Wales and America through Americymru. I wish you full success with the Eisteddfod Poetry Competition and I look forward to reading more of the entries online. I will do my best to keep updating my membership page and to keep abreast of your news, so that I bolster my friendship with authors and readers across the mountains and The Pond that separates us. It warms my heart that there are readers so far from Wales who are interested in, and who appreciate, what I write. It makes the backache worthwhile. Diolch!
Back to Welsh Literature page >
From our interview with Bel Roberts:- " Surfing Through Minefields belongs to the hybrid genre ‘reality fiction’. I have set the story in a fictional contemporary comprehensive school in Monmouth and have researched the facts surrounding the Senghenydd Pit disaster of 1913 in such a way that the history of the event is seen from the prospective of a modern teenager and by the residents of an old people’s home who have actual mementos of the tragic event. The heroine, Lauren, is an English teenager sent to stay with her grandmother in Wales while her parents sort out their various problems." ... read more here
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This is the story of a teenage girl coming to terms with her parents divorce. To complicate matters she is sent away to live in Monmouth, a small town on the Welsh border so she must also adapt to a new school and learn to make new friends a long way from her former home.
The book touches on many themes that you might expect in a teenage ''coming of age'' novel. Lauren''s early experiences with the opposite sex, school bullying and racism all form part of this well paced and lively story. In the course of a meeting with her Welsh grandmother at a convalescent home she learns that a distant relative ( her grandmothers half brother ) was a victim of the Senghenydd mining disaster on October 14th 1913. The following day at school she learns that she must pick a GCSE coursework assignment and decides that she will write on the Universal Colliery disaster and consult with her grandmother for personal recollections and details of this catastrophic event.
The rest of the book interweaves her historical research with her day to day efforts to cope with her life and circumstances in a rich and compelling narrative which will appeal to many adult readers as powerfully as it will to its intended teenage audience.
In the course of her researches Lauren unearths many interesting snippets of information from the newspapers of the time:-
"Today His Majesty King George V sent his condolences to the bereaved families of Senghenydd in The Rhymney Valley, South Wales and expressed his genuine shock at the scale of the disaster. He regretted that he could not visit the scene of the disaster immediately, as he was currently involved in the marriage celebrations of Prince Arthur of Connaught and the Duchess of Fife."
"Many of the bodies show horrific burns and other forms of mutilation but most of those awaiting identification are decomposing fast and should be laid to rest with dignity. One young boy hardly in his teens was identified by his new boots, worn for the first time on that fateful morning, another by a champagne cork, a treasured souvenir rescued from the pit owner’s garden and carried as a lucky omen."
It is clear throughout that Bel Roberts has thoroughly researched her historical subject matter and this is to be commended when you remember that the few books on the tragedy are either difficult or nearly impossible to obtain ( both W. H. Davies Ups And Downs and John H. Brown''s Valley Of The Shadow are referenced in the text )
In conclusion this is a book with the potential to delight readers of all ages. Whether you are interested in the problems confronting teenagers growing to maturity in modern society or with the details of Wales and Britains'' worst colliery disaster this book has something for you. An unreserved thumbs up and 5 star recommendation.
Back to Welsh Literature page >
Our Holy Ground - The Welsh Christian Experience by John I Morgans and Peter C Noble tells of the Welsh Christian story and, through showing how it is rooted in localities, tells the story of Wales.
‘This is for the people who live in Wales to learn about their own story – a story which continues to be contemporary and relevant.’ John and Peter explained,
‘We want the people who live in Wales to know their own shared story.’ they added. This is the first book of its kind which attempts to tell the Welsh story from the widest possible perspective, whilst also being a readable retelling of old and recent revisions of Welsh history and integrating both the ‘secular and religious story’.
John Morgans wrote the book and Peter Noble was the photographer. Both were aware that when they were introducing ministers from other countries to come and serve in Wales, the ministers were oblivious to the different national context and there was no straightforward book which they could recommend.
The answer seemed to be ‘put that right yourself’.
‘Our joint experience confirms our awareness that this is a story which is no longer being shared.’ they explained, ‘The majority in the churches have no concept of the wholeness of the story. Welsh denominations, as they weaken, are focusing on their own separate history and stories.’
‘But this historic story belongs to all the people of Wales. Our hope is that this book will alert the church and the wider public that there is one great story which belongs to everyone.’ they said.
‘This book is the appropriate history of a movement.’ added t he Rt. Rev. Dom Daniel OCSO, Abbot of Caldey, ‘This publication is not just a history book among many others but a re-telling the story in a way our ancestors would have done from generation to generation.’
The volume includes over a hundred photographs taken by Peter Noble as he travelled throughout Wales over a period of several years.
‘The photographs are an integral element to the book, the unique collection of images illustrating the historic narrative and at the same time the awareness of a contemporary journey.’ said Peter.
Two of these images include Our Lady of Penrhys and The Guardian of the Valleys monuments respectively which feature on the front cover.
‘The images we chose for the cover were deliberate’ they explained, ‘They symbolise a journey of discovery into forgotten Welsh history.’
John I. Morgans was born in Tylorstown, Rhondda and studied history, theology and church history at Swansea, Oxford and Hartford, Connecticut before ordination in 1967. His first pastorate included the United Reformed Church in Llanidloes and the Welsh Independent Church in Glanhafren. His ministry continued with the URC in Manselton, as Moderator for the Wales Synod, and at Llanfair, Penrhys where, with his wife Norah, he helped form the ecumenical church. He retired from pastoral ministry in 2004. Our Holy Ground is his sixth book.
Peter C. Noble was raised in Brynmawr, Gwent. Following service in the RAF he studied for ministry in the United Reformed Church at Manchester. Ordained in 1983 his ministries have been Brecon, Libanus and Cwmcamlais (UWI), Caerffili and Ystrad Mynach, Chaplain to Higher Education in Cardiff, Synod Training Officer, and Moderator for the National Synod of Wales. He is presently Ecumenical Chaplain in Cardiff Bay.
Our Holy Ground – The Welsh Christian Experience by John I Morgans and Peter C Noble (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
AmeriCymru: Hi Brian, and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. You have been both a field scientist and a Geography lecturer in your time. What inspired you to write fiction?
Brian: It's a great pleasure to talk to you. I always enjoy chatting about the writing process. You should really have asked "Who inspired you to write fiction?" and the short answer to that would be "My wife Inger." I've been writing books for many years, and now have about 80 to my name, but the majority of these relate to my research specialisms of landscape evolution and the Ice Age. I have a great affection for glaciers, having studied them in Antarctica, Greenland and other parts of the north polar regions. So in my days as a lecturer in Durham University it was natural that I should write textbooks about glaciers and landscape; my big text book on that subject, written with my good friend David Sugden, remained in print for 20 years as a key university text across the world. I also wrote books on the Ice Age for a non-specialist readership, for some of the big mainstream publishers in the US and UK.
On moving back to Wales in 1976, I started my own small publishing business called Greencroft Books, and since then I have written and published one or two books a year, aimed at the Welsh market in general and the Pembrokeshire tourist trade in particular -- with titles on folk tales, joke books, guide books, local history and traditions, walking trails and so forth. But no fiction. I thought that the writing of fiction was something for which I was not suited, given my "academic" background. My wife thought otherwise, and was convinced that I could and should write fiction. And then, in 1999, Mistress Martha Morgan walked into my life, and along came the Angel Mountain Saga. It's difficult enough to resist one strong woman, and quite impossible to resist two!
AmeriCymru: The Angel Mountain novels have been a major critical and commercial success. Care to tell our readers a little more about what inspired them?
The story -- and the inspiration -- continued over the writing of the first five novels. When "On Angel Mountain" was published ten years ago, there was such an incredible response from readers that I just had to keep going -- especially since I had only covered a year or so of her life in that first story, and the rest of it was still in my head! So I did not have to "invent" a storyline -- that was there already -- and was able to concentrate on the technicalities of storytelling to the best of my ability. So I wrote and published the other novels very quickly, at the rate of one per year for five years. Since then I have written two further books in the series, one called "Guardian Angel" and the other called "Sacrifice". Very soon sales for the whole series will hit 65,000 copies, so I have to be satisfied with that.
AmeriCymru: The novels are set on and around Carn Ingli. What role does the atmosphere of this unique Welsh landscape play in your creative process?
Brian: The sense of place is hugely important in all of the novels, as it is in most Welsh fiction. We do after all have this wonderful word "hiraeth" which encompasses both longing and belonging -- and ties Welsh people to both a place and a community. Carningli, the little mountain which stands sentinel above the town of Newport in Pembrokeshire, is so important in the stories that it becomes almost a character in its own right. Mistress Martha has a mystical relationship with it, feeling that the mountain is a part of her, and that she is a part of the mountain.
As a geographer by training, I suppose that I feel a sense of place very strongly indeed, and I think that the success of the novels is at least in part related to the fact that readers can also identify very strongly with the little details of the mountain, the cwm, and even the woodlands and streams that are prime locations in one story after another. So they share in Martha's own intimate knowledge of the landscape in which she and her family, friends and enemies live, and love, and die.
AmeriCymru: Iolo Morgannwg, who is something of a hero to many of our readers, makes an appearance in the most recent instalment of the Angel Mountain series ( 'Sacrifice' ). Without giving too much away , can you tell us what role he plays in the novel?
AmeriCymru: In 'Rebecca And The Angels' Martha becomes involved in the Rebecca Riots. Care to tell our readers a little about the historical background to this episode?
So the riots started with the destruction of a tollgate at Efailwen in Pembrokeshire, and then spread all over West Wales. But the riots were actually quite sophisticated, as riots go! The men who took part in them tried to avoid harm to human life, although they had no qualms about smashing up and burning tollgates and tollgate-keepers' houses. In all the riots they dressed in womens' clothes and blackened their faces, and prior to the destruction of each tollgate they enacted a little charade involving Rebecca and her daughters, based on the Biblical story. They used trumpets and drums, and there was a strong theatrical element in the riots, based upon the old "folk justice" traditions of the "Ceffyl Pren." The army was sent in to quell the riots, but because they were so dispersed, and because the rioters had such an effective underground communications network, the dragoons were made to look stupid and ineffectual. Thanks in part to the extensive coverage of the riots in the Times newspaper, the protestors were ultimately successful, and the Turnpike Trust laws were changed by Act of Parliament, addressing most of the grievances of the rioters.
This was such a colourful -- and important -- episode, involving spies, betrayals and secret meetings (not to mention summary justice) that it was inevitable that Mistress Martha would get sucked into the riots, given her propensity for getting involved in any good cause that might help her to make the world a better place!
AmeriCymru: Will we be hearing more from Martha Morgan? Is there any chance of a television adaptation?
Brian: You will certainly be hearing more from Martha Morgan. She hasn't finished sorting the world out just yet. There's another volume in the pipeline, which will hopefully be published in the spring of 2012. Many of my faithful readers from all over the world have said that there MUST be aTV series or films featuring the different phases of Martha's life and following her battles with a number of seriously unpleasant individuals who lust after her and her little estate on the side of the mountain. The books are action-packed, and I think they have very strong characters, and all of my readers refer to the strong "visual qualities" of the stories.
But as we all know, film and TV adaptations are hugely expensive, and in the field of historical fiction producers and directors are notoriously risk-averse. Sadly, they prefer to make yet another version of "Pride and Prejudice" or "Wuthering Heights" rather than to take a chance on something new. But I live in hope. Everybody to whom I have spoken within the TV and film industry says that there is a powerful "random" element in adaptations for the screen. All it needs is for one influential person from within the industry to fall in love with Mistress Martha as a character, to see the potential of the stories, and to act as an advocate for a film project in the offices of those who make the key decisions. So if anybody out there knows a Hollywood director, feel free to tell him or her that the film rights are still available!
AmeriCymru: You are also a writer of non-fiction. Care to tell us a little about The Bluestone Enigma ?
Brian: Sure. This book arose out of a long-standing interest in the mythology surrounding Stonehenge, and particularly the "mystical" link with the bluestones that have come from the Preseli area of North Pembrokeshire. Since 1921, the myth of long-distance human transport of the bluestones has been promoted by one generation of archaeologists after another, to the extent that it has become one of the favourite tales of the world! We all know and love the story, whether or not we have actually visited Stonehenge. It underpins the nation's tourist promotion work, and it adds huge value to Stonehenge as an iconic structure. The trouble is that there was no evidence to support the human transport myth in 1921, and there is still no evidence today.
In the book I take a hard look at where the evidence (rather than the mythology) leads us -- and this means looking at evidence in the fields of glaciology, geology and geomorphology. Inexorably the evidence leads us to the conclusion that the bluestones (which have come from maybe 30 different sources) are glacial erratics, carried from Pembrokeshire towards Salisbury Plain by a vast glacier known as the Irish sea glacier, maybe 450,000 years ago. i think that the stones were dumped by this glacier not far from Stonehenge, and that in due course they were found by Neolithic tribal groups and built into the Stonehenge monument. Maybe the location of the monument was determined above all else by the accessibility of these stones.
Needless to say, many senior archaeologists (who have based their reputations on variations on the "human transport" theme) are furious about this development. I think it's fair to say that they wish that the book would go away -- but it's been reprinted already, and it's good to know that it has sparked a good debate!
AmeriCymru: What do you read for pleasure? Any recommendations?
Brian: I'm not a great reader of fiction -- my bed-time reading normally consists of background material for whatever I am currently writing. So just now I am scanning the pages of various books on the dress and customs of high society in the Regency Period. In the next novel Martha has to learn how to cope with a number of characters who are insufferably grand!
As for my favourite fiction, up there in my top ten would be Peter Carey's "True History of the Kelly Gang", "The Shipping News" by Annie Proulx, Wilkie Collins's "Woman in White" and "A Scots Quire" by Grassic Gibbons. (By the way, I am quite convinced that Dylan Thomas got his idea for "Under Milk Wood" from Grassic Gibbons........ but that's another story.) As far as Welsh fiction is concerned, my favourite is probably Bruce Chatwin's "On the Black Hill", which is dark, claustrophobic and wonderfully evocative. Then I would have to put in the novels of Alexander Cordell. They are not particularly subtle, but Cordell has a fantastic and unique "voice" -- his tales are told in a style that has guts and grime, bravado and anger, and I think he really gets into the soul of Wales.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Brian John?
Brian: I shall continue to write both fiction and non-fiction for as long as I am enjoying myself! When it ceases to be fun, I'll stop and spend more time in the garden. I'm still enjoying the creative process of publishing as well, and the marketing and distribution work that every small publisher has to take seriously. In some ways that's the least enjoyable part of my job as a publisher, but I do value the contacts with the book trade and the feedback from traders and members of the public. I'll continue to work on the sale of film and TV rights for the Angel Mountain tales. And I would love to see my novels take off in the United States and Canada, since i'm convinced that within the Welsh expatriate community there are many folks who have still not even heard of the books. But Mistress Martha is really Mother Wales, or so I am informed by my readers! So maybe that's a line I need to follow as I seek to reach wider markets.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Brian: First of all, thank you to Ceri and his colleagues for the warm welcome to the site! It's colourful, cheerful and friendly -- and as far as I can see it does a great job in explaining what "Welshness" means and in bringing together ex-pats and the descendents of Welsh settlers from across North America! So well done -- keep up the good work!
And for readers who look at the site, please don't forget your roots. It is a sense of belonging that makes us who we are -- and whether we belong to one community or several, we draw our strength and our individuality from the mutual support mechanisms sustained by those around us. It's that "spirit of belonging" which I have tried to capture in the stories of my very imperfect heroine Martha Morgan. She falls from grace over and again, but always her angels pick her up again and reestablish her at the centre of her little world. May the angels of Americymru continue to thrive!
Some links:
About Stonehenge and the bluestones: http://brian-mountainman.blogspot.com/
The Angel Mountain Saga: http://www.angel-mountain.info/
Americymru: Hi Maggie and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. You were born in Wales. Care to tell us a little more about your Welsh background and how you came to the States?
Maggie: I was dragged kicking and screaming into this world in my grandparent’s terraced house in the Ryhmney Valley coal-mining town of Ystrad Mynach in what is now the county of Mid Glamorgan. My maternal and paternal grandfathers were coal miners. My maternal grandmother’s mother tongue was Welsh, which colored her English, often amusingly so. My father was the first in his family to go to college, and I was the first female in the family to throw myself into the academic melee. I have fond memories of Bangor University, which was Bangor College, University of Wales, when I graduated. I’m even nostalgic about the gales that blew—seemingly continuously—from across the Irish Sea, pouring cold water into my wellies and darkening the Gothic college buildings until they resembled something Sauron would have enjoyed living in.
After graduation, I stumbled through a motley slew of jobs from unofficial spy (for the Brits, in case you’re worried) to musicologist (I studied piano and music theory) to orchestral manager to law-firm media relations consultant to academic editor, in the UK, Romania, and—when the glitter of the gold-paved streets beckoned—the USA. I even tried my hand at teaching English to recalcitrant schoolgirls in France. Well, they were recalcitrant until I switched from grammar to medieval history—there’s nothing like castles, dungeons, and torture chambers for winning friends and influencing minds.
I was recruited in London for a job at the World Bank, Washington, DC as a trilingual secretary, but that changed quickly once I discovered the thrills—and spills—of writing program notes for National Symphony Orchestra audiences who would rather search for their names in the donors’ lists than learn what Beethoven had for breakfast. And I went downhill from there …
Americymru: We learn from your biography that after arriving in the US you "... gravitated to Virginia where I threw myself—not literally of course—into editing and writing nonfiction, mostly for adults." Can you tell us more? How would you describe your writing background?
Maggie: That motley slew of jobs in the business sector all had one thing in common—writing/editing, writing/editing, and more writing/editing—on everything from astronomy to Zen Buddhism. I’ve always loved words, and I’ve always loved research. In fact, I was often so absorbed by the research that I put off getting around to the writing. That still happens.
Americymru: Dewi is not your first venture in the area of childrens writing. Can you tell us a little more about your previous work for children?
Maggie: I’ve always been fascinated by children’s literature from the time I was small and my parents read me bedtime stories to becoming a mother myself and reading my own child stories, sometimes the same ones I enjoyed as a child. When my son grew too old for stories, I needed an excuse to borrow books from the children’s library. Declaring myself to be a children’s writer did the trick. Studying the work of great children’s writers gives me the chance to indulge my love of that enchanting mix of innocence, escapism, imagination, and humor that bubbles out of children’s literature. My first efforts at writing were articles and poetry written for the online Stories for Children Magazine, and knowonder! magazine published my first novella, Dewi, the Red Dragon. My adventure story Vin and the Dorky Duet for middle-grade readers was published this past summer.
Americymru: What can you tell us about Dewi and the seeds of Doom? What inspired it? Where can readers buy it online?
Maggie: When I first created my character Dewi, a young and nosy Welsh dragon, I wanted to spread the word, in my very small way, about the land of my birth—its gorgeous countryside, its inspiring history, its fascinating legends, its impossible language. I don’t see why Wales can’t enjoy the kind of global awareness that Scotland and Ireland do. Dewi and the Seeds of Doom combines fantasy—the setting is a historically dubious Wales—with a contemporary problem: genetically modified organisms (GMOs). GMOs in the human food chain are very scary—much scarier than any horror movie could ever be. They are now to be found in 80 to 90 percent of all processed foods in the USA. I have enormous respect and admiration for those courageous folks who are trying to educate the public about them and get them removed from our food supply. I hope children who read Dewi and the Seeds of Doom will enjoy a romp with a feisty little Welsh dragon turned amateur detective. I hope their parents will subscribe to the underlying message about GMOs.
Dewi and the Seeds of Doom is available most places where books are sold, including Amazon and Kindle, and the publishers’ bookstores: for the e-book, MuseItUp Publishing and for the paperback, Halo Publishing International at and of course through Americymru’s bookstore. For more information, check my website at Maggie Lyons Children''s Books
Here’s a brief description of the story:
When Dewi is clobbered by a falling rat, the nosy Welsh dragon snoops his way into a challenging predicament. Helped by a toad with a passion for chemical wart cures, Dewi discovers that a megalomaniac baron is secretly breeding mutant corn at an unfriendly castle. To thwart the genetically modified-corn baron’s sickening plan, he must use moxie and firepower in a series of catastrophe-skirting capers.
Americymru: What''s next for Maggie Lyons?
Maggie: I’m working on a sequel to my children’s adventure story Vin and the Dorky Duet and I’m also chewing on an idea for a sequel to Dewi and the Seeds of Doom, this time inspired by the history of the National Eisteddfod, in which, as a very young pianist, I once competed.
Americymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Maggie: A very heartfelt diolch yn fawr for reading this far.
Interview by Ceri Shaw
...
AmeriCymru: What inspired the concept for “The Banquet of Esther Rosenbaum?”
Penny: It began with a footnote in a biography about the writer Bertolt Brecht, relating to his grandmother Karoline. She caused uproar when she struck up a friendship with a young woman cook and went off to the races with her. It was 1917 and she was behaving in a way that turned the strict social conventions of that time on their head. Karoline was 78 and she decided to party. I liked that. I’d already been thinking about the character of an anorexic chef and had written a short story about a clockmaker, inspired by some wonderful old clocks I’d seen in a museum. I began to wonder if these different elements could come together in some way.
AmeriCymru: What made you choose this period and place for your novel?
Penny: They chose me! When I was at art college I’d come across the work of German artists of the early 20th century and was quite simply inspired – artists like Kirchner, Dix and the brilliant satirist Grosz. The Dadaists in Berlin were amazing – their experimental approach to art, their creative panache and combative way with the world and its failings had me hooked from the off. I hardly needed an excuse to go back into the future, if you like. Look at Grosz’s satirical drawings condemning the fat cats of industry, or corrupt military leaders, of Dix’s powerful prints exposing the horrors of war and it’s hard to imagine you’re not looking at something still relevant and contemporary.
A statistic I’d read about life in Berlin in 1923 – the year of a terrible inflation which wrecked the lives of people from all walks of life – helped me find my starting point. This statistic claimed “less than 10% of Berlin’s families earned enough to maintain a decent standard of living.” What this meant in reality was terrible poverty, contrasting with conspicuous consumption by the few – a surprisingly familiar story if you look at news headlines today. I was also intrigued by the landmark buildings of the period, such as House of Aschinger, a four-storey restaurant which was open all hours. The management offered free bread rolls with bowls of pea soup to bring in the artists who provided colour and scandal. The pea soup was legendary – apparently, it was created by a Nobel Prize-winning chemist. In my story, it has a very different creator, or course.
AmeriCymru: You’ve discussed the role of food in this story, the importance it would have had for people in Germany at the time, was that concept the inspiration for your setting and how much did it affect your development of your characters and their relationships?
Penny: Originally my novel was going to interweave the stories of three different women, my chef Esther Rosenbaum, and two others, based on real people: actress Carola Neher, originally cast in Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera, and playwright Marieluise Fleisser. Food was part of the storyline, but not the only ingredient. I was also interested in the theatre world of that time, and the dilemmas facing a young woman playwright and actress, both of whom were lovers of Brecht in the 1920s. It took a long while to work out the story I really wanted to write. The novelist Celia Brayfield helped me get on track when I went to Ty Newydd, the writer’s centre in North Wales, to work on an early draft. She asked me which of the three characters I really wanted to write about and it was, of course, Esther. I tore up a lot of pages (not for the first time!) and began all over again. The idea of the story recipes came along quite late in the process.
AmeriCymru: Esther cooks fantastic and marvellous food for other characters and starves herself. What inspired that in her character, did you create her whole with this in mind or did it develop with the story?
Penny: I’d had an idea of using an anorexic chef in a short story, before starting on this novel. So, yes, Esther was always going to have a problematic relationship with food. What interested me was the idea of a young woman using her appetite as her only means of exerting control over outside circumstances threatening her. That is a trait found in many anorexics. I’ve not been a full blown anorexic, but like many women I’ve had issues around food and eating. And yes, I have in the past controlled my eating to feel like I’m in control of something. Food is also a currency in this novel – it is Esther’s gift, and her way of forging connections and relationships. That is never lost, even when she gets ill.
AmeriCymru: Some of the book’s characters are historical figures, people who lived, some of them your own. How was it to write them and was there a difference? How much of how you wrote your characters was based on people you knew and how much was out of your imagination?
Penny: Historical figures are interesting to write about. They are “real” in the sense that they once lived, but without having ever met them – and all the historical characters in my novel died long before I was born – I had to imagine them anyway. I did do a lot of research over the 10 years it took me to write Banquet, but the trick I found with my historical characters was to try and bring them to life using a few telling details, rather than laboriously list all the known facts (or even sticking to them rigidly). For example, Thomas Tucholski is based on the real life kabarett artist Klabund, who was prosecuted for blasphemy and jailed in 1918. Klabund was “fiery and thin” – so is my character Thomas. But what gave me the real inspiration for creating his character was something I’d read by Kurt Tucholsky, a left wing journalist and a contemporary of Klabund: “Nothing is more difficult and nothing demands more character than to find oneself in open opposition to one’s time and to say loudly: no.” That, in essence, sums up Thomas Tucholski, a fervent anti-war campaigner. And that’s where I got his surname from – but I realised I had misspelt it when I went back over my research notes for this Q&A!
Grandmother Brecht is based (very loosely) on Karoline Brecht. Whilst researching in Germany, I ran out of money and was unable to go to see where she lived in the Black Forest. So, I moved her to Augsburg (where her grandson was brought up) and turned her into a sympathiser for the Spartacist movement. Bearing in mind her habit of ignoring social convention and the proprieties of the time, I felt that wasn’t such a huge step out of character.
I feel in many ways the city of Berlin is also a character in this book and I adopted a similar approach in trying to convey its atmosphere and appeal. House of Clocks is one of the few real places I found – in reality though it’s an art auctioneer’s called Villa Grisebach. Walking around Berlin in the late 1990s, I soon realised I wouldn’t succeed in finding concrete information of most of my settings, but would have to rely instead on suggestion and echo to suggest what once was. In the end, different scents and tastes became as important as bricks and mortar.
AmeriCymru: How much of Esther is you – your own feelings or realisations of coming on age?
Penny: I think all writing is autobiographical in the sense that you’re drawn to write about things that influence you, affect you, make you think, and so on. That doesn’t mean it’s a straight lift from life at all. As I said earlier, Banquet was a long time in the writing. It really began to come together the year several people I was close to died in quick succession. Rather than a rites of passage novel, shaped by my pre-adolescent experiences, it’s one influenced by months of grieving in my early thirties. It’s no coincidence Esther is an orphan. Losing someone you’ve been close to changes you in ways you can barely comprehend at the time. When I read Banquet, I see very clearly things that happened to me during that time of mourning, but of course filtered through another’s eyes and set in another period of time. It’s not a deliberate distancing on my part, or a cunning way of slotting me in to the book, but something I think is a lot more subtle and rewarding. I grew up a lot at that time, but I also spent a lot of time angry, drunk and behaving impossibly. It’s all there, and so are the good bits, like the lifeline suddenly held out by people I barely knew, or I knew but failed to understand in time could support me.
AmeriCymru: You’ve said in other interviews that particular artists and music inspired you writing this; did you immerse yourself in the art and music and everything else of that place and period to write?
Penny: Absolutely. Recordings of Lotte Lenya singing Kurt Weill; Pabst’s film of Pandora’s Box; photos of Jewish life by Roman Vishniac I came across unexpectedly in a London gallery one winter morning. But there were a lot of contemporary influences too, such as Tacita Dean’s Berlin Works and street graffiti in Berlin. And I ate a lot of fantastic cakes when I was there, all for the sake of research!
AmeriCymru: The real and the fantastical or magical elements in this narrative are so skilfully and subtly interwoven that the reader sometimes forgets that this is not a straightforward biographical narrative. There is no noisy crunching and grinding of gears as we change between registers. Did you aim for this “hypnotic” effect, or did it just emerge as the story developed?
Penny: If I’d aimed for the “hypnotic” effect you describe, I’d still be staring at a blank page! Seriously, I think the characters and the events that happen do help create that seamless tradition. I love books that nudge you into a surreal world, without losing sight of what is familiar, or maybe known historical fact. Gunter Grass’s The Tin Drum springs to mind, so does Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, or Patrick Suskind’s Perfume.
AmeriCymru: What are your future plans? Are you working on another novel at the moment?
Penny: Alcemi are publishing my second novel in 2010. The Deer Wedding is a novel set in Croatia, spanning two generations, two brutal wars and the controversial histories of two very special works of art. The main character is an artist called Antun Fiskovic who experiences a sea-change in his fortunes as occupying forces take over the government of his country. Fifty years later, a young woman called Dagmar Petric begins a search for answers to her father’s suicide, a disgraced journalist in Tito’s Yugoslavia. I was in Croatia just after the 1990s war ended, working with a theatre company who were staging a version of The Tempest on an island beach. That partly provided the inspiration for the book, the rest came from meetings with extraordinary people I met out there and visiting evocative settings such as the Jewish Cemetery in Split and the Croatian sculptor Mestrovic’s gallery-home and chapel in Split.
AmeriCymru: The Welsh independent presses are proving very successful at supporting a new generation of writers. What is it like as a writer at the moment, living and working in Wales?
Penny: Would I be published, if I didn’t live in Wales? I have a feeling that the answer is probably a resounding “no.” I’d been approached by a few editors and agents from London before Banquet properly got underway, but nothing bore fruit until I met Welsh-based editor Gwen Davies. Gwen really helped me get the whole thing into something resembling a publishable manuscript. It’s rare to find someone prepared to commit to your work and to help you develop; so many larger publishers are either not taking on new writers, or you have to fit a certain mould, or genre. I can see why Banquet (and me) don’t really fit the bill, but that’s fine when you have a thriving independent sector. Just look at how many bands are coming through the web and social networking sites these days, rather than the big recording labels. I like that DIY approach. Over the past few years, I’ve also been supported by several writing awards made by organisations such as Academi and my “day job” at Welsh National Opera. It was a writing class run at Cardiff Library by my friend Jackie Aplin in the early 1990s that gave me the confidence to start writing. I think living in a bi-lingual country helps give a different perspective too. If you like words, you like languages. Wales has many interesting writers working in both languages; it’s also welcoming of “outsiders” like me trying to find their feet.
AmeriCymru: Any other message you’d like to pass on to AmeriCymru readers?
Penny: An invitation to take part in an event like Left Coast Eisteddfod is fantastic. The writing process is isolating, so the opportunity to meet readers (or potential readers) is always welcome. I’ve not been to the States before, so I’m really intrigued what to expect. It’s already surprised me to discover there’s a strong Welsh contingent in Portland (and further afield) which means I have no excuses not to practise my Welsh!
Back to Welsh Literature page >
Originally published in Welsh, Evacuee – From the Liverpool Blitz to Wales is the remarkable story of Barbara Warlow Davies, an English-speaking four year old, who was evacuated from Liverpool to Talgarreg in Cardiganshire during the Second World War.
The memoir recieved wide acclaim with former politican Cynog Dafis praising the volume and saying, ‘I don’t believe I have ever read such wonderful, moving and appreciative tributes that are yet so real and sincere than the ones Barbara pays to her aunt and uncle.’
‘If you feel the need to restore your faith in humanity, I urge you to read this book.’ he added.
Born in Liverpool three years before the outbreak of the Second World War, Barbara had already experienced the Blitz of May 1941 in Liverpool when thousands died at the hands of the Luftwaffe before her arrival in Wales.
Here she recounts her life story, from losing her Mum six weeks before her third birthday, to being rescued from an explosion which killed 164 people at the Ernest Brown School before her move to live in rural Wales.
She had such a great welcome in Talgarreg that she decided to stay there after the war at the home of John and Rachel Davies in Pantglas who were like parents to her.
‘I am deeply indebted to Talgarreg School: to the two teachers, Miss Watson from New Quay and Miss Elen Thomas of Green Grove, Talgarreg, and especially Mr Tom Stephens, the headmaster, for the care, kindness and education I received,’ says Barbara,
‘Tom Stephens’ love for the Welsh language soon became ingrained in me, and I still have a great love for all things Welsh.’ she added.
Barbara recalls her wartime experiences and remembers Rural Cardiganshire after the war, with descriptions of farming customs, such as the day when the pig was killed, and how everyone coped with rationing.
The book contains moving portraits of some of the characters of the area; penned by a woman who is forever grateful for the warm welcome she received in the community of Talgarreg.
Evacuee by Barbara Davies (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
AmeriCymru: Hi Norma and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. When did you first discover your passion for writing and literature?
Norma: I have always had a passion for writing, but could never devote enough time to it, because of pressure of work. As a child I loved writing essays and stories. My professional career as a teacher, specialising in English Literature, nurtured my love of good books. I wrote a number of academic articles for journals such ''Management in Education'' and I also wrote an article for a book called ''Take Care Mr. Blunkett'' about curriculum issues. However, at the back of my mind there was always a hankering to write fiction. When I took up writing full-time I decided to write about my experiences as a child growing up in the Welsh valleys, but I was really interested in creative wrting. I enjoy writing fiction. For me it is a pleasure, not a hardship.
AmeriCymru: Season of The Long Grass is a true story of a childhood spent in the Cynon Valley in the fifties. Care to tell us a little more about the book and how life in he valleys has changed since that time?
Norma: My first book ''Season of the Long Grass'' is a journey through childhood to adolescence and the realisation that everything changes. It depicts the importance and strength of family life in the Welsh Valleys in the 1950s. A mining village wasn''t just a community, it was almost an extended family where people looked out for each other. Front doors were never locked during the day, the pubs closed at ten o'' clock and were shut on Sundays. Families sat around the table to eat and talk about their day. Television didn''t invade households until the late 1950s so entertainment was mostly board games and family activities.
Children could play ball on the main highway, because there was very little traffic compared with the present day, and vehicles were much slower. Whole streets went to the seaside together and the generations mixed together, unlike today. After ten o''clock the local dance hall was full of all ages from teenagers to grannies. Alcohol wasn''t served in the dance hall, only soft drinks and snacks, but it didn''t matter. Teenagers didn''t go into local pubs, because they knew they would be seen by somebody who would report back to their parents.
Discipline in schools was much stricter and the cane was administered just for being late on a few successive days. I remember being told that if a strand of hair was placed across the palm of the hand the pain of the cane wouldn''t hurt. They were wrong! There was more respect for the police. Children were not afraid to approach a policeman if they needed help. Conversely, most misdemeanors were dealt with by dragging the miscreants home to be punished by their parents. Going to Sunday School was positively encouraged and being drunk was frowned upon. It was altogether a gentler way of life where people looked out for each other.
Unlike today children were free to play and roam the mountains without fear. No problems with health and safety when climbling trees, playing conkers or building bonfires for Guy Fawkes night. Children ate what they were given, because they had been brought up on war rations which didn''t completely end until about 1953/1954. Designer clothes and trainers didn''t exist for children. They were expected to dress like children and wear what they were given to wear. Sex was only spoken about in hushed tones and never in front of the youngsters. There was no sex education in schools other than human biology. Most information was acquired behind the bike shed or from older siblings.
Even though there was pressure to do well in school and pass the ''scholarship'' to get into grammar school, there were fewer pressures on young people than today. Nowadays children want the latest fashion, indulge in anorexic diet fads and can''t wait to become fully-fledged adults. In the 1950s children were content to be children until ''teenage culture'' became fashionable.
AmeriCymru: Your second novel The Regis Connection is set in Berlin and Russia. What inspired you to write a thriller set in the WWII and cold war eras?
Norma: Your second novel ''The Regis Connection'' is set in Berlin and Russia. What inspired you to write a thriller set in the WWII and cold war eras? ''The Regis Connection'' was inspired by my time living in Berlin during the Cold War. I had many conversations with Berliners who had experienced the Soviets marching into Berlin at the end of the Second World War. They related what happened and the differences in how they were treated by the Soviets and the Allies. I also met people who had been involved with resisting Hitler. One woman told how soldiers broke into her house and shot her husband, because he refused to join the Nazi Party. Subsequently, she was forced to become part of the Lebensborn, a programme that used blonde, blue-eyed women to increase the population of Aryan children often fathered by SS officers.
I lived in the British Sector about two hundred yards from the Wall and close to Gleinicke Bridge where spies were exchanged, as depicted in Hollywood films. Travelling into Charlottenberg, on the top deck of a double decker bus, it was quite normal to see armed Grepos manning the Goon Towers. Gunshots and minor explosions from the East German side were commonplace. Military personnel families lived on constant alert in case the Soviets came over the Wall to invade West Berlin. I actually travelled on the military train through East Germany and experienced the precautions put in place by the British Forces and also visited the Russian War Memorial in Treptower Park in East Berlin. Visits were only allowed with the military and were closely supervised. Compared with the thriving, cosmoplitan atmosphere in theWest, East Berlin looked shabby and poor. Many bombed out buildings were still in existence.
I was so intrigued by events and stories I heard that I decided to write a fictional story based on what I had heard and experienced.
AmeriCymru: You are currently working on your third novel. Care to tell us more about that?
Norma: My latest novel is also a thriller set in present times. Currently, it has the provisional title ''Until Tomorrow Comes''. It is now with the publisher. Below is a brief synopsis of the book.
Chief Inspector Brian Wallace is called in to investigate the murder of a naked victim, wrapped in a blanket, found at the bottom of an old engineering shaft in Shropshire. A local reporter informs him that another naked body was washed up on the beach near Portsmouth suspected of being thrown from a cross channel ferry. The murder had been swiftly hushed up leaving no record of the incident. Wallace is furious when he is warned against pursuing his investigation by the top brass.
Determined to find out if there is a link with the murder in Shropshire he contacts Ernst Dreher, his counterpart in Geneva, who has links with Interpol. Subsequently, he and his pathologist girlfriend, Jo Barnett, fly to Geneva to discuss the case. Unknown to Wallace, Jack Conrad, a former colleague in British Military Intelligence, is also in Switzerland investigating the disappearance of two British army officers, Bruce Foley, working for MI6, and Robert Macaleer of British Military Intelligence. Gradually, Conrad and Wallace uncover a sinister connection between the murders of the two military men, the brutal murder of a young woman in Shropshire, who is connected to Colin Lynes, a Russian ‘sleeper’, and an American senator found dead in a hotel room in Paris.
Their search for the two missing military men sets off a trail of events that leads them to a covert organisation, known as the Black Militia, hidden away in the Swiss Alps. It is headed by a man known only as the Generalissimo. Wallace infiltrates the facility and discovers the full extent of the Generalissimo’s plans before escaping with Conrad. When they return to capture him they find that the entire organisation has decamped. They recover a disk from the Militia’s crashed helicopter containing precise information about the organisation and the Generalissimo''s plans; information that makes their blood run cold. The plot is full of intricate twists and turns. The action takes place in England, Switzerland, Paris and the United States of America.
AmeriCymru: Where can we go to purchase your books online? Are they available on Kindle?
Norma: Both ''Season of the Long Grass'' and ''The Regis Connection'' can be purchased on Amazon.com/ Amazon.co.uk, the Welsh Books Council, Waterstones and other good book stores. Both have five star reviews on Amazon.
''The Regis Connection'' is now available on Kindle
''Season of the Long Grass'' will be on Kindle very shortly.
My new novel ''Until Tomorrow Comes'' will also be available on Amazon and Kindle.
AmeriCymru: What are you currently reading? Any recommendations?
Norma: I have recently read some good historical novels such as C.S. Sansom''s Shardlake series, ''The Revenge of Captain Paine'' and ''Last Days of Newgate'' by Andrew Pepper; also Philippa Gregory''s ''The Other Queen'', ''The Queen''s Fool'' and ''The Red Queen''. I also enjoyed Bernard Knight''s books.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Norma Lloyd-Nesling?
Norma: I am not a single genre writer. After writing two thrillers I am now researching for a novel with an historical twist that moves from the 16th century to the present day. I am also writing a chic lit novel under a pen name. A little note for readers and members of AmeriCymru - my new novel, and any future books, will be published under the name Lloyd Nesling cutting out my first name and the hyphen.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Norma: Getting published is extremely difficult on both sides of the Atlantic. It is hard to know what publishers want other than chic lit, celebrity autobiographies, and what I term ''doom and gloom'' books. Keep at it! You never know when you''ll hit the jackpot. In the meantime write for pure pleasure. Enjoy!
AmeriCymru spoke to author Sarah Stevenson about her latest book The Truth Against The World
"Sarah Jamila Stevenson is a writer, artist, graphic designer, introvert, closet geek, enthusiastic eater, struggling blogger, lapsed piano player, household-chore-ignorer and occasional world traveler. Her previous lives include spelling bee nerd, suburban Southern California teenager, Berkeley art student, underappreciated temp, and humor columnist for a video game website.
Throughout said lives, she has acquired numerous skills of questionable usefulness, like intaglio printmaking and Welsh language. She lives in Northern California with her husband, who is also an artist, and two cats with astounding sleep-inducing powers." Read more here...
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Sarah : Diolch, Ceri, for this opportunity to talk about my writing work! The Truth Against the World is described on the book cover as "a transatlantic paranormal mystery that spans generations"—but I personally like to describe it as a ghostly mystery about a family secret. Two teenagers—Wyn (Olwen), a girl in San Francisco, and Gareth, a boy in London—are unexpectedly brought together online and find out they share a strange connection. Was their meeting a coincidence, ghostly intervention, or something more? Both of them have Welsh heritage, and soon, they begin to trace the mystery together, all the way back to a tiny Welsh village and the secrets it has held close for decades.
I hope that''s enough to whet readers'' appetites without giving too much away…
AmeriCymru: What is your connection with Wales?
Sarah: I have to admit first off that I have no idea whether I have Welsh heritage or not! It was something my grandmother always used to say, but we have no idea if it was accurate, and no real way to prove it. We only know for sure that there''s English, Irish, and French Canadian on that side. Having her say it at all, though, did plant a seed in my mind. I suppose I''ve been interested in Welsh language and culture since my first visit to Wales, at age 4! We took a family vacation to the UK and I remember being quite impressed with the castles in Wales, and the green countryside. I returned with my mother when I was 13, and that''s when I first remember encountering the Welsh language and being captivated by it. In college I had the opportunity to take a couple of Welsh language classes, and since then I''ve kept it up on my own, using online resources, and by attending the Cymdeithas Madog Welsh course as often as I can. Because of that, I now have various friends and other connections in Wales, and feel even more strongly attached than ever. (Now I just have to find time and money to visit again…my last trip was in 2000, for the Cymdeithas Madog Cwrs Cymraeg in Carmarthen.)
AmeriCymru: What influenced your decision to write for children/young adults?
Sarah: To be honest, I hadn''t originally thought about writing for young readers when I first began to pursue a career in writing. Actually, my original career plan was to be an illustrator, and I studied art in college as an undergraduate and even did a year of graduate work in printmaking. After being out of school and working for a couple of years, I was doing some freelance writing of humor articles as part of my job at an internet company, IGN.com, and realized how much I''d always enjoyed writing. However, this was the first time I''d ever thought of it as more than just a hobby.
I took an online fiction writing workshop in about 2001 and that was actually when I first began Olwen''s story. At that point, the characters were adults and it was not a YA novel at all. But I only got about 40 pages in before getting stuck. Shortly after that, though, I decided to return to school for creative writing, and during my MFA program at Mills College in Oakland, I took a couple of courses in writing for young adults and realized not only that Olwen''s story would be a perfect young adult novel, but also that I really had a connection with writing for that age group. I did so much reading when I was a teenager—it was the last time I had really read voraciously and indiscriminately. At the same time, I know how difficult it can be to keep teens reading. I relished (and still do!) the idea of being able to convert and keep lifelong readers. On top of that, I feel like YA novels are all about growth and change and coming of age, and I find that an intriguing underlying theme to explore, regardless of genre.
AmeriCymru: Your book "The Latte Rebellion'' won an IPPY Award for Children''s Multicultural Fiction in 2012. Care to tell us more?
Sarah: Here''s a brief tale of drastic contrasts for you! Although The Truth Against the World was my first finished book, The Latte Rebellion was my first PUBLISHED book. Truth, I labored over for years, first as my MFA thesis (at that point entitled The Other Olwen) and then afterward as I repeatedly rewrote it and tried to get it published. The origin story for Latte couldn''t be more different—I started it during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2007, and finished the first draft less than 6 months later.
I suppose Latte just came "pouring" out of me partly because of the autobiographical inspiration for it, and partly because it was just a very fun story to write—it''s about students of mixed race/mixed ethnicity who decide to form a club for other students like them and sell t-shirts as a money-making scheme, but of course the scheme careens hilariously out of control. As someone of mixed heritage myself (my father was born in India), it''s not hard to notice that there aren''t many books written about characters dealing with the unique set of issues that come up when you have a family that''s blended in that way, bringing together races and/or cultures. I wanted to write something that incorporated characters of mixed ethnicity, because that''s what I grew up with, but I also wanted to write a story that was entertaining and funny and not "issue-based." The Latte Rebellion is what came out.
AmeriCymru: You also write short stories. Where can our readers go to find them online?
Sarah: I don''t have too many short stories available online at the moment—in fact, this question prompted me to check my own website and I found that most of the links to my online work are no longer active! Surprise. However, I will take that as tacit permission to post some PDFs of those published stories very soon on my website, at www.SarahJamilaStevenson.com
AmeriCymru: What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations?
Sarah: At the moment, I''m reading a non-fiction book entitled Hubbub: Filth, Noise, and Stench in England by Emily Cockayne. I highly recommend it! It''s a fascinating look at what life was like in English cities in the 1600s and 1700s, based on firsthand writings from the time period. I also recently finished reading the third book in a trilogy by a YA writer friend, Robin LaFevers. The book is Mortal Heart, Book 3 in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, a story of magic, mythology, and political intrigue set in Brittany and France in the Middle Ages. All three books are fantastic, with wonderfully dangerous female heroines.
AmeriCymru: Other interests/hobbies besides writing?
Sarah: Lately I seem to find my free time for other interests dwindling more and more, but of course, when I can, I try to continue pursuing my visual art (drawing, painting, printmaking, bookmaking). I also enjoy cooking (and eating!), traveling, watching BBC shows (just finished Call the Midwife, and I love Doctor Who), listening to music and occasionally playing it (piano, and I''m learning ukulele), and on occasion I have been known to participate in role-playing games.
AmeriCymru: What are you working on at the moment?
Sarah: I''m trying to rewrite a draft of a new book which is part of a two-book set tentatively titled Fuel to the Fire. I like to call it post-post-apocalyptic. (Essentially, it''s a fantasy without any actual magic in it!) Book 1 is called Tinder. It''s set in an imaginary world that relies on water and steam rather than combustion, a few centuries after worldwide disaster has changed the face of the earth. In the stately canal city of Breakwater, a young noblewoman named Chiara is faced with having to undergo an arranged marriage, when all she wants to do with her life is work with technology as an engineer. Meanwhile, a young man, Aden, lives in the poor part of town, scrabbling to pull down enough money from his work as an apothecary''s apprentice so he can pay his dead father''s debts. An irresistible offer of work from a slightly shady individual ends up drawing Aden into a world of thugs, rebels, and guerrillas eager to bring down the noble status quo—and then a shocking, tragic accident brings him and Chiara together. Whether they can stop what they''ve inadvertently helped set into motion is the premise of Book 2.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Sarah: Thank you so much for reading this! For more of my thoughts on books and writing, here are a few more places to find me online:
Blog posts: http://sarahjamilastevenson.com/blog.html
Twitter: @aquafortis
Peregrinations of William Davies Evans During the Later Nineteenth Century
Welsh author Margaret Morgan Jones publishes her great-uncles account of his travels in the USA in 1880. AmeriCymru spoke to Margaret about the book and her future plans.
Buy Travels of A Welsh Preacher in the U.S.A. here
AmeriCymru: Hi Margaret your new book Travels of a Welsh Preacher in the U.S.A is a translation from an 1883 Welsh language original Dros Gyfanfor a Chyfandir. Can you tell us how you became involved with this project?
Margaret: I became involved with the project of translating Dros Gyfanfor a Chyfandir (Over Ocean and Continent) by Reverend W.D. Evans (my great-uncle) after the author’s direct descendants had traced me down on their visits from the U.S.A. to Wales. Because the book was written in Welsh, Evans’ descendants had no idea what the book contained. On one visit, they put me on the spot and asked me to translate this page and that page, so I told them that I would translate the whole book for them. At first, it was only an undertaking for the ‘Evans’ family in the United States, but when two friends of mine – Professor Ivor Wilks and Professor Nancy Lawler, read extracts from my translation, they advised me to have it published in book format. I went along with their recommendation and Myrddin ap Dafydd of the publishing company, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, North Wales was happy to accept my work for publication. I was advised to change the title in order to better reflect its content.
AmeriCymru: What was the purpose of William Davies Evans trip to the States in 1880?
Margaret: My great-uncle, William Davies Evans, was born in a cottage in Talsarn, West Wales, on February 23, 1842. When William was 10 years old, his parents and their family emigrated to the U.S.A. After completing his education in Ohio, William returned to Wales in 1872 with the intention of a short stay, but his diary kept filling up with preaching appointments, so he stayed in his homeland for 15 years. In the year 1876, he married my grandfather’s sister, Jane Jones, Penwernhir, Pontrhydfendigaid. In 1880, he decided to sail to the U.S.A. to gather material for two books he was planning to write.
AmeriCymru: How widely did he travel within the U.S.?
Margaret: After arriving in New York, Evans travelled the breadth of the country – from New York to San Francisco. He was sponsored by certain railroad companies during this venture. He walked up to the summit of Pike’s Peak, Colorado and down again, but spent a few days in bed after this!
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us anything about William Davies Evans later history?
Margaret: William attended Willoughby School after arriving in Ohio when he was 10 years old. It is assumed that he was educated at home when he lived in Talsarn because he wrote that it was in this school he sat behind a desk for the first time. In 1868 he went on to further education at Delaware University College and in 1870 at The Theological Institute in Oberlin, Ohio. In 1871, he took charge of churches in Youngstown, Weathersfield and Churchill before returning to Wales in 1872. On August 13, 1874, he and another 12 ordinands were ordained as fully fledged ministers of religion at Rhydfendigaid Methodist Chapel, Pontrhydfendigaid. Reverend Howell Powell, New York, was one of the ministers who officiated at this service. In 1883, the book Dros Gyfanfor a Chyfandir was printed by The Cambrian News at Aberystwyth. His other manuscript, Hanes Taleithiau America a’r Cymry Ynddynt (The History of the United States of America and the Welsh Living in Them) was never printed because he became depressed because sales of Dros Gyfanfor a Chyfandir were disappointing. The reason for this was: he had serialised the content, letter by letter, in the paper Baner Ac Amserau Cymru (Banner and Times of Wales). In 1886, he uprooted his family from Wales and emigrated permanently to the U.S.A. The following year, he came up with the idea of embarking on a weekly newspaper. He was sponsored by friends in Long Creek, Iowa and Emporia, Kansas and spent almost a year travelling, at his own expense, to persuade people to subscribe to this venture before the launch of ‘Columbia’ on July 4, 1888. He was editor of this paper for 3 years. Afterwards he and his family, moved to Kansas City, where he became a recluse for some time. The lack of Dros Gyfanfor a Chyfandir’s sales was the main reason. However, he picked himself up and according to H. Richards, Otter, Iowa (Y Drych [The Mirror] April 9, 1896) he regained his passion for preaching with more enthusiasm than ever. When he became unwell, he and his wife retired to Tacoma, Washington. William Davies Evans died on December 16, 1907. Respecting his wishes, his funeral was modest with no flowers and he did not want anyone to write a biography of him.
During the American Civil War, William and his brother, Lewis, were called up to serve with the army of the North. William’s occupation was as a draughtsman. As part of his duty, he once had to go as far south as Chattanooga, on the banks of the Tennessee river. He and Lewis spent an anxious time on Point Lookout, just outside Chattanooga, during this period. All is revealed in the book ‘Travels of a Welsh Preacher in the USA’.
AmeriCymru: W.D. Evans had a sense of humour. Care to share some of the lighter moments from the book?
Margaret: Whilst waiting for a train on a transfer in Nebraska W. D. Evans holds a conversation with a young lad from the ‘boot-blacks league’. Evans agrees to a ‘shine’, and the boy questions him intensely about the western towns he had visited. Evans in turn responds by asking the boy questions about himself. The boy tells him that he does not pay a fare for travelling on the train; that he travels on a small seat between the wheels, under the train. Evans asks: ‘what if you collided with a cow or horse?’ The boy replies: ‘I would be better off than the poor animal’ and so forth. All very amusing.
When Evans was in the region of Ashland, Wisconsin, he became unwell and was directed to a respectable and comfortable house. A fellow-lodger was very interested in him after discovering that he had a Welshman as a companion. This man had not met a Welshman for 10 years and took great care of Evans and called on a doctor to see to him. This man asked Evans if he had heard of Twm Chaen Bwlet. The reply was ‘no.’ ‘Never heard of Twm Chaen Bwlet!’ ‘Have you heard of Tom Sayers?’ ‘Yes,’ Evans replies. Apparently Twm Chaen Bwlet trained Tom Sayers to be a boxer. The questions and answers go on and on. Apparently Twm Chaen Bwlet was this man’s brother. All very interesting and amusing.
Another tale is: when a panel of 12 women were sworn in as jurors in a court of law in Laramie. The case before the jurors concerned one of the ruffians of the West. A divine guidance was asked for before returning the verdict. While the women were sitting on the jury, their maids were in their homes singing:
Nice little baby, don’t get in a fury
Cause mamma is gone to sit on the jury.
According to W.D. Evans!
AmeriCymru: Where can the book be purchased online?
Margaret: (i) www.gwales.com Click on ‘Books from Wales’ Search: ‘Travels of a Welsh Preacher in the U.S.A.’ Click – No 9 down the list. Read Reviews.
(ii) Myrddin@carreg-gwalch.com
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Margaret: I hope that readers of ‘Travels of a Welsh Preacher in the U.S.A.’ will find the book interesting. Landscapes are vividly described throughout and it is full of accounts of Evans’ long journey and the people he met and their livelihoods. It also contains 41 pictures.
Regarding the lost manuscript of ‘Hanes Taleithiau Unedig America a’r Cymry Ynddynt’ (The History of the United States of America and the Welsh Living in Them). I discovered 40 of my great-uncle’s Letters to the Press at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth. They are all numbered and entitled ‘From Aberystwyth to San Francisco’. In these Letters, I found material that would have been included in the lost book, had it been printed. I have copied, selected and translated, from Welsh into English, this information. It is now in book format, has been accepted by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch and will be released under the title ‘From Aberystwyth to San Francisco’ before Christmas – next November hopefully. The book contains a vivid picture of the lives of emigrants from Wales and other European countries to the United States at the end of the 19 th century. Different to many books written about this subject, the content was written by someone who experienced life first hand in Wales and America at this time. Dr David Lloyd, Director Writing Program, Le Moyne College, Syracuse, N.Y. has written a very interesting Preface to the book.
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AmeriCymru: Hi Llwyd and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. All your novels have been written and published in the Welsh language. How have they been received by Welsh readers?
Llywd: Very well, in general, although some people don’t like them, of course. But that goes hand in hand with the kind of close-to-the-bone fiction I write. I’m a reasonable enough person to realise that my novels aren’t for everyone. And all my novels have an ‘Indecent Language’ warning on their back covers, to ward off the faint hearted!
AmeriCymru: Do you think that your novels have ''broken the mould'' in Welsh language writing? Care to tell us a little about the Eisteddfod controversy?
Llywd: I don’t think they broke the mould as such (novelists such as Caradog Pritchard, Goronwy Jones, Twm Miall, Owain Meredith and Gruff Meredith have all produced highly controversial novels before me), although they do seem to have opened the door for some like-minded authors – for example Dewi Prysor and Alun Cob – to produce equally exciting novels for a new generation of readers.
There really isn’t much to tell about the so-called ‘Eisteddfod controversy’ (my debut novel was deemed to go “beyond normal and safe publishing boundaries”) except that I’m glad I did not win the 2005 Daniel Owen Memorial Prize because it gave me the opportunity to a) take my pick of publishers, and b) refine and rewrite parts of the novel before it was published in March 2006. That said, it did help ensure a lot of publicity for the novel upon its release.
AmeriCymru: OK I have to ask...do you have plans to translate the remaining four Welsh language novels into English? If so, which one first and when might we expect see it made available?
Llywd: I have no plans to translate the others at present, although I’m certain that it will happen sometime in the near future. I translated Faith Hope & Love so that my wife (a Welsh learner who struggled to get to grips with the Welsh versions of my books) could see what I was up to. And after it was so well received, I decided to translate The Last Hit during a break between writing new fiction. I challenged myself to translate a chapter a week and released the results on my website as a work in progress.
Ame 
Llywd: Personally, I wouldn’t call it a ‘feelgood novel’, but I can’t stop people labelling it whatever they want because, post-publishing, the novel belongs as much to each individual reader as it does to me. I see The Last Hit as a homage to my favourite genre of fiction, namely hard-boiled thrillers as perfected by some of my literary heroes, for example Elmore Leonard and George Pelecanos. It also tips its hat in many ways to my one of my favourite films, True Romance .
AmeriCymru: Faith, Hope & Love sold more copies in the States than in Britain. What do you think is the books'' major appeal in the US?
Llywd: I have no idea why Faith, Hope & Love sold more copies in the US than in Britain, although I’d have to say that the novel’s themes are very universal, so that anyone – from Aberdeen to Atlanta and Aberdare to Adelaide - could relate to them. For example, almost everyone has lost someone close to them; everyone has been betrayed at some point; most people have experienced a broken heart; and everyone has a family with its own unique dynamic. And that is what Faith, Hope & Love is fundamentally about – family and loss, love and betrayal.
Ame 
Llywd : As it happens, the time I spent living in a place called Mission Beach in tropical North Queensland at the turn of the century had a huge impact on The Last Hit. It was here that I met the original, the real-life Tubbs, who became the fictional main character of the novel.
One evening during my first week at Mission Beach, sat around the communal campfire in the company of my new friends and co-workers at what was essentially a hippy commune stroke backpacker hostel, I heard whispers that ‘Tubbs’ was on his way. I had no idea who Tubbs was, so I turned to Trev, sat slumped and smoked-out next to me, and asked him to fill me in. In hushed tones, he explained that Tubbs was a ‘big bloody Bandit’, before passing out. Soon, ‘Tubbs’ was amongst us. A giant. A beast of a man. Six foot six. Twenty stone. Mean looking. Sullen. Serious business. The kind of bloke who could grow a beard from scratch in less than ten minutes. He was there on behalf of the Cairns faction of the Bandidos biker gang in his capacity as a merchant of magic potions and special herbs. Just the man I wanted to see as it happens…
I was introduced to this behemoth, who went through the motions as he weighed up my order:
“Where you from?” He asked.
“Wales.” I replied, which made him turn his head to look at me, his eyes twinkling in the fire’s glow.
“ Where in Wales?”
“Cardiff.”
On hearing this his frown turned into a panoramic smile, before he uttered the words that cemented the foundations of our friendship for the coming months.
“Bloody hell, mate,” he bellowed. “I’m from Dinas Powys!”
The Welsh-connection thrust me directly to the top of the hippy food chain and I soon learnt that Tubbs was born in Llandough in the mid-sixties, although his family moved to Australia before he was one.
Our relationship was a very simple one, thanks mainly to his calling and my girlfriend’s address. Each week, Tubbs would leave the Bandidos HQ in Cairns with a boot-load of ‘product’ and drive to Brisbane and back, calling at several prearranged locations along the way. Every week, he’d call to see his chums at Mission Beach before I’d accompany him in his light grey VW Polo with tinted windows (his secret weapon in his never-ending efforts to avoid incarceration) to Cairns where he’d drop me off at said girlfriend’s house. Along the way he’d regale me with seemingly tall tales about his life as an outlaw, and although it was hard to tell what was true and what was fictional, I lapped it up and stored it all away.
We continued in this fashion for approximately three months, until the time came for me to leave. On my last night in Cairns, Tubbs took a few friends and I to the Bandidos HQ in an undisclosed address in the city, where we were met at the entrance by two guards armed with Kalashnikovs. Of course, bikers in general, and the Bandidos in particular, have a nasty reputation, but what I experienced that night was possibly the best night-club on earth. The place was full of characters, mostly hairy, heavily-tattooed, leather-clad grease merchants with amazing stories to tell; while the barmaids were completely naked. But by that time, nothing in Tubbs’s world could surprise me.
A few years later, now an established author with an award-winning tome to my name, I decided to revisit my time in north Queensland and the relationship I had with ‘Tubbs’. And although I’m not for one second suggesting that the original Tubbs was an assassin (like the fictional one in The Last Hit ), he was a very dodgy individual who supplied the kindling, the firewood, the matches and the petrol that exploded in my mind to create this epic character and the world he exists within.
AmeriCymru: You have been described in the past as "....Wales’s anwser to Irvine Welsh". How do you feel about this comparison?
Llywd: It’s great to be compared to one of your heroes, of course; although I’d exchange it in an instant if my novels would be read by just 10% of Mr Welsh’s readership!
AmeriCymru: Other writers, notably Niall Griffiths who cited ''So Long Hector Bebb'', have acknowledged a book or author who influenced their early reading and perhaps subsequent writing style. Is there an author and/or book that especially influenced you?
Llywd: Two authors in particular have had a huge influence on me and my writing, namely Lloyd Robson and John Williams. Both Robson’s Cardiff Cut and Williams’ Cardiff Trilogy inspired me to write Cardiff-based crime stories. Their books put the city at centre stage, and this is something I have tried to do in my novels as well. As a Cardiff boy, I am proud of the city – both its triumphs and follies – and feel geographically and spiritually entwined with her streets and people. I realise that sounds extremely wanky, but it’s also quite true!
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Llwyd Owen? Are you working on anything at the moment?
Llywd: I am currently working on a new novel about an unhappy and bitter author called… ‘Llwyd Owen’.
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'The Last Hit' by Llwyd Owen - A Review
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"Not everyone deserves a happy ending."
Try as I might to avoid writing ''fanzine'' style reviews for this site it is difficult to avoid playing the role of ''cheerleader'' where Llwyd Owen is concerned. This is the second of his six Welsh language novels published by Y Lolfa to be translated into English and one can only hope that the other four will follow shortly. Whilst ''Faith, Hope & Love ( published in English translation in 2010 ) displayed all the hallmarks of a classic tragedy this book is much lighter in tone. ''The last Hit'' has been described as a feelgood novel and certainly there are happy endings though not everyone comes out of it well. In some ways it resembles a Welsh Western. Our hero Al Tubbs gets the girl and revenge against his evil stepfather in a final showdown in which he exacts ''moral'' retribution for the years of abuse and deceit he has suffered at his hands.
''The Last Hit'' boasts a full complement of sleazeball characters who would be at home in the pages of any Irvine Welch novel but it is not without humour. In fact it is intensely and darkly comedic throughout. Witness this brief exchange before Tubbs and his friend Boda visit Vexl, a Barry island pimp, to punish him for scarring his girlfriend.
"Be careful," Petra pleaded like the lead actress in a hammed-up Hollywood melodrama. "He''s off his ''ead and he doesn''t care about anythen."
"I f*****g hate nihilists," retorted Boda, while Tubbs turned to face her and looked down into her deep blue eyes.Earlier in the same chapter, shortly after meeting Petra for the first time we find Tubbs speculating that she might have been named after the famous Jordanian city and archaeological site. She responds:-
"Oh, Ok. I understand now," ......"But I dont think my pares eva went to Jordan. The people of the Gurnos dont get much furtha than Asda, down Murtha. Ponty at a a stretch. And anyway, I was named after the Blue Peter dog."
The many humorous touches enrich a narrative which moves at a breathless pace as it builds towards its grisly climax. A real page turner, this is a book that you''ll probably finish in a day and be left wanting more. An unreserved five star recommendation.
Llwyd Owen on Wikipedia :- "Llwyd Owen is an award-winning Welsh-language fiction author born in Cardiff in 1977. He lives in Cardiff with his wife and daughters and works as a translator when not writing fiction. As well as publishing 6 acclaimed Welsh language novels and one English language adaptation, he is also a published poet and photographer who presented his own television documentary on S4C on the Cardiff art scene in 2008.
His first novel, Ffawd, Cywilydd a Chelwyddau (Fate, Shame & Lies) was published by Y Lolfa in March 2006, and his second, Ffydd Gobaith Cariad (Faith Hope Love) in November 2006. Ffawd, Cywilydd a Chelwyddau was described by the judges of the National Eisteddfod of Wales'' Daniel Owen Memorial Prize as "close to genius" but was not awarded the prize. Critics have said that it goes "beyond normal and safe publishing boundaries" because of its disturbing content, swearing and slang, which is uncommon in Welsh-language literature. Publication of the book was delayed for a year due to its controversial nature." .... Read More
This week an author from south Wales is launching his second novel in the only existing WW1 series of detective novels. Demons Walk Among Us is Jonathan Hicks'' second book featuring military policeman Thomas Oscendale, and is the sequel to best-seller The Dead of Mametz, published in 2011 by Y Lolfa which received much acclaim.
Buy Demons Walk Amongst Us here
Read our interview with Jonathan here
The brand-new sequel, Demons Walk Among Us, finds Thomas Oscendale fresh from the horrors of war on the Western Front and on leave in the coastal town of Barry, where he is drawn into the investigation of the savage murder of a war widow. The novel paints a vivid picture of life in the trenches as well as life in the industrial towns of south Wales during the Great War.
Demons Walk Among Us is set one year on from the first novel in the series. As 2014 marks the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, there has been a burgeoning of interest in its history of this period and reviewers have noted Oscendale''s potential to develop into one of the great literary sleuths.
Available from all good bookshops and via Amazon on the author''s website:
"Although Wales is where I was born, I feel such an affinity with Walthamstow, London, where I grew up, that the town features in most of my books."
AmeriCymru spoke to Jacqueline about her previous work and her current novel ''The Colours Of Corruption'' and about her future writing plans.
Buy The Colours Of Corrution here
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AmeriCymru: Hi Jacqueline and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. You currently live just outside London and were raised in Walthamstow. What is your original connection with Wales?
Jacqueline: I was born in Wales on a wild and snowy night in February. My father was an army instructor in Anglesey and he and my mother set up home on a pig-farm in Ty-Croes. I went back in my mid-forties to try and trace my roots and there they were: a hearth stone in the middle of a field! I still have relatives in Llantwit Major, Mumbles and Cowbridge.
AmeriCymru When did you first become interested in writing?
Jacqueline: I knew from a very early age that happiness lay in books. I was one of those very shy little girls, tucked behind my mother’s skirts or sat in a corner, sucking my fingers, watching and listening to the grownups’ chatter and storing it up for the future. Or I’d be reading ...
I could read at two-and-a-half and devoured stories of every sort. When I was ten or eleven I discovered the marvellous Louisa May Alcott and her book ‘Little Women,’ and identified immediately with Josephine March. I knew then I was going to be a writer. In fact, when the Beatles wrote ‘Paperback Writer,’ I thought they’d written it just for me! One of these days ...
But it wasn’t until my own children had grown up and left home, and my mother had died without fulfilling her own writing ambitions, that I finally decided that it was now or never. I joined a Creative Writing class and discovered that I could write short stories and articles and get paid for them. I even won competitions. The tutor said – ‘I don’t know what you’re doing now but give it up and write!’ Eventually, I did just that. I took early retirement from teaching and haven’t looked back.
AmeriCymru : We learn from your biography that most of your novels start as short stories and develop from there? Do you also write short stories and if so are any available in anthologies?
Jacqueline: I don’t write short stories now. I took a tip from Beryl Bainbridge who said she didn’t waste ideas on short stories when she could write novels. I need scenes where I can ‘act out’ the plot (I wanted to be an actress at one time), wallow in the words and show the development of the characters. By the end of any book the characters must have changed in some way and a short story doesn’t give them enough scope, in my view. I do have a story in Luminous and Forlorn , an anthology published by Honno Modern Fiction and in ‘ The Smell of the Day ’ (New Essex Writing) and in various small press publications that were around at the time (some 20 years ago, when I started my writing career.)
AmeriCymru : Your latest novel Colours of Corruption is set in Victorian Walthamstow. This was your first foray into the field of crime fiction. How did you enjoy the experience? Can you tell us a little about the book?
Jacqueline: A few years ago, I won a place on a writing scheme run by the Writers’ Centre, Norwich, called ‘Escalator’. The ten winners were awarded an Arts Council (East) grant which enabled us to have ‘writing time’, to do research and to have mentoring in a new fictional genre. My then agent had advised me to ‘go darker’ on the strength of two earlier novels (one still unpublished) so I decided on crime fiction. I have to say I didn’t read ‘crime’, though I loved watching it on TV with my husband, who is addicted to the genre. I didn’t want to write yet another formulaic book about ‘police procedurals’ or private detectives or forensics. There are other writers who do it better than I could, who have more experience of modern policing methods. I wanted to write from the point of view of ordinary law-abiding people caught up in criminal activities through no fault of their own. I love History and I love Art and I love Walthamstow so it was easy to combine the three in a story about a Victorian police artist, Archie Price.
This is Archie ( see gallery below ) – a photo by Julia Margaret Cameron. She called him ‘Iago’ but clearly he is Archie Price, an artist from the Valleys. If he hadn’t painted he’d have gone down the mines or followed his father into the butchery business.
Archie is quite taken with the looks of Mary Quinn. See above another photo taken by Julia Margaret Cameron:
Mary is a poor Irish cleaning woman, widowed and childless. After drawing, from her description, a man she claims to have seen near the scene of a vicious murder, Archie invites her to sit for him, thinking her an ideal subject for his new ‘realistic’ style. Reluctantly she complies but, in selling the finished portrait to a rich and portly ‘entrepreneur’ , Archie manages to involve them both in a web of intrigue, involving murderers, thieves and sexual predators and Mary is forced to flee for her life.
This is how ( see bove gallery ) I imagine Lizzie Kington, Archie’s first love, who chose instead, to marry Archie’s friend John, a tile-maker and the steadier of the two. Since receiving a head injury, however, from a couple of thieves, three years before in Epping Forest, John is now addicted to laudanum and making life miserable for his wife and their toddler, Clara. In trying to help the Kington family Archie inadvertently exposes them, too, to the gravest of dangers.
I certainly enjoyed writing the book, doing the research, exploring the characters, their secrets and failings, and plotting the story, deciding who was to live and who die, and bringing it all to a believable conclusion, helping Archie to solve the crime, in fact, with a little help from his friends.
AmeriCymru : Your first novel, Lottie was described by the New Welsh Review as being - "...something of an oddity, and all the better for it." How would you describe the book?
Jacqueline: They say a novelist’s first book tends to be autobiographical and ‘Lottie’ is just that. The characters are mostly people I knew at school and the story is based on a pact we made (and never kept) about meeting up in London every eleven years when the day, month and year were represented by the same numbers – 6/6/66, 7/7/77 and so on up to 9/9/99 and the new millennium. In the story the pact turns out to be cursed, and Fate (or the supernatural ‘Lottie’ named for the allotment where the blood-pact was made) makes serious trouble for any girl who fails to keep the appointment.
I tried to imagine the turns a woman’s life might take, given her personality, her ambitions, her loves, loyalties and superstitious fears. This story turned out to be a cross between a crime story and a fantasy, but ’incredibly prophetic’ according to one friend who recognised herself as one of the characters. The others aren’t speaking to me!
Yes, it is an oddity, not following the accepted format of any known genre. As such, booksellers found it hard to slot onto any particular shelf. And, though Beryl Bainbridge, Bernice Rubens and Ruth Rendall all liked its quirky character, had Honno not spotted its potential I doubt it would have been published.
AmeriCymru: Your 1997 novel Someone To Watch Over Me was a great success and led to a publishing deal with Piatkus for two sequels. Care to tell us more about this experience?
Jacqueline: I was thrilled to bits when Darley Anderson, the agent, agreed to represent me, on the strength of ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ and got me a two deal with Piatkus. I couldn’t believe my luck having , a few months earlier, had Honno publish ‘Lottie.’ ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ was the first (of three) books about the psychic Potter family and their experiences during and just after the Second World War in Walthamstow and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne where I did my degree and met my husband. I loved doing the research for these novels, learning such a lot about clairvoyants, psychic healers and mediums, and imagining the joys and pitfalls of being able to see ghosts and read people’s minds. In the last book about the Potter family, ‘A Lazy Eye’, I tried to put myself into the shoes of a little girl ‘with a third eye’ who finds it all so puzzling and upsetting.
Imagine my disappointment when the book-covers (in which I had very little say) reflected none of the trials and tribulations of being clairvoyant but showed sweet and pretty Mills and Boon girlie-girls. I felt I wasn’t being taken seriously at all. These covers were such a mistake, so misleading. People wanting Mills and Boon love stories would have been disappointed and people interested in psychic gifts would have passed the books over, thinking they were romances. Little wonder, then, that I went as dark as I could for the next book, so there could be no mistake about its subject.
AmeriCymru : Your 2004 novel Skin Deep is certainly a science fiction thriller with a difference. How did you become interested in cryogenics?
Jacqueline: There was a lot of interest at this time about freezing body parts for transplantation into bodies that needed, say, a new heart, a new lung, a kidney or even a face. I actually met a woman and her husband who have elected to be cryogenically frozen when they die in the hope of being resurrected when a cure is found for whatever killed them. It set me thinking about brain transplants. Who might benefit from them and who would have had the opportunity for such grisly experiments? Questions like these took me back to the war and the Nazi labour camps.
AmeriCymru : What are you working on at the moment? Can we expect another novel soon?
Jacqueline: I am writing a sequel to ‘The Colours of Corruption’ in which Archie confronts the combined problems of Victorian pornography and the miseries of being stalked. I also spotlight the question of euthanasia.
I do have, ‘in the bottom drawer’, so to speak, a contemporary crime story about a woman teaching art in prisons and her gifted student who has his own agenda. This is a finished novel but needs some work to make it publishable.
AmeriCymru : Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Jacqueline: I would urge any reader of AmeriCymru who is contemplating a writing career to get on with it. Don’t leave it, as I did, until you have more time. Make time. Put down your knitting and rug-making and write. Stop playing games on your Ipad. Write. Publishers like to invest in young authors. Experiment with the different genres early on, choose one and concentrate on that. Life is shorter than you think.
His first novel ''Just A Bit Of Banter, Like'' revolves around the adventures and misadventures of Nick Evans:-
".... a young city-slicker with a trophy-girlfriend on his arm. Fast-forward just a day and he''s caught his girlfriend in an uncompromising position with his friend, accidentally sent a rude email to his boss - and he''s on his way home to South Wales with his tail firmly between his legs. Unemployed and single, life seems oh-so simple for Nick back in Southerndown, a coastal village where sheep vastly outnumber people."
AmeriCymru spoke to Chris about Just A Bit Of Banter, Like and his plans for the future.
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AmeriCymru: You have won prizes in many international short story competitions. Care to tell us a little about these? What was your proudest moment?
Christopher: Winning the Global Short Stories Award will always have a special place for me because it was my first competition win. It gave me such a massive confidence boost. I''d enrolled on an online writing course a few months before and began small by writing letters to women''s magazines (yes, I am male). A few got published, I earned a bit of cash and, most importantly, my name was in print! I then entered a few short story competitions.
The Global Short Stories Award was the third competition I entered and coming first was just amazing. I recycled the setting for my short story, Welsh Lessons, in my first novel, Just a Bit of Banter, Like.
After winning the September Global Short Stories Award I entered quite a few competitions and didn''t come anywhere. Zilch. Writing can be quite isolated. You send off a lot of work and sometimes it disappears into a black hole when you get little or no response back.
The Stringybark Stories Awards has served me well. This is an Australian competition but they welcome overseas contestants. It is a great set-up because all short-listed applicants get published in their anthologies. I came first in the Erotic Fiction Award (the first overseas winner) and that felt great because the anthology was named after my short story, The Heatwave of 76. This was the first story that I had published in paperback. Holding a book in your hand that you contributed to was such a thrill!
AmeriCymru: Are your short stories available anywhere in print?
Christopher: My short stories are included in the Heatwave of 76, The Road Home and Fight or Flight anthologies and can be purchased in Kindle or paperback from the Stringybark Stories website. I also have a short story included in the Past Pleasures anthology, available from Amazon and Waterstones.
AmeriCymru: What real life events inspired you to write your first novel, ''Just A Bit Of Banter Like''?
Christopher: This is quite a difficult one! I don''t really think real life events inspired me to write the novel as such, but quite a few of the funnier scenes have definitely been inspired by real life!
I think it was time to write a novel and I concentrated on getting the basics right. I focussed on making the characters involving, the storylines intriguing and the book an enjoyable, interesting and funny read. The characters were a cocktail of people I''ve met along the way. My Nan and Gramps had dementia and this was definitely an inspiration for the deteriorating mental health of Nan in the novel. I grew up in rural Wales and moved to London (but I haven''t yet moved back to Wales!) and this inspired the two central settings. When I moved from London to Birmingham it was a difficult time as I left a decent job and then struggled as a temp. Nick has a massive fall from grace and struggles to rebuild his life. Like Nick, I''ve also examined what is important to me in life. That said, I am a chronic over-thinker and so I''ve examined pretty much everything in my mind over the years!
AmeriCymru: How would you describe the book?
Christopher: It started off as a light-hearted comedy but I realised that I wanted to explore deeper subjects such as dementia, drug abuse and missing people, which didn''t naturally fit in with the ''light-hearted'' category! Getting the balance between the humour and the darker subjects was one of the most difficult aspects. With most descriptions as I have cunningly used the term ''dark comedy'' but I am still searching for something that sounds a little more impressive, if you have any suggestions!
It is a story of family, friendship and discovering what is really important to you. The characters are central to everything. if the reader does not care for them then the overlapping storylines and the element of mystery are irrelevant.
AmeriCymru: The book is set in Ogmore and Southerndown. Can you describe the area a little for our American readers?
Christopher: Ogmore and Southerndown are neighbouring villages on the South Wales coastline. It is were I grew up, but like most things, I only started appreciating its beauty when I moved away. The weather in Wales can best be described as mild in the summer and freezing in the winter, and so the long stretch of beach is more suitable for leisurely walks with the dog than for sunbathing. The residents of each village are in the hundred. The sheep number thousands and they stroll around the greenery and often wander on to the road. The mouth of the river in Ogmore is bordered by pebbles and rocks on one side and sand dunes on the other. You can cross the stepping stones to the other side and a little further down river lies the old castle.
I have many happy childhood memories of both Ogmore and Southerndown.
AmeriCymru: What do you read for pleasure? Any recommendations?
Christopher: I love reading autobiographies because people fascinate me and learning about lives gives me inspiration for my characters. I enjoy gritty contemporary drama by novelists such as Irvine Welsh and John King. I''ve also become fascinated by Welsh literature, such as Ash on a Young Man''s Sleeve by Danny Abse.
AmeriCymru: What are you working on at the moment? Any new titles in the pipeline?
Christopher: I''ve started planning and researching my second novel. It is going to continue the welsh theme, this time focussing on the towns Merthyr and Porthcawl. I love researching welsh history and this novel will be a journey through the last few decades. It is going to be darker and grittier than Just a Bit of Banter, Like and a much bigger project.
My aim is to make each book better in some way than the last. In my mind, it makes sense that my very best work won''t be for at least another few books, but who knows?
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru and the Welsh American Bookstore?
Christopher: I''ve only just discovered the site but it has been so welcoming I wish I had done so earlier. It seems like a dream combination for me. Obviously I love Wales but I also have family in Boston who we visited a few years ago and I had a fantastic time, and so America is close to my heart, too.
I am going to be roaming through books myself as I am sure there are titles that will grab my attention!
If you choose to read Just a Bit of Banter, Like, which naturally I hope you do (!) I would love you to provide me with feedback.
Back to Welsh Literature page >
The Life and Work of William Salesbury by James Pierce is the long awaited biography of William Salesbury, a gifted linguist, scholar and lawyer who dedicated and risked his life to bring to his people the learning and benefits of the Humanist revolution.
He was the principal translator of the 1567 Welsh New Testament and is considered one of the most significant figures in the history of the Welsh language.
William Salesbury was the Deputy Attorney General for Wales from 1532. His abiding passion was language and he succeeded in steering the first Welsh dictionary and the first translation of the New Testament into Welsh through the political perils of the reigns of four Tudor monarchs.
He introduced his country to the printed word, to Renaissance and Humanist learning, and his lifetime’s work was arguably responsible for saving the Welsh language from extinction.
Salesbury was a determined and politically astute man, yet his posthumous reputation has been blighted by academic controversy.
The Life and Work of William Salesbury will illustrate his major contribution to language and linguistics and should re-instate him as one of Wales’ most influential scholars.
‘A colleague of Ridley, Cecil, William Herbert and John Dee and employed by the notorious Richard Rich, his private life was dogged by marital strife, internal exile, a disputed will, physical assault and the seizure of his property,’ said the author, James Pierce.
‘Yet he pioneered Welsh printing, wrote propaganda for Ridley, compiled a dictionary, produced the first extensive translations of the scriptures into Welsh and the first science book in English and oversaw the passage of key legislation through Parliament.’ he added.
‘His contribution to the culture and history of both England and Wales is substantial,’ said James.
‘This is a well written, coherent argument that makes an original contribution to scholarship,’ said Dr Adrian Morgan, ‘It is a much needed and long awaited biography of one of the most significant figures in the history of the Welsh language.’
Born in Gwent, James Pierce studied Art before joining the teaching profession, eventually becoming an EAL specialist working with children from around the world. He learned Welsh as an adult and has had a lifelong interest in language and literature. He is married with two children and two grandsons.
The Life and Work of William Salesbury by James Pierce (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Brave new memoir reveals the hilariously funny and scandalous world of the Business Consultant
By , 2014-09-02
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“There are 100,000 business consultants in the world,” says Anthony Griffiths, who writes as Anthony Bunko. “For a fee, they enter organisations and watch their workers for a short period of time. They pull buzzwords out of the air, answer direct questions with other questions, and use flip charts to make them sound brainy so they can charge lots of money.
“When I landed by dream job I thought it would mean a life of travelling to exotic places, meeting interesting people and making lots of money,” explains Anthony. “15 years along the line, and at the age of 46, I woke up one morning in yet another hotel room in yet another city with yet another bag of Post-it notes in my briefcase. That’s when I decided there had to be more to life.
“Before breakfast, I emailed the other partners in one of the longest standing and most respected business improvement consultancy companies in the UK to inform them I was quitting my highly paid job to become a writer,” adds Anthony, author of Stuart Cable’s and Spikey Watkins’s autobiography as well as Hugh Jackman and Hugh Laurie’s biographies,
“My family, colleague and friends thought I’d gone mental (well more mental than usual). However they didn’t know the truth of what had brought me to the decision after ten years of living in the fast lane. What many considered to be a glamorous profession had nearly got me murdered in New York, kidnapped in Amsterdam, mugged by the fat police in Moscow, got me in a fist fight in Germany, arrested by the mafia in Italy and scared me half to death on seeing the ghost of a dead girl in North Wales, plus loads of other weird and funny adventures.
“In this hilarious laugh-out loud ‘consultant had enough’ memoir based on true events, I will spills the beans on what goes on in the two faced world of BMW’s, smart suits, flip charts and ever changing buzz words, while trying to cope with my mid-life crisis. There are loads of business and consultant books on the shelf but not many tell it like it really is.”
These are some of the reviews from some top welsh stars about the book:-
“ This is a cool and very funny exploration of an amazing life. It reads like a dream. Unputdownable! ” Boyd Clack , actor and writer, Satellite City and High Hopes
“ The way of the transgressor is hard. Don''t share this very enjoyable book with your children, ” Kevin Allen , director, producer and writer of cult movie, Twin Town
“ Quick witted and heartwarming, with a bona fide laugh-out-loud on every page, ” Rachel Trezise , awarding winning author and playwright
Anthony Bunko, was born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1962. He is the author of several highly acclaimed comedy fiction novels including The Tale of the Shagging Monkeys, and is also a poet and songwriter.
An interview with Anthony Bunko Welsh writer and author of 'Lord Forgive Me...But I Was A (Business) Bullshit Consultant'
By , 2014-09-18
AmeriCymru talked to Anthony about the book and his new career as a writer.
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Books By Anthony Bunko ...... ......... Press Release
Anthony: I’ve been told by the people who have read it, that it’s a laugh-out loud ''consultant had enough'' memoir about a writer trapped inside a business consultant’s body.
It’s quite funny because when I first landed my dream job as a management consultant I thought it would mean a life of travelling to exotic places, meeting interesting people and making lots of money. Yet, what many people considered to be a glamorous profession, nearly got me murdered in New York, kidnapped in Amsterdam, mugged by the police in Moscow; got me in a fist fight in Germany, threatened by the business mafia in Italy and scared half to death in a ‘Psycho’ hotel in Sweden. And that was just for starters!
I used the experience of writing the mad events as therapy. Instead of lying on a couch talking to some bloke charging me £50 an hour, I used the novel to offload 12 years of walking through the fires of consultant Hell without a safety net.
AmeriCymru: Was there any one incident in particular that made you decide to ''go straight''?
Anthony: There were lots of incidents in many years of talking bullshit for a living that made me ‘go straight’. But below is a little snippet from the book, which was probably the post-it note that finally broke the flip-chart’s legs.
Picture the scene; after 8 hours delay in Cleveland, I finally find myself alone in Newark airport in New York at midnight. My connection to London had gone, I’d lost my luggage and I was in a taxi going to a motel until I could get a flight home in the morning. The insane taxi driver was not only trying to rip me off, but he didn’t have a bloody clue where he was going. I had enough and told him to stop the cab. We both jumped out….here’s what happened next :-
He leant into the glove compartment and pulled out a gun. I sprinted over the bridge without looking back. The car horns blared as I zigzagged in and out of the oncoming traffic. Their headlights lit up my face. I darted up an alleyway, into a side street.
When I thought I was safe; I stopped running. My heart pounding in my chest, my legs felt like jelly. I punched the air. I had taken on the mad taxi driver of Newark on his home patch, and beaten the money-grabbin’ bastard.
Smirking to myself, I slowly walked towards the broken neon sign of the motel. It was only when I looked around did it dawn on me I was in more trouble than ever. I was in the wrong part of town, at the wrong time, and in the wrong whatever else I wanted to add to the wrong situation.
They appeared out of the shadows, staggering towards me like zombie creatures from the Michael Jackson’s Thriller video. In my mind I was sure I could hear the low murmur of the gutter people chanting. ‘Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the fear of a business man!’
I stood frozen to the spot. A gun shot rang out behind me. I screamed and put my hands over my head. Ok, it was probably a car exhaust backfiring, but I didn’t stick around to find out. I ran again, only this time much faster.
I sprinted around the corner; I could see the sign for the motel in the distance. In my imagination, I could feel their breath on my neck and their hands touching my skin.
I barged into the reception area, nearly knocking the door off its hinges. Everyone in there stopped to look at me.
Three prostitutes sitting on a worn-out sofa in the corner smiled. One uncrossed her legs. I swear it looked like a cave at Cheddar gorge. To be honest, if I was smaller, I would have crawled up there and hidden in the safety of her nether regions. It may have looked dirty and smelt of cheese but it looked like the safest place to be at that moment.
Link to amazon:- Buy ''Lord Forgive Me...'' here
AmeriCymru: Why writing? Of all the trades in all the world, what made you take up the pen?
Anthony: I began writing more by accident than design. However, I now think there was always some creative demon inside of me trying to get out. One day in 2002 I sat in a three hour traffic jam on the M4 after returning from a business workshop in London. Bored, I picked up a pen and scribbled down the now infamous title, ‘The Tale of The Shagging Monkeys’. Two months later, the comedy novel based on my mates from Dowlais Rugby Club was born.
The spelling was terrible and the grammer was worser (ha ha), but the mad-cap tale not only made people laugh, it earned me a 4 star rating in the Western Mail, the National paper of Wales.
After that I got bitten by the bug. Writing became my passion. Every spare minute (even though I was working full time as a consultant) I spent writing fiction stories. To me there is still nothing better than sitting in a pub with a bottle of wine and my imagination for company. (But don’t tell anyone about that, they think I’m weird already!)
AmeriCymru: What was it like working with Stuart Cable on the ''Demons and Cocktails: My Life with Stereophonics'' project?
Anthony: Stuart was a larger than life character with a large smile and larger hair style. What I loved about Stuart was he was a down-to-earth rock star, a real people’s person, who always made the time and effort to talk to anyone about everything. I met him while interviewing him for a spoof magazine I was writing called the rag. After several beers we both ended up in his mansion in Aberdare where he told me stories about supporting U2 and the famous tale about how he ate Keith Richards’ Shepard pie after a gig in Paris. Slightly worse for wear, I asked him if I could I write his life story. He shook my hand there and then, and the rest is history. For a year he took me everywhere and I met some wonderful and weird people. Partying with the Oasis brothers, Liam and Noel, who were both great guys, was a night I will never forget. Also becoming a life-long friend with the infamous and lovely Howard Marks, (Mister Nice, the drug baron) was all down to Stuart.
When Stuart died, it was like losing a brother, such a terrible shock and such a sad waste of someone’s life!
Me and Stuart at one of our many book signings
AmeriCymru: You have written a number of other biographies. Can you tell us more?
Anthony: The book Demons and Cocktails changed my life and to a degree my writing. The success of the book led to a London publisher asking me to write books on Hugh Laurie and Hugh Jackman. Then in 2010 I wrote the harrowing true lifestory, Ma’am Anna, about Human Trafficking Advocate Anna Rodriguez which was released in America.
Next stop on my rollercoaster ride found me in Bangkok in 2013, with the outrageously funny and slightly insane Mike Spikey Watkins – former-Welsh rugby captain. 2 hard to handle earned us the title of bestselling authors after it stayed number 1 for 8 weeks on Amazon best sellers book list, beating off the likes of Johnny Wilkinson and Richie McCaw. To date it’s had 35 reviews on amazon, all five stars out of five.
AmeriCymru: We have all been greatly amused by the recent revelations concerning the NATO summit itinerary. What is your involvement with the Walesoncraic site? How did it come to be founded?
Anthony: I’m not a political person at all, but I just find all the nonsense around things like the NATO visit just completely bonkers. I’ve never seen so many armed police in my life and I’ve been to football matches between Cardiff and Swansea !!! These politicians don’t live in the real world. Luckily, I started walesoncraic with a real talented writer, Patric Morgan from Cardiff a week or so before. Both of us had been doing similar types of stuff separately, so we met up in Wetherspoons in Merthyr for a cooked brekkie and within ten minutes, walesoncraic appeared out of the mist like Frankenstein’s monster. Hopefully it’s going to take over the world. Our first week saw us reporting on the Nato summit and all the madness surrounding it.
Link to the site:-
http://www.walesoncraic.com/
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Anthony Bunko? Any new works in the pipeline?
Anthony: As well as the spoof website, I’m also doing a few different type of creative stuff at the moment. Writing-wise, I’m just finishing off a few mad-cap children’s books which I hope to get released in 2015.
I’ve always wanted to write a stage play and I’ve written a comedy play based on the Wizard of Oz, but set in Merthyr today. It’s called the Wizard of Gurnwah and rehearsals starts pretty soon.
I’m also involved in a new creative group in my hometown, called HWYL – Made in Merthyr – its aim is to change the perception of the town to the outside world and also change the perception of the arts in the town itself. Even though the group has just started, I can’t believe how many talented people we have in the town…from writers, film directors, musicians, artists, poets, software designers, fancy cooks (who actually cooked for Obama and Nato in Cardiff Castle)…the list is endless…..I will keep you updated on progress…
AmeriCymru: What do you do when you finish a book?
Anthony: When I get that first copy in my grubby hands, I always lock myself away in my conservatory and read it from cover to cover while drinking a good bottle of wine. Then I put it away and move onto the next thing. I never read that book again…sad but true.’
AmeriCymru: What is your favourite book?’
Anthony: My all-time favourite book is Catch 22 by Joseph Keller. I revisit it every two years or so. It’s the funniest thing I have ever read. Even now it still makes me laugh out loud. The film based on the book didn’t capture the humour at all…but the book is brilliant.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymu?
Anthony: ‘Yep, a simple message for all the creative people out there looking for some kind of inspiration……
’You can walk tirelessly around the world in search of comfortable shoes… only to find a pair already under the bed.''
Make out of that what you will….it worked for me!!!
Here’s the link to most of my books on amazon:-
Books by Anthony Bunko on Amazon
Stay free
Bunko x
An Interview With Helen Forder, Author of ''High Hats And Harps''
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"According to some, Lady Llanover was the best friend Wales ever had!"
AmeriCymru spoke to Helen Forder, author of ''High Hats And Harps'', a new book on the life and times of Lady Llanover, a 19th century champion of the Welsh harp and Welsh culture in general.
Buy ''High Hats And Harps'' here
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AmeriCymru: Hi Helen and many thanks for your recent book ''High Hats And Harps''. Care to introduce the subject of the book, Lady Llanover, for our readers?
Helen: According to some, Lady Llanover was the best friend Wales ever had! She was born Augusta Waddington, 6th and last child, all daughters, of Benjamin Waddington and Georgina Mary Anne (née Port). Although English, Benjamin and Georgina had come to live in Wales (Llanover, near Abergavenny, MON.) where Augusta was born on 21st March 1802. Only two of her sisters, Frances and Emilia, had survived beyond infancy, and Emilia later died a young woman, not long after she had married. By this time Frances had married and moved abroad, leaving only Augusta living with her parents.
In 1823 Augusta married Benjamin Hall (III), the son of a family living at nearby Abercarn. They were devoted to each other and shared a love of Wales, its people and its traditions. Throughout their lives they used their position and wealth to champion Welsh culture.
Their social status rose gradually, Benjamin being created a baronet in 1838, and then raised to the peerage in 1859, becoming Lord Llanover of Llanover and Abercarn.
Sadly, Benjamin died in 1867, but Augusta continued the campaign to preserve the Welsh culture and traditions throughout the long years of widowhood. She died in 1896, in her 94th year.
Helen: Although unknown to many, Lady Llanover’s name has been familiar to me all my life thanks to my mother’s stories of her mother and grandfather. Her mother, Elizabeth Ann Williams, Nanny to us, was a member of Lady Llanover’s band of harpists and Mum would show us a photograph of Nanny, sitting at her triple harp while telling us of the time she won ‘the eisteddfod’ playing the instrument. Her grandfather was Lady Llanover’s under-agent.
AmeriCymru: How important was Lady Llanover''s contribution to the preservation and popularisation of the Welsh harp?
Helen: Lady Llanover learned to play the harp, having lessons from Elias Parish-Alvars, but it is thought that her interest in the ‘Welsh’ triple-stringed harp was aroused in 1826 when she attended the Brecon Eisteddfod where she heard John Jones play the instrument so beautifully. Later, John Jones became the Llanover family harper, after the building of Llys Llanover was completed. The position of family harper was maintained for the rest of Lady Llanover’s life.
AmeriCymru: Lady Llanover was often in dispute with another well known harpist from the period, John Thomas. Care to elaborate?
Helen: At the age of twelve John Thomas won the chief prize of a triple harp at the Abergavenny Eisteddfod of 1838. He attracted the attention of Lady Ada Lovelace, Byron’s daughter, who helped him financially to attend the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he more or less abandoned the triple harp, which was played on the left shoulder and, changing shoulders, he learned to play the pedal harp, which is played on the right. A very able student, John found fame at home and abroad with his playing and his compositions. Lady Llanover encouraged him, but when she began her campaign to save the triple harp, he found he could not support her wholeheartedly, as he saw the benefits of the pedal harp and the limitations of the triple.
Lady Llanover was angry with him, seemingly offended that he did not share her enthusiasm for promoting the triple harp, but he regretted the tension between them, saying that this had risen mainly from his ‘inability to view matters connected with [his] artistic pursuits in the same light as herself.’ However, he never forgot her kindness towards him at the start of his career.
Undoubtedly their relationship became strained, but in her nineties Lady Llanover, while in London, attended a Welsh concert arranged by John Thomas, when ‘twenty harps played by ladies in white’ were heard. Doubtless they were pedal harps. Perhaps more has been made of their ‘bitter quarrel’ than was true!
John Thomas had not completely abandoned the triple harp. At the Swansea Eisteddfod of 1863 it was announced that he had secured sufficient money from people such as Lady Llanover, Maria Jane Williams and the Dowager Duchess of Dunraven to establish a triple harp scholarship for ten- to eighteen-year-olds.
AmeriCymru: What was her greatest achievement and what in your opinion can we learn from Lady Llanover''s example?
Helen: Some years ago one might have been justified in thinking that in spite of her life-long efforts Lady Llanover had fought a losing battle. When I was a schoolgirl our music teacher told me there was no such instrument as a triple harp! I knew there was – we had a photograph of ‘Nanny’ with hers, but one did not argue with teachers in those days!
In spite of my grandmother having spent some years, from the age of twelve, living under the ‘Llanover influence’ I never heard her speak Welsh, although Welsh was her family’s first language; and although my mother was brought up as a Welsh speaker she never spoke to us in the language, and we children were actively discouraged from taking Welsh lessons in school. At least she kept the name Lady Llanover and knowledge of the triple harp alive with her stories of her mother and her grandfather and their time at Llanover.
As far as the women are concerned, Lady Llanover did not ‘invent’ the Welsh costume, as many people think, but she did create a Llanover ‘livery’, which is what today’s national costume seems to be based upon. While picturesque, the Welsh costume is not practical today, so it is hardly surprising that it is only worn at eisteddfodau and other Welsh cultural events. However, when it comes to the costume for men, one only has to look at what her family harpers had to wear to realise that costume design was not one of her talents!
Welsh folk dances, however, continue today, with Folk Dance Societies keeping some of the old dances, which were danced at Llanover, alive, for example, Rhif Wyth and the Llanover Reel.
One has the impression here in Wales that there is a resurgence of interest in Welsh culture. Many people are attending language classes, and the harp is a very popular instrument. Thanks to people like Llio Rhydderch ( www.lliorhydderch.com ) and Robin Huw Bowen ( www.teires.com ) the triple harp is alive and well! The first triple harp ‘choir’ since 1913 was formed a few years ago, and they have produced a wonderful CD of toe-tapping music. Consisting of five fine triple harpers, they are carrying on the tradition.
So, in spite of many years in the wilderness, Lady Llanover’s efforts seem to be bearing fruit. Long may it continue. Oes y byd i’r iaith Gymraeg.
AmeriCymru: Whats next for Helen Forder?
Helen: What Next? My website - http://augustaladyllanover.coffeecup.com – is very much in need of updating, so I must spend time on that! Also, I have two harps, a guitar, a piano and a recorder, all rarely played! It is time I settled down to some serious practice. Maybe I will begin again with the harp, not a Welsh triple-stringed harp I am sorry to say, but I know many Welsh tunes to practise.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Helen: Lady Llanover’s mother had been brought up by her great-aunt, Mrs Patrick Delany, who had said, ‘I like, and love, and dislike with all my might’. Georgina exhorted her daughters, ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your might’. This was what Lady Llanover did.
To all my Americymru friends who are trying to learn the old language, ‘Daliwch ati’. – keep at it. The language is well worth saving from extinction, as is the triple harp, and other aspects of Welsh culture.
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Gwenno Dafydd, professional broadcaster, singer, actress and leadership coach, writes the ultimate canon of female stand-up comics.
‘Funny is f u nny’ , as Joan Rivers said , regardless of gender—and with Stand Up and Sock it to t hem Sister , Gwenno Dafydd has finally managed to upend the old stereotype that women lack humour . She has tirelessly interviewed eighty four people working professionally in the comedy industry including numerous funny feisty females of all ages and backgrounds who share their success stories about their love affair with comedy and the challenges they faced and overcame in the male-dominated , aggressively competitive world of stand-up comedy.
A product of 20 years of research, Stand Up and Sock it to t hem Sister , an empowering story with resonance for every woman who wants to make it in a ny man’s world, was long overdue. Through thorough research with plenty of laughs interspersed, Dafydd looks at the genesis of female comedy from the time of music hall and supper clubs in Victorian London through to the excitement and challenge of the international world of comedy today. Featuring a unique section of Tips for the Top and interviews with over sixty-five comics working world-wide, from the pioneering Joan Rivers, Jo Brand, Jenny Eclair, and Helen Lederer , to relative newcomers such as Nina Conti, Shazia Mirzah , and Amy Schumer, Stand Up and Sock it to them Sister offers a practical guide and invaluable advice on the practice and challen ges of being a stand-up comic and how to make it in the w orld of comedy. Stand Up & Sock It to Them Sister is a n inspiring and unique read for everybody who is interested in reading about th eir favourite stand-up comics and learning about the history of women and comedy. According to Roy Hudd , Author and world expert on the British Music Hall ‘It was about time that a book of this nature was written and female performers given the recognition that they deserve. These amazing Role Models from the last hundred and fifty years or so that Gwenno has compiled can only inspire future generations of funny women. She has done a great job.
The book will be launched at Edinburgh Fringe Festival o n 17 August 2016.
Publication date 1 August 2016
Paperback £11.99
978 1 910901 55 7
Find more abou t Gwenno on her website : www.gwennodafydd.co.uk .
Mae’r ddarlledwraig gantores actores ac annogydd arweinyddiaeth broffesiyniol Gwenno Dafydd wedi ysgrifennu casgliad di-guro o ferched sy’n creu comedi ‘dal dy dir', fel mae hi yn ei alw . ( stand-up )
‘ Digri yw Digri ’ fel wedodd Joan Rivers, s’dim ots beth yw r h yw y person sy’n creu y comedi a gyda Stand Up and Sock it to t hem Sister , mae Gwenno Dafydd wedi llwyddo unwaith ac am byth i chwalu’r myth wirion fod me rched ddim yn ddigri . Mae hi wedi cyfweld wyth deg pedwar o bobl sydd yn gweithio yn broffesiynol yn y diwidiant comedi , gan gynnwys nifer helaeth o ‘ Difas D igri a Genod G wirion ’ ( Enw trafodaeth ddiweddar Tafwyl gyda Jon Gower a m y llyfr ) o bob oedran a chefndiroedd sydd yn rhannu eu storiau o lwyddiant am eu carwriaethau gyda comedi a’r her barhaol sydd yn eu wynebu . Mae hi’n dangos sut mae nhw wedi llw y ddo i oresgyn y rhwystrau yn y byd yma sydd wedi ei boblogi yn hanesyddol gan ddynion – byd treisgar , cystadleuol a heriol – byd comedi ‘ dal dy dir ’ .
Bu Stand Up and Sock it to t hem Sister yn lafur cariad 20 mlynedd o waith ymchwil dwys a c mae ’ n llawn o storiau sy’n adleisio’n gryf iawn i unrhyw ddynes sydd eisiau creu llwyddiant mewn byd o reolau dynion . Hen bryd i’r stori au yma gael eu hadrodd . Ymysg y gwaith ymchwil gofalus mae digon o ddigrifwch a mae Gwenno Dafydd yn edrych ar gomedi me rched yn blaguro o gyfnod y ‘music halls’ a clwbiau swper yn Llundain hyd nes y dyddiau presennol a’r cyffro a’r her o’r byd comedi rhyngwladol . Gan gynnwys pennod arbennig o ‘ Ganllawiau i Lwyddo ’ (Tips for the Top) a chyfweliadau gyda dros ch w e deg pump o gomics benywaidd yn gweithio ar hyd y byd , o’r arloesol Joan Rivers, Jo Brand, Jenny Eclair a Helen Lederer , i gomics fwy diweddar megis Nina Conti, Shazia Mirzah , a’r anhygoel Amy Schumer( Trainwreck ) mae Stand Up and Sock it to them Sister yn cynnig canllawiau ymarferol a chyngor amhrisiadwy ar yr arfer a’r sialensau o fod yn gomic ‘ dal dy dir ’ a sut i lwyddo yn y byd comedi . Mae Stand Up & Sock It to Them Sister yn lyfr unigryw , llawn ysbrydoliaeth ar gyfer unrhywun sydd a diddordeb mewn darllen am eu hoff gomics benywaidd a dysgu mwy am hanes me rched mewn comedi . Yn ol Roy Hudd , ( Arbenigwr ac Awdur fyd eang ar Music Hall Prydeinig ) mae’n dweud , ‘ R’oedd hi’n hen bryd i lyfr fel hwn gael ei ysgrifennu ac i berfformwyr benywaidd i gael y clod haeddiannol . Mae’ r Rol Fod e l au anhygoel yma o ’ r ganrif a hanner ddiwethaf a mwy mae Gwenno wedi eu casglu ond yn mynd i ysbrydoli cenedlaethau o ferched digri sydd i ddod . Mae hi wedi gneud job wych!
Caiff y llyfr ei lawnsio yng Ngwyl Ymylol Gomedi Caeredin ar y’r 17eg o Awst 2016
Diwrnod cyhoeddi 1 af o A wst 2016
Clawr med d al £11.99
978 1 910901 55 7
Speak Welsh Outside Class – You Can Do It by Dr Lynda Pritchard Newcombe is a book for Welsh learners which gives tips on how to be more confident speaking Welsh outside the classroom and in the community. It offers tips on how to overcome these types of obstacles as learners progress with their Welsh.
The book is suitable for Welsh learners of all ages, Welsh for Adults tutors and there is also plenty of advice for Welsh speakers who would like to help learners develop and grow in confidence.
Dr Lynda Pritchard Newcombe was born in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil and has lived in Cardiff since 1970. She became fluent in Welsh as an adult.
‘Despite a family background in Welsh – my grandparents on my father’s side were from Llanllechid and on my mother’s side from the Gwendraeth valley - I lacked confidence to speak Welsh until I attended WLPAN and further courses at Cardiff University in 1990.’ says Lynda.
She has written many articles and books about learning Welsh and has many years’ experience teaching adults languages and has also been involved in several research projects on bilingualism and worked for Cardiff University and the Open University.
‘This is not a situation unique to Wales but experienced by second language learners in many other countries’ says Lynda, ‘Catalan learners in Spain for instance and farther afield Maori learners in New Zealand as well as Javanese learners in Indonesia.’
‘There are many books available to help learners but few discuss issues linked with using the language outside class.’ explains Lynda, ‘My experiences as a tutor and a researcher has led me to believe that many learners give up using Welsh in the community as they lack self-belief and may not always feel supported by Welsh-speakers.’
‘This is a complex issue and blame should not be apportioned to fluent speakers or learners.’ she explains, ‘This book aims to help learners and Cymry Cymraeg understand one another.’
‘The Welsh language is a treasure to use, share and enjoy,’ added Welsh tutor Nia Parry, ‘This book gives invaluable advice and guidance to learners and Welsh speakers on their learning journey and to use Welsh at every opportunity.’
Dr Lynda Pritchard Newcombe will be at Maes D in the National Eisteddfod of Wales at 11am on Tuesday the 2 nd of August discussing her book.
Speak Welsh Outside Class – You Can Do It! by Dr Lynda Pritchard Newcombe (£5.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
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In this article Julie talks about nicknames in Wales:- " It’s a ‘gift’ which we here in Wales have had for generations - the adaptation of people’s names, derived either from a notable physical feature, or their personal habits, jobs, or pastimes. All done completely without malice, and with mutual appreciation of wit at its best, or silliness at its worst. In fact for many years receiving a nickname from one’s work colleagues and friends was a mark of social inclusion and a sign of popularity. "
Her latest publication is an anthology of short stories - 'Close To You'. Buy 'Close To You' here
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Have you noticed how, in recent years, people in the public eye have been given nicknames simply by shortening their surnames or adding ‘ers’ to the end? So we have Sir Paul ‘Macca’ McCartney, and David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff. Or couples’ names are blended together, as in ‘Brangelina’ or ‘Posh & Becks’.
The boringness of these names is due possibly to our much more politically correct society, or else it could simply be that none of these people have Welsh families, because, if so, they would have been given much more inventive names.
It’s a ‘gift’ which we here in Wales have had for generations - the adaptation of people’s names, derived either from a notable physical feature, or their personal habits, jobs, or pastimes. All done completely without malice, and with mutual appreciation of wit at its best, or silliness at its worst. In fact for many years receiving a nickname from one’s work colleagues and friends was a mark of social inclusion and a sign of popularity.
My parents’ generation were past masters of the genre, with friends who included ‘Basketass’ – no explanation needed, really; ‘Morgan Bucket’, the origin of which I think had something to do with the shape of his head, and ‘Organ Morgan’ (no relation to Bucket), whose nickname derived not from a reference to any anatomical attribute, but from his musical performances at Sunday chapel.
Best of all, though, was ‘Titty’ Lewis. This chap went through his whole life with this moniker because it was claimed that he was breastfed until he started school. I’ve no idea what his real name was, but there is no evidence to suggest he ever minded this nickname, and, eventually, he was so universally known by it that no-one actually took any notice of its origin or its connotations.
Then there was ‘Gobby’ Davies – not, as one might think, a slangy reference to him talking a lot, but because he started so many sentences with ‘I go’be honest’, while his mate was known as ‘taters n’ gravy’ as he always said that potatoes and gravy was his favourite meal. Yet another friend was called ‘Bonar’ Thomas because apparently, like Bonar Law, the political contemporary of Lloyd George, he talked a lot. For many years my parents referred to a neighbour only as ‘The Widow’, as she moved to the area on the death of her first husband. They continued to call her this even after she re-married, so that her new spouse became confusingly known as ‘The Widow’s husband’.
The local greengrocer was known as ‘Up-and-down Mike’ because his prices varied so much from week to week, and, in my present town, an undertaker was called ‘Ted the Box’, while one of our best known publicans is referred to as ‘Fatty Keys’.
Many of these people are long gone, and with them, possibly, the ability to laugh at each other and themselves and the knowledge that to be given a nickname within the community was a badge of affection and inclusivity rather than the reverse.
My children, however, seem to have inherited the habit from their grandparents. One daughter always calls her younger brother ‘Fatman’, even though he is now very slim, because, as a toddler in a nappy, he resembled a sumo wrestler. He, on the other hand, calls her ‘Gimli’ as her small stature and wild curly hair reminds him, he claims, of the dwarf character in ‘Lord of the Rings’, and our youngest is known to everyone as ‘Titch’ just because she was the last in the line.
A life-long friend of my son is known as ‘The Ginge’ because of his auburn locks, and another is called ‘Dodgy Dave’ because he wheels and deals, even though his real name is Joe. Meanwhile, one of my daughter’s circle is known as ‘Chainsaw Rhys’ to differentiate him from the other Rhys whose skull didn’t have an unfortunate collision with a piece of machinery.
They are already passing the habit on, too. Younger daughter, convinced her sister was expecting a large boy, nicknamed him ‘Tank’. When scans confirmed a girl was on the way, she became ‘Tankini’, although we are all hoping a more regular feminine name will stick once she’s here.
It would be a shame if affectionate nicknames, bestowed with no malice and received as such, were to be sacrificed on the altar of correctness. After all, they haven’t hurt the likes of Twiggy or Whoopi Goldberg, have they?
Julie McGowan
Buy Dylan Thomas: The Pubs here
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A recent article about the current Dylan Thomas centenary in the UK Guardian announces that Wales is preparing to resurrect the poet''s reputation . But is there really much work to be done? A recent book published by Y Lolfa looks at Dylan''s ''alcoholism'' from a new angle.
This meticulously researched and beautifully illustrated book seeks to put the record straight on Dylan Thomas''s lifelong love affair with the pub. Was the poet more interested in people than pints? Did he crave fellowship and social interaction more than alcohol?
In the introduction, author Jeff Towns makes a number of telling points in support of this thesis. Firstly Dylan was, for the most part, a beer drinker. He objected to a colleagues suggestion, whilst working at the BBC, to keep a bottle of whisky in the office and only consumed spirits in any quantity on his American tours toward the end of his life. Additionally he was regarded by himself and others as an entertainer, the ''pub fool'' perhaps. He had a wide repertoire of bawdy jokes and limericks at his disposal and he craved the adulation of a receptive audience for his performances. All of this is far removed from the traditional picture of the sad and lonely alcoholic sitting at home alone pickling himself with the strongest liquor available. Perhaps there is truth in Dylan''s own observation that:- "An alcoholic is someone you don''t like who drinks as much as you do." The opinions of contemporaries should also be borne in mind, some of whom recall him as a habitual ( and occasionally excessive drinker ) but by no means a hardened alcoholic.
But however persuasive the introduction, it is the sections on individual pubs and incidents in Dylan''s life which are the real meat of this volume. Here is an incident ( quoted in the book ) that occurred in the Mermaid Inn, Oystermouth Rd, Mumbles:-
" Once after a widely reported rabies epidemic, Dylan and friend Wynford Vaughan Thomas....used this as some spontaneous horseplay. They went down on all fours and crawled around the floor of the pub, pretending to be rabid dogs, biting people''s ankles. When Dylan tried this on actress Ruby Graham, she feigned anger and shooed him out of the door. She was astonished to see him continue across the pavement to a lamp-post. "I thought he was going to pee on it.", she recalled. Instead, he bit on it, leaving him with a broken tooth for the rest of his life. ( Afterwards he used to tell her he remembered her every time he smiled.) "
This incident was later referenced in Thomas''s radio play Return Journey . Other passages from Dylan''s writing are illuminated in the same way and this is one of the many strengths of this book.
Together with the wonderful illustrations by Wyn Thomas, the wealth of incident recorded here is sure to delight Dylan Thomas afficianados and casual readers alike. An unreserved thumbs up and five star recommendation.
About The Author
Jeff Towns is a rare-book dealer based in Swansea who, for more than 40 years, from his Dylans Bookstore, has specialised in books about Wales in all its many aspects and ramifications and in particular, the life, works, manuscripts and iconography of Dylan Thomas. In 1993 he edited an unknown poem by Dylan, Letter to Loren , and is currently working on several other books and films on aspects of the poet''s life.
Wyn Thomas (Illustrator) was a design draughtsman before becoming broadcaster specialising in history and the arts for radio and television
Product Details 'Dylan Thomas: The Pubs '
A pictorial tour of some of the pubs Dylan Thomas visited in Swansea, west Wales, Oxford, London, and the USA.
Written by: Jeff Towns
Published by: Y Lolfa
Date published: 2013-24-11
Edition: 1st
ISBN: 1847716938
Available in Paperback
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Below you will find a list of the pubs referenced in the book, together with links to as many as we know which are still open. We hope this will be useful to anyone wanting to spend some time in one of Dylan's old watering holes. If you know of any websites we''ve missed please post in comments. Photos are welcome too.
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SWANSEA The Uplands Hotel ( now The Uplands Tavern ) The Three Lamps ( now The Office ) The No. 10 ( closed ) The Bush Inn ( closed ) MUMBLES The Mermaid ( now The Mermaid Restaurant ) The Antelope ( closed ) GOWER |
CARMARTHENSHIRE LAUGHARNE WEST WALES ENGLAND NEW YORK BOSTON LOS ANGELES |
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From left to right:- The Worms Head Hotel, Gower - The Uplands Tavern, Swansea.
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Following Cardiff City's historic promotion to the Premier league it is only to be expected that the team will attract more international attention and publicity. Indeed. this season both Cardiff City and their local arch rivals, Swansea City ( promoted in 2011), will be enjoying a bonanza of promotion courtesy of NBC who are broadcasting 380 live matches after securing Premier League broadcasting rights from ESPN and Fox Sports. Premier league sides have been allocated areas in New York and NY Taxis are sporting the teams colors and logos in a bid to increase viewing figures. Cardiff City got Brooklyn and The Swans got the Upper West Side.
Against this background Christian Saunders new book could not be more timely. 'From The Ashes' is an easily readable and enjoyable account of City's more than one hundred year history which charts the rise, fall and rebirth of the side from its humble beginnings in 1899. It doubles as a superb reference work with full accounts of fixtures, results and team personnel for every season from the earliest days to the present.
City's early glory days ended soon after 1927 when they won the F.A. Cup and the team spent a long time in the doldrums till a succession of inspired owners and managers led them back to the top of the English football league system. This is the story which is recounted in painstaking detail in Christian Saunders book.
Wikipedia has this to say about Cardiff's historic 1927 F.A. Cup final win:-
"On St George's Day, 23 April 1927, at Wembley Stadium in London, the FA Cup was taken out of England for the first time when Cardiff City beat Arsenal 1–0 in the Final, cult hero Hughie Ferguson scoring the only goal of the game.
In the 74th minute, collecting a throw from the right by George MacLachlan, Ferguson hurried a tame shot toward the Arsenal goal. Dan Lewis, the Arsenal goalkeeper, appeared to collect the ball but, under pressure from the advancing Len Davies, clumsily allowed the ball to roll through his grasp. In a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball Lewis only succeeded in knocking the ball with his elbow into his own net."
Ernie Curtis, the 19 year old centre-wing said of the goal:
"I was in line with the edge of the penalty area on the right when Hughie Ferguson hit the shot which Arsenal's goalie had crouched down for a little early. The ball spun as it travelled towards him, having taken a slight deflection so he was now slightly out of line with it. Len Davies was following the shot in and I think Dan must have had one eye on him. The result was that he didn't take it cleanly and it squirmed under him and over the line. Len jumped over him and into the net, but never actually touched it."
It is believed that this cup final attracted one of the highest audiences ever, as it was the first to be broadcast by BBC Radio. Captain Fred Keenor received the FA Cup trophy from King George V only 7 years after Cardiff City had entered the Football League and six seasons since they had been promoted to the top division.
The South Wales News reported the historic win in the following terms:-
"To the people (of Wales) it was more than a struggle between two teams: it was a struggle between two nations. This may not be exactly logical but sentiment transcends logic. So this years Cup Final will remain in consideration a Welsh victory."
Today Wales is represented in the Premier League by two excellent sides ( Cardiff and Swansea ) and any true Welshman will wish them both well. Christian Saunders entertaining and informative book is the history of one of them, Cardiff City; arguably the biggest football club in Wales and the only Welsh side to bring the F.A. Cup home to from England. A 'must read' for all Cardiff City and Welsh football fans.
Try our Cardiff City FC quiz below. Download Cardiff City Football Club Quiz Answers here
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QUESTIONS
1. Cardiff City Football Club began life in 1899 as ......?
A. Riverside AFC
B. Splott AFC
C. Grangetown AFC
D. Llandaff AFC
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2. What was the name of the City captain who accepted the F.A. Cup from King George V?
A. Willie Davis
B. Fred Keenor
C. Jack Nicholls
D. Edgar Thomas
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3. City were drawn against which team in the semi-final of the 2010 playoffs. Was it....?
A. Blackpool
B. Nottingham Forest
C. Newcastle
D. Leicester
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4. The first competitive game in Cardiff City's new stadium was played on 8th August 2009. Which team did they play?
A. Plymouth
B. Scunthorpe
C. Watford
D. Middlesborough
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5. City won their first competitive match in the new stadium BUT what was the scoreline?
A. 4-0
B. 3-2
C. 3-0
D. 3-1
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6. What is the capacity of the new Cardiff City stadium?
A. 26,000
B. 27,000
C. 28,000
D. 30,000
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7. 'I'll Be There' ( video below ) is a song unique to Cardiff City fans. It was first sung in 1926 at the time of the General Strike.
A. True
B. False
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8. How much did Sam Hammam pay to secure the transfer of Leo Fortune-West from Rotherham United in 2000? Was it......?
A. 400,000
B. 250,000
C. 300,000
D. 500,000
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9. In the 2012-2013 season City only conceded 45 goals beating their previous record of 51. True or False?
A. True
B. False
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10. In the 2012-2013 season City won 25 League games beating their previous best of 22. True or False?
A. True
B. False
Hang about. It isnt a full moon now. Its broad daylight!
You might think she's an ordinary girl leading an uneventful life but when her wacky Aunty Gwen is mugged and taken to hospital, Nia uncovers a startling secret in her aunts cellar
Jenny Sullivans latest novel, Full Moon , published by Pont Books , combines the life of the average teenager with a good dose of the supernatural. Nia loves her family but wishes that they could be a bit more normal. Theres Mam whos desperate to be a TV star but cant act for toffee while big sister, Ceri, is offered a part in a new TV series but is worried about her mothers jealous reaction. Last but by no means least, is little brother, Steffan, who thinks hes a superhero!
One moonlit night, Nias life is changed forever following an encounter with a pair of muggers. Unable to confide in anyone, the girls got a lot on her plate - finding the attackers, keeping up with her schoolwork and dodging the Kid Cops, solving Ceris dilemma, looking after Steffan and, of course, getting ready for her first date with Ryan OBrien! Will she manage to juggle everything and unravel the mystery of the fierce creature at Aunty Gwens which only makes an appearance when the moon is full . . . ?
Jenny Sullivans fast-paced, witty style of writing is sure to captivate the reader and ignite the imagination of anyone over ten with a taste for the supernatural.
Award-winning author Jenny Sullivan is both popular and prolific. She now lives in Brittany, but returns often to Wales, visiting schools and libraries across the country to conduct writing workshops. In 2006, she won the Welsh Books Councils highest accolade for childrens literature; the Tir Na n-Og Award with her historical novel Tirion's Secret Journal .
Full Moon is available to buy from all good bookshops and online retailers.
For more information please visit www.pontbooks.co.uk
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Jenny: I don’t think anyone “decides” to become a writer. One either is, or is not, and wishing can’t make it so. (I seem to meet a lot of people who “have always thought they could write a book”. My answer is usually, “then do!) The first time it entered my head was in primary school, when my beloved Miss Thomas, a spinster lady of probably quite youthful years, although she seemed ancient, of course, to an 8 year old, read one of my stories, tugged my plait and told me that if I was prepared to work very hard, one day I would become a famous writer.
I remember being quite taken with the idea, rushing home to see my poor, put-upon mother, who had five other childebeasts beside me, and reporting Miss T’s opinion. Mum put down her potato knife, sighed and said “I’m going to have to go up the school and have words with That Woman, putting stupid ideas like that in your head”.
She didn’t, however (too busy) and from that moment on I was A Writer. I wrote my first novel, aged 16, about a racial war on the Isle of Wight (go figure). That one I buried in the garden. The one after that I put in a metal wastebasket and set fire to it. Lost my eyebrows...
AmeriCymru: You are currently writing a series of historical novels based on the life of Owain Glyndwr. Care to tell us a little more about the ''Silver Fox'' series?
I did two years’ research before I wrote a word, and when the time came for me to stop researching and start writing, I just couldn’t find the “handle” into the book. So I went to that magical place, Ty Newydd, the Welsh National Writers’ Centre in Llanystumdwy, near Cricieth, David Lloyd George’s old home, leaving my family at home, and to cut a long story short, the Welsh Wizard worked his magic, and the writing began. That first book took me another two years to write and edit, and then I had to tackle the loooooong dissertation, but at last I was able to submit it (which is another tale entirely!). THEN I found out I had to have something called a “vive” or “viva” or something. Didn’t have a clue what this was until m’tutor explained. About 20 minutes of grilling, he said, do defend your novel and thesis. At that point I went into total panic.
The interview was on 12th December, my husband was working away, all my children were at work or college and I betook myself to Cardiff for the aforementioned torture session. Forty-five minutes later, a small, limp rag came out of the interview room. I was hooked into a tutor’s office, and he kept me supplied with Kleenex for the next fifteen minutes while I snotted and howled. I knew I’d totally blown it. Summoned back, the Chair of the panel said, “congratulations, Dr Sullivan”... Leaving the college, I phoned one husband, three daughters and my father-in-law. Not one of them answered. I had to wait until 7pm that night before I could tell anyone.
Then, of course, I had to write part two. Did that. Loved every moment of it, because I knew I didn’t have to submit this to anyone but a publisher. I started submitting part one, but couldn’t get any of the Welsh publishers to even read it. Historical fiction, apparently, doesn’t sell. (Tell that to Hilary Mantel.) I found a London agent who loved it, wanted to handle it, but wanted her colleague to see it first. Colleague loved it too, but “nobody’s interested in history, especially Welsh history, so we’d like you to take out most of the boring historical stuff and put in more sex...” So that was another avenue closed. I went the self-publishing route, paying for the first edition, and when that sold out I went to Amazon CreateSpace and republished in Kindle and paperback, following it up with part two. I’m currently working on part three, which I hadn’t planned, but I keep getting emails from people who want to know what happens to the characters next. I’d hoped to get away without writing the tragic end to the Glyndwr story ~ but I’m going to have to tackle it. I’ve just started research and am much cheered by the wonderful reviews the first two are getting on Amazon ~ and not all, I should add, from family and friends!
AmeriCymru: How difficult is it to imagine the world of the 15th century and in particular the life and times of Owain Glyndwr?
Jenny: Imagining the 15th century isn’t difficult. People then were just people, just as we’re people in the 21st century, with the same desires, same hopes, same frustrations, only with more blood and fewer iPads. I enjoyed writing the novels so much that, because my husband often worked away from home at that time, I sometimes used to work all day and late into the evening. It was bliss. I remember one night realising I was overdoing it, however, when I had one of my 15th century characters checking his wristwatch...
AmeriCymru: You have written many childrens books. How does writing for children and adults differ?
Jenny: That one’s easy. Adults will persevere with a book if they really want to read it. Children, if they aren’t captured in the first couple of paragraphs, will give up and go back to their X-box or Wii or whatever. I love writing for children ~ it’s pure escapism, and “I” have the most amazing adventures.
Which is why, I suppose, most of them are written in the first person. I thoroughly enjoyed writing my two historical novels, “Tirion’s Secret Journal” and “Troublesome Thomas”, both set at Llancaiach Fawr Manor near Nelson in mid-Glamorgan, and may revisit the house in Tudor times when I’ve finished part three of Silver Fox.
AmeriCymru: You have taught Creative Writing to adults and children in primary and secondary schools. Although you currently live in France you visit Wales a couple of times a year to work with school children. How important to you is this ongoing classroom contact?
Jenny: When we moved to France it was on the understanding that I could return three or four times a year. I love that contact with children, teachers, librarians, parents, and of course it helps to sell books, although that’s the least important reason of all. I love the buzz of meeting a class of children and getting ALL of them writing and achieving things they didn’t think they could. I often have teachers say at the end of a session “that boy (it’s usually a boy), I’ve never managed to get more than two lines out of him, and you’ve got a page and a half”. I’m quite smug about it, but that’s the reward ~ something they can do, that they didn’t think they could.
When I visit my daughter and her family in Northern Ireland I always visit my primary teacher son-in-law’s class and work with them. As he says, “I don’t always agree with your methods, but I admit you get results”. The other thing that arises from my school visits is that I always have an eye peeled for talent ~ if I can say to a child what dear Miss T said to me, I’m delighted, and I always offer to mentor children and young people that I meet who really want to write and are prepared to put in the necessary slog to do it. I spent the weekend talking one of my protegees out of nearly £700 worth of self-publishing (with a publishing company with a reputation like a venus fly-trap), editing a chapter for her, and recommending Lynne Truss’s “Eats, Shoots and Leaves”... Nuff said!
AmeriCymru: You have won the Tir na n–Og Award twice, once in 2006 for ''Tirion''s Secret Journal'' and again in 2012 for ''Full Moon''. How did it feel to win such a prestigious award? Can you tell us a little about the prize and the selection process?
The helicopter flight was the best fun I’ve EVER had with my clothes on...
The Tir na n-Og is chosen by librarians, who are “shadowed” by children from various schools. I don’t know any more about the process than that, but I’m glad they do it! The first time I won, in 2006, the whole thing was fairly low-key, and my overall opinion of the evening was that the Welsh language winning author was more highly regarded than the English one. The cheque for £1000 was good, though!
The 2012 award was a whole different kettle of fish ~ the Welsh award was presented on a different evening, and as well as the cheque I was given a gorgeous glass trophy, which means considerably more, given that the cheque disappeared, pided between three daughters and a husband, and there were lots of interviews from newspapers and radio and the WBC made a You Tube fillum about me, which is interesting but fairly dire from a vanity point of view. It’s a wonderful feeling to be recognised by the people who matter in literature ~ children first, then librarians and the Welsh Books Council, who organise the Tir na n-Og.
AmeriCymru: Where can people go online to buy your books?
Jenny: All my children’s books can be purchased from the Welsh Books Council on line, or from Pont/Gwasg Gomer on line, or indeed from Amazon. The “Silver Fox” books can also be obtained from Amazon, in paperback and for Kindle e-readers.
AmeriCymru: What are you reading at the moment ? Any recommendations?
Jenny: Just discovered the Kate Shugak novels by Dana Stabenow, and have read the lot. I can recommend “The Princess Bride” and anything at all by Dorothy Dunnett. I love the Jacquot books, about a French rugby-playing policeman. My favourite book of all time, however, and perhaps the book that has influenced me and my writing more than any other, is T H White’s “The Once and Future King”. It’s the story of King Arthur, and it can be read on so many different levels. Children can enjoy “The Sword in the Stone” part of it, and adults will enjoy that and the other parts two. It’s a wonderful book.
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Jenny Sullivan? Any new titles in th e pipeline?
Jenny: “Silver Fox ~ the long Amen” is being researched; I have at least five other books with Pont awaiting publication (I may get impatient and self-publish through Amazon); I’m half way through writing a fantasy for teenagers, and somewhere along the line I’m going to write a novel about two families (loosely based on mine and my husband’s) during the two World Wars, and something bloody and murderous when I can find the time. I read loads of crime fiction and want to see if I can write it too. It will be a far cry from my children’s books, but fun to write, I expect.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru ?
Jenny: Just ~ helo, Cymru am Byth, and aren’t you glad we’re Welsh?
Interview by Ceri Shaw Ceri Shaw on Google+
LINKS
Jenny Sullivan wins 2012 Tir na n-Og award with Full Moon
Jenny Sullivan''s page on AmeriCymru
Children''s author Jenny Sullivan on basement werewolves and mad aunts
Back to Welsh Literature page >
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No Job for a Little Girl by Rosemary Scadden is based on interviews with those women who had to leave home in the 1920s and 1930s – some when they were as young as fourteen years old – to work as low-paid maids in the big cities.
Domestic service was Britain''s biggest employer a century ago with 1.5 million people working as servants – more than those who worked on farms or in factories. In a period where there were very few opportunities for young women, many had to leave home in search of work. And, as No Job for a Little Girl proves, the young girls of Wales were no exception.
The women’s own words bring an immediacy and vibrancy to the memoir. Their experiences highlight how much chance played in their conditions of service. Their precise duties and personal feelings are described, bringing to life a forgotten world of deference and social immobility. Ironically, it was the outbreak of the Second World War that transformed the lives of this lost generation of women.
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No Job for a Little Girl is available from all good bookshops and online retailers.
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For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
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AmeriCymru spoke to Vanessa Gebbie recently about her novel ''The Coward''s Tale'' and her future writing plans. Vanessa is an author from South Wales, currently living in the south of England who has previously published two collections of short stories. ''The Coward''s Tale'' is her first novel and it is to be hoped, the first of many more. Visit Vanessa's website here Find her AmeriCymru page here Buy The Coward's Tale here
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Vanessa: Hi, and thank you so much for the invitation! Merthyr was always referred to as ‘home’. ‘Home’ was with my paternal grandmother Ethel Rose Rees, my uncle, aunt and cousin, in Highland View. Other relatives lived in Gwilym Terrace, off Plymouth Road, and Christopher Terrace. Memories are so many and so clear - I could (and probably did...) fill a book with them. But a few...
Wild ponies came to graze on the old coal tips at the end of Highland View. There were a few of us kids - we used to try to catch them with lassoos made of washing line. No chance! I remember one, a beautiful thing, grey as the mist. We called her Venus, but I expect that made no difference. As a small child, I would go up to bed before Coronation Street came on the television. I shared my grandmother’s double bed - and can remember the struggle to climb up, and how lovely it was - soft as anything. In the intermission, she would come up with a pack of sweet cigarettes - and I would lie and ‘smoke’ listening to the theme tune trickling through the floorboards. Listen - “Da - da da dee di da...” (!)
There was no plumbing inside the house - apart from in the kitchen. No bathroom. I remember how cold the china pot under the bed was!
I used to go with my uncle for walks across the river. He knew many things - where to find wild strawberries, and where the gypsies camped, and how to trick people into shaking his hand when he was holding rabbit poo. Squish...
He took me to the mouth of the old railway tunnel and we would stand together and shout into the darkness to hear the echoes. You could see the rib cage of a sheep a long way in, across the rails, like it was luminous.
And I remember my aunt sitting so close to the fire in the front room, that her left leg changed colour. It became mottled, like a map. I was fascinated to see how far up it went - but never found out.
Vanessa: Thank you for the comparisons - I learned a lot from Dylan Thomas, obviously, but I wanted to create something that wasn’t mere whimsy, like Under Milk Wood - lovely and genius though that is. Yes, there are individual tales - but the whole is a weave that makes them impossible to take out - or the whole would miss something - I hope you agree!
At the back of all the tales there is the echo of a disaster that happened a few generations ago - the collapse of a coal mine called Kindly Light. Families now are still coping with the fallout - even though they had no direct experience of the accident. One of the themes I was exploring is that of coming to terms with the past - understanding and acknowledging it - and then you can move on. Without that understanding, we are tethered, somehow.
That all sounds rather heavy - but the book isn’t heavy, is it? Like life, it is at times sad, then funny, sometimes serious, sometimes not.
I was also exploring the importance of ‘story’ to us all. Isnt it through fiction that we learn important truths about ourselves and others? I’ll leave that as a question.
AmeriCymru: ''The Halfwit''s and the Deputy Bank Manager''s Tale'' resolves itself with a wonderful and symbolic device. The dead and frozen fish rescued from the Taff illuminates the theme of the whole with a clarity that caused this reader to gasp with delight. As an aspiring short story writer I must ask ....how do you construct your stories? Do these revelatory episodes arrive first in your imagination and is the rest of the story constructed around them?
Vanessa: I am delighted you liked that story. And although I don’t plan and plot when I write, I often do have an idea of the final tableau of a piece - and set characters loose to work towards that tableau, to make sense of it. I think that’s how that piece happened - I wrote most of it in about 2005/6 so it’s a while back now.
The river freezing was a real gift - when things like that happen as I write, it reminds me why I love this work. Then I found photos of The Taff frozen over in reality - and that was great. Here’s a link to some images, taken in 1895. http://www.peoplescollection.org.uk/Item/7446-view-of-the-bridge-over-the-frozen-river-taff
But if course, this happens in September, in The Coward’s Tale, and at the end of that piece it says, “but rivers don’t freeze in September...” so it’s up to the reader to decide whether it did or didn’t! I love playing games.
I am a visual writer, and take inspiratation from visual images too. Photos, paintings, all sorts.
If you are a short story writer, I think Short Circuit - Guide to the Art of the Short Story is available in the US. I was asked to pull together a text book on writing short fiction - and as I’d never got to the end of a single-author ‘how-to’ book myself, decided to invite over twenty prizewinning short story writers, who are also teachers of writing, to contribute chapters/essays on all sorts of craft and process issues. It’s gone down well - and is recommended reading on many writing courses. It’s deliberately slightly different - there is no single ‘do this and you will be successful’ message, like there is with so many others. Something for everyone.
AmeriCymru: In a recent Telegraph article the reviewer/interviewer observed that "...Astute readers will find the 12 apostles in the characters he (Ianto Jenkins ) describes." Is this a religious novel? Does it have a religious dimension?
Vanessa: No - it isn’t. Not in the “Religious with a capital ‘R’” sense. I am not religious, really. However, the creation of the main characters was greatly helped by images and myths that have attached themselves to the twelve men who we have come to know as The Twelve Apostles. All I was doing was using those images as guides in making up my men, and/or their problems. They gave me jump-off points.
Some were easy - Peter, for example, The Rock - it was obvious to attach him to coal in some way. Others were less easy. Nathan, or Bartholomew, for example - less immediately well known images. I needed to research, and I much enjoyed finding out about the myths and legends, and in many cases used Biblical stories too. The Clerk’s Tale, for example, uses Tommo Price, a character who is a modern version of Doubting Thomas, in large part.
But having said I am not religious - I wouldn’t say I am not spiritual. Maybe partly, the novel is saying we need to accept the existence of things we don’t understand, things that have no or little logic?
AmeriCymru: I know you must have been asked this before but how does it feel to have your first novel described as "the legitimate offspring of Dylan Thomas and Gabriel Garcia Marquez” ?
Vanessa: Rather nice! I am immensely grateful to a fab writer, Charles Lambert, for that quote.
AmeriCymru: Besides appearing in numerous anthologies you have also published two collections of short stories, ''Storm Warning'' and Words From A Glass Bubble Can you tell us more about these collections? What can we expect to find between the covers?
Vanessa: “Storm Warning - Echoes of Conflict” is my ‘war book’. Written for my late father, who was a Sapper, and decorated in WWII, it explores conflict from the point of view of those caught up in it.
My father was a mild, gentle man from a Welsh valley town, working in a drawing office. He was pivoted into WWII as were so many, not really knowing what he was going to. He rose to the rank of Captain in the sappers, and was awarded the MC. But afterwards, he never really came to terms with what he’d experienced - it affected him for the rest of his life, in subtle and not so subtle ways.
‘Storm Warning’’s stories usually take place after the conflicts - WWI, and WWI, Vietnam, and many many others - and explore the legacy of the conflicts. (My Vietnam story is interesting, about power, and revenge - a man wants to take revenge on his old commander, and takes a job as janitor in the block of flats where the now-retired man is living...)
‘Words from a Glass Bubble’ is my first collection, a gathering of stories that had won prizes here and there, at Bridport, and Fish among others. Both that and ‘Storm Warning’ are from Salt Modern Fiction.
AmeriCymru: From your blog ( http://morenewsfromvg.blogspot.com/ ) we learn that you run a series of ''Daily Story Gym Exercises'' on Twitter. Care to tell us more about these?
Vanessa: Sure. I tweet as vanessagebbie on Twitter. But it struck me that it would be nice to have writing prompts appearing out of the blue, not attached to any writer in particular. So if you search for #StoryGym on Twitter, you will find a daily writing prompt tweeted by me, designed to intrigue, to kick off a new character, a story, perhaps. It’s about the first thing I do every morning!
AmeriCymru: What are you working on currently? What''s next from the pen of Vanessa Gebbie?
Vanessa: A novel, but it will take a long time. It is a prequel and a sequel in one, to The Coward’s Tale. Ianto and Laddy feature large as life. I am also writing poetry, and doing a lot of teaching.
AmeriCymru: Any plans to visit the US?
Vanessa: I wish! Who knows, maybe if the book does well, Bloomsbury will stump up for a ticket and a vist to an Eisteddfod. Wouldn’t that be great!
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Vanessa: Thanks for your time reading this, it is greatly appreciated. And thanks Ceri for such interesting questions. Good luck with your own writing.
AmeriCymru spoke to Welsh author Meic Stephens about his new book Rhys Davies: A Writer''s Life. This is the first biography of the "..most prolific, dedicated and accomplished of Welsh prose-writers."
Buy Rhys Davies: A Writer''s Life here
Check out Rhys Davies on Amazon here
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AmeriCymru: Hi Meic and many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed by AmeriCymru. For any of our readers who are not acquainted with the man and his work, can you explain the importance of Rhys Davies in the history of 20th century Welsh literature?
Meic: Rhys Davies (1901-78) was the most prolific, dedicated and accomplished of Welsh prose-writers. He wrote more than a hundred short stories, some twenty novels, three novellas, an autobiography, two plays and two topographical books about Wales. But it was as a short-story writer that he excelled and influenced other writers. Taking Russian and French writers as his models, he took the form to its limit in objectivity. Before him there was only Caradoc Evans, but he left his mark on later Welsh writers such as Glyn Jones, Gwyn Thomas and Alun Lewis. He was, in short, and by general assent, a master-craftsman in the form.
AmeriCymru: What inspired you to write a biography of Rhys? How did your interest in him evolve?
Meic: I first read him as an undergraduate in the 1950s, and my admiration grew as I worked through his oeuvre. I met him in his London flat in the 1970s and kept in touch until his death. Then, one day in 1990, I was contacted by his brother Lewis Davies who wanted me to set up a Trust in his memory. This I did, with money provided by Lewis, and after Lewis’s death in December 2011, the Trust inherited his entire estate. I became its Secretary. The Trust is chaired by Dai Smith and the other two Trustees are Sam Adams and Peter Finch. Its aims are to keep the writer’s memory green and to promote Welsh writing in English. For example, we put up plaques in memory of writers and help fund the work of Rhys Davies in every possible way. The conference organized by Literature Wales in 2013 was funded by the Trust, which also commissioned me to write the biography.
AmeriCymru: Davies''s autobiography ''Print Of A Hare''s Foot'' is evasive and unreliable. How much of an obstacle was this to you in your research?
Meic: It soon became apparent to me that the events mentioned in Print of a Hare’s Foot didn’t always correspond to the known facts of Rhys’s life. Lewis was a great help in pointing to where the book strayed from what had actually happened. It is particularly misleading in that it tries to hide or camouflage the author’s homosexuality. It must be remembered that homosexuality was illegal in Britain until the Sexual Offences Act of 1967. Rhys was promiscuous as a young man but never mentioned his sexuality or wrote about it, except tangentially. Other facts are contorted or obscured for no apparent reason except that he seemed incapable of giving a straight answer to a straight question about himself. This presents a problem for a biographer who has to know when the false trails laid down by Rhys are leading nowhere and how to decipher the code in which he habitually wrote about the things that mattered to him. His instinctive need to dissemble explains to some extent the detached, almost clinical way in which Rhys observed other people without becoming emotionally involved with them. It gives his prose a chilling quality that some readers admire. He enjoyed no lasting sexual relationship with another person and with the women who found him kind, gentle, witty, charming and excellent company, such as Anna Kavan, he maintained strictly platonic friendships. Above all, he protected his privacy and independence, fearing intrusion into his inner life by anyone who came too close, man or woman. It suited him, too, to have no close companion because he maintained a rigorous work-schedule that left little time for an emotional life. The title of his autobiography was well chosen. The hare is a secretive creature in folklore, said to change its shape while always resolutely remaining itself, sexually active, living by its wits and giving out misleading signals, a symbol of paradox, contradiction and transitoriness, both lucky and unlucky, damned in Deuteronomy as unclean and forbidden, an endangered species, lying low and leaving only the lightest of prints before disappearing into its form in its own mysterious way.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about his Welsh background? Would it be accurate to describe him as an outsider, a ‘marginal character’?
Meic: Rhys was born in the mining village of Blaenclydach, near Tonypandy in the Rhondda Valley. His parents kept a grocer’s shop known as Royal Stores. He had an elder brother who was killed in the last weeks of the Great War, three sisters who became teachers and a nurse, and another brother,the benjamin of the family, Lewis. Their status as shop-keepers kept them apart from a working-class community on which they relied for custom and which, in turn, was almost wholly dependent on the coal industry: they employed a maid and a man to take deliveries up and down the valley, enjoyed holidays and were never short of food like many of their neighbours. The parents and older children spoke Welsh. Rhys was brought up in chapel but as a teenager began attending services at a church where the services were in English, losing his Welsh along the way. Just before his fourteenth birthday he decided he had had enough of school and left, much to the chagrin of his parents. He spent the next seven years wandering the hills above Rhondda, reading voraciously, and helping his parents in the shop. This last was crucial: he learned to listen to the customers, particularly the womenfolk, with whose tales of woe and misfortune he was able to sympathize. Many critics have remarked upon his ‘feminine’ sensibility and the fact that many of his stories are about women or written from a woman’s point of view. His female characters are brave and resolute, determined to overcome whatever life throws at them while his menfolk are craven creatures, the victims of cruel circumstance. There is very little discussion of politics in his books but he did observe the Tonypandy Riots which brought troops into the Rhondda in 1910.
AmeriCymru: How would you characterise his relationship with the Rhondda?
Meic: I’d say he had a love-hate relationship with the Rhondda. It provided him with material for most of his books, and he knew it. But he found it hard to break away and write about somewhere else. Most critics think his Rhondda stories and novels are far superior to work set elsewhere. He was, however, disgusted by what he saw as the ugliness of the coal-mining community, the muck and mire of the industry and what it did to people’s lives. Although he often went home, especially when money was short or he had nowhere to live, after his parents’ death he had no reason to visit the Rhondda and lost contact with the Valley.
AmeriCymru: Davies was a friend of D.H. Lawrence. Do you think Lawrence influenced his writing in any way?
Meic: He was invited to stay with the Lawrences in the South of France in 1928 and later accompanied them to Paris. He carried the manuscript of Pansies back to London and through the customs which had seized them previously. He had admired the English novelist long before that and there are traces of his influence throughout Davies’s early work, in particular in his depiction of women: the Lawrentian woman appears more than once in his stories. He was aware of it and, as he matured as a novelist, began to shake it off.
AmeriCymru: ''The Black Venus'' was one of his most popular titles. Can you tell us a little about this book? How representative is it of his work?
Meic: Published in 1944, the novel is set in the fictitious village of Ayron in Ceredigion; when Davies wasn’t writing about the Rhondda, he often set his work in west Wales, for which he had a sentimental attachment. It’s a fantasy created around the custom of courting in bed, or bundling, by which a young woman was allowed to receive suitors who would stay the night on, rather than in her bed. The custom was common among the peasantry in the 18 th and 19 th centuries. Opinion seems to be divided as to whether it was observed under conditions of strict chastity, with a bolster placed between the sweethearts, or whether sexual contact was allowed. Olwen Powell, the beautiful young heiress of a large farm, uses it to test the eligibility of various suitors, thus turning the custom on its head, much to the disapproval of the community: the woman is in control and eventually triumphs. Critical opinion is divided about the sexual significance of the Black Venus, a carving which is to be seen in Olwen’s room, though it adds considerably to the amusement of the novel. It is not Davies’s best but it went into several editions.
AmeriCymru: Davies is noted for being a particularly hard working author. Can you tell us something about his work routine , ethic and preferred working environment?
Meic: Except for a few years as a draper’s assistant on first going to London, and a short stint of war-work, Davies managed to live almost wholly by his pen. His meagre income was not supplemented by any teaching, journalism, broadcasting, or hack-work of any kind. He sat on no committees, signed no manifestos, believed no political nostrums or religious dogma, never read his work in public, attended no conferences, never edited a magazine, engaged in no literary squabbles, spurned all cliques, shunned the company of academics, had no taste or talent for self-promotion, joined no literary clubs, never competed for a prize, never sat in judgement on his fellow writers as an adjudicator of literary competitions, and only very rarely as a reviewer of their books. He believed the proper business of the writer was to be writing. Living in rented or borrowed accommodation from which he invariably soon moved on, he maintained a rigorous work-schedule, writing, eating and sleeping in one small room. He cultivated detachment as if by not fully belonging to any one place, he could preserve something of himself, something secret, his inviolable self, which he prized above all else. When immersed in a story, as he often was, he wrote a thousand words a day until it was finished. Domestic comforts, such as a home, a regular partner and some security of income, which make life tolerable for most writers, were not for him. He did not even turn to the anodyne of drink, which has sustained and destroyed so many, though he was not averse to the occasional glass in one of his favourite pubs. As for drugs, he had seen what they had done to the only woman he cared for, the heroin addict Anna Kavan. The only time he was celebrated as a writer was when he won the Edgar – the prize awarded by the Mystery Writers of America – for his story The Chosen One in 1967 . Towards the end of his life he found a new readership in America.
AmeriCymru: Davies was a prolific short story writer. Are there any of his stories that you would particularly recommend?
Meic: The stories I admire most include ‘Nightgown’, ‘Canute’, The Benefit Concert’, ‘Revelation’, ‘The Pits are on the Top’, ‘Weep not my Wanton’, and ‘Resurrection’. Unfortunately it’s difficult to find books by Rhys Davies, except via Amazon. The three-volume Collected Stories I edited in 1998 is no longer available. But there will be several in Dai Smith’s anthology due from Parthian shortly in the Library of Wales. There are also seven in Nightgown , published by Carreg Gwalch. The Rhys Davies Trust is currently considering grant-aid for the Selected Stories .
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru? Why read Rhys Davies?
Meic: Take a look at Amazon to see whether any of his books can be bought there. His novel The Withered Root has been republished in the Library of Wales. You might also read my biography as an introduction to his work! You can read Rhys Davies solely for the literary pleasure it affords. But he was very much of his place and time. His achievement as a writer was that, by the mysterious process we call art, he left work that is timeless and universal, and that still speaks to the human condition.
A striking new book giving a taste of fifty exceptional cafes in Wales has been published.
Caffis Cymru by Lowri Haf Cooke will be launched on 9 July at Gŵyl Arall / Another Festival, Caernarfon and 16 July at Sesiwn Fawr, Dolgellau.
Across Wales there’s a wealth of cosy, cool and quirky cafes to suit everyone’s tastes. Behind every teapot and cafetière there’s a treasury of personal stories, anecdotes and snippets of local history.
Lowri Haf Cooke says “Welsh cafes in their various guises have been meeting points and great social hotspots for many years. From the 18th and 19th century coffee houses to the Victorian tea rooms,from the Bracchi cafes to the Milk bars (established in Colwyn Bay in 1933), they’ve all played an important part in Wales’s social history….”
“By the turn of the millenium, a number of local cafes were usurped by the high street giants. But there has been a new trend in recent years as we turn back to independent cafes, tearooms and artisan coffee. And as I discovered on my travels, there’s a new cross-pollination too – the caférestaurant-deli-bakery-bar.”
Lowri says, “Whichever café you enjoy visiting at the moment, you’re sure to discover a new favourite in this book, Caffis Cymru . This is a book for everyone, and at the end of the day you don’t need to spend a fortune to enjoy yourself in one of these cafes. So, reach for a cuppa, sit back, relax and arrange your own whistle-stop tour of cafes in Wales!”
Caffis Cymru will be available at your local bookshop for £6.99 or directly from the publisher Gomer Press on www.gomer.co.uk
Lowri Haf Cooke will be launching her new book at:
Gŵyl Arall / Another Festival, Caernarfon
Saturday, 9 July at 11.30am. Tickets: £4. For more information go to www.gwylarall.com
Sesiwn Fawr, Dolgellau
Saturday, 16 July at 4pm at T.H.Roberts Café. For more information go to www.sesiwnfawr.cymru
Bibliographical details
Caffis Cymru by Lowri Haf Cooke
Photographs: Emyr Young
ISBN 9781785620690 Publisher: Gomer Press
paperback 152 pages £6.99
Dr Jonathan Hicks is the Headteacher of St Cyres Comprehensive School in Penarth. He began his career as an English teacher and has taught in four secondary schools. Married with three sons, one of whom is also a teacher, he is a longstanding supporter of Cardiff City F.C. He is the author of four books on military history: ‘A Solemn Mockery’ on the myths of the Anglo-Zulu War, which in 2006 won the Victorian Military Society’s top award; ‘Strange Hells’ which told the story of his great uncle’s service at Gallipoli and on the Western Front during the Great War. He has also written on his hometown’s military past in the 2007 book ‘Barry and the Great War’ – an illustrated account of the part that Barrians played in that conflict, a lecture on which won the Western Front Association Shield in 2010. In 2008 he wrote an illustrated account on the role Barrians played in WW2 - ‘Barry and the Second World War’. AmeriCymru spoke to Jonathan about his first novel The Dead of Mametz
Jonathan: I met a fellow military historian in a pub in Swansea about ten years ago. He told me all about the battle for Mametz Wood as I had never heard the story before. I visited the location with my family in 2004. It was a bright, sunny day as we made our way past the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery towards the wood. Quite suddenly the clouds gathered overhead and there was a rumble of thunder. Being a teacher, I told my three sons to stand still, close their eyes and imagine what it must have been like when the battle commenced. With that, a bolt of lightning flashed and it was all too much for my youngest who ran back to the car! Since that strange, ethereal moment Mametz Wood has always held a fascination for me.
Americymru: Members of the Western Front Association have described "The Dead of Mametz" as: ‘... a great mix of an intriguing storyline and superb historical detail.’ How did you go about researching the historical background for the book?
Jonathan: I was a brought up on Hollywood’s version of the Second World War – John Wayne and Audie Murphy films. All I knew about WW1 was the black and white films of men moving far too quickly (because of the film speed) through oceans of mud. But as I grew older I became more interested in finding out about WW1. I spent several years in the middle of the last decade gathering the stories of the men and women from my hometown, Barry, who served during the Great War. I then wrote a book entitled ‘Barry and the Great War’ which contained photographs, newspaper accounts and memories of their service. I also held two exhibitions to raise funds to restore our local memorial.
Americymru: What were the Military Police and what was their role during WWI?
Jonathan: At the start of the War the Military Police was a comparatively small force of just 3 officers and 761 men. By the end of the War this number had risen to over 15000. In France their role mainly included the manning of ''stragglers'' posts'', traffic control, dealing with crime committed by British soldiers, the control of civilians within the battle area, handling prisoners of war and patrolling rear areas and ports. Walking wounded from Regimental Aid Posts were directed to casualty collecting stations for evacuation, and ''stragglers'' were dealt with. This last-named duty involved halting soldiers who were obviously neither casualties, signallers or runners, re-arming and equipping them if necessary, and sending them forward to rejoin their units, individually or in groups.
Americymru: What investigatory tools were available to the Military Police at that time in history? How might a murder investigation at that time be different from today and more difficult?
Jonathan: Information on the Military Police during the Great War is scant. It is, for example, not even certain which cap badge they wore. As part of my research I visited the museum of the Military Police and spent time with the curator who was able to help me with some additional information. A murder investigation of the time would have lacked all of the sophisticated tools and technology that is currently employed at a crime scene, but my detective relies on his experience and deduction to solve the murder.
Americymru: In your research, were you able to find records of actual homicide cases investigated by the Military Police?
Jonathan: Actually the homicide case that I based the novel on was one I found in the service record of a local soldier. He had indeed shot two of his colleagues but I changed the motive for the killing in my novel as well as regiments, dates and names.
Americymru: Are you working on another novel?
Jonathan: The second novel in the series is virtually complete and will be published next Spring. This time events are set at Gallipoli in 1915 and at Passchendaele in the summer of 1917, as well as in south Wales. I have the plot for the third in the series sketched out and will be commencing work on it this summer.
Americymru: Who do you read for pleasure or inspiration? Any recommendations?
Jonathan: To give me the background knowledge that enables me to write on the period, I read factual accounts of the Great War, memoirs and articles on militaria. For pleasure I also read the great contemporary American crime thriller writers – Jeffrey Deaver, Harlan Coben and Robert Crais.
Americymru: Where can our readers go to purchase your book online?
Jonathan: ‘The Dead of Mametz’ can be purchased through Amazon or Waterstones, as well as all good bookshops.
Americymru: You are a long standing supporter of Cardiff F.C. Do you think they''ll ever make it to the Premier League?
Jonathan: I hope so! I have never seen Cardiff play in the top division in my lifetime, although I did attend their three recent visits to Wembley Stadium. My grandparents went to the 1927 FA Cup Final at Wembley when we beat Arsenal to win the cup. My mother was born exactly nine months later….
Americymru: Any final comment for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Jonathan: I am thrilled at having my first novel published by Y Lolfa and the reviews on Amazon and Waterstones have been very complimentary. I hope that people of Welsh descent who live in America will enjoy the novel and its portrayal of the lives of working people in south Wales at the start of the last century and make them think of the principality. I hope they will also think of the novel the next time they pass a war memorial and as they read the list of names, remember that those men and women once had dreams and hopes for the future.
Jonathan Hicks titles on Y Lolfa and Amazon
Reviews and Interviews on other sites:
Marking The Centenary Of The Battle Of Mametz Wood 1916 With Previously Unpublished Material
By , 2016-07-08
THE WELSH AT MAMETZ WOOD, THE SOMME 1916
‘The Welsh at Mametz Wood, The Somme 1916’ by Jonathan Hicks is a brand new interpretation of the First World War battle for Mametz Wood, telling the story of those terrible days from the viewpoint of soldiers who were actually there.
Using material from his extensive research, as well as sources translated from the original Welsh and the memories left behind by German survivors - many unpublished in English before – Jonathan Hicks gives a fresh insight into the battle.
Drawing extensively on survivors’ accounts and original photographs, the author allows the soldiers to speak for themselves to tell the full story of those dark days. In the words of one soldier: ‘Hell cannot be much worse.’
The 38th (Welsh) Division began the attack on Mametz Wood on the 7 th of July 1916 – the second week of the Battle of the Somme. The division was a citizen force composed of miners from the Rhondda, farmers from Caernarfon and Anglesey, coal trimmers from the docks at Barry and Cardiff, bank workers from Swansea and men from a whole host of other backgrounds and occupations from the counties of Wales.
‘All hell broke loose as machine guns opened up on us from the front and from the flank. We stood no chance and the boys were everywhere falling, but we kept moving forward,’ wrote Private Albert Evans, 16th (Cardiff City) Battalion of The Welsh Regiment.
When it was over, Field Marshal Haig did not consider the performance of the 38th (Welsh) Division at Mametz Wood to be a success, but the fact remains that after days of ferocious hand-to-hand fighting with an enemy from the most effective army in Europe at that time, and terrible loss of life, the division finally succeeded in capturing the largest wood on the Somme.
There were some 4,000 British casualties during the battle.
The book’s publication follows the opening of the new ‘War’s Hell’ exhibition at the National Museum in Cardiff which is an exhibition of paintings, poetry and artefacts associated with the Welsh soldiers at Mametz Wood.
Dr Jonathan Hicks is an award-winning military historian and novelist, and his meticulous research provides new insight into this famous battle. He has previously won the Victorian Military Society’s top award for his work on the Anglo-Zulu War and in 2010 he was awarded the Western Front Association Shield for his work on Barry and the Great War.
Jonathan is also a member of the First World War Programme Board which advises the Welsh Government on the centenary commemorations.
He has previously written novels on the battle at Mametz Wood, including ‘The Dead of Mametz’ and ‘Demons Walk Among Us’.
He has dedicated his book to the fallen and writes:
‘I dedicate this book to the men who fought there in the second week of July 1916, those who died and who were buried in France, and those who are still missing with no known grave.’
Mametz is a powerful novel following the story of three Welsh soldiers – Huw, Cledwyn and Ephraim – and their path from Wales to the battle field in France.
Mametz by Alun Cob is Book of the Month with the Welsh Books Council and National Museum Wales for July 2016.
In July 1916 around four thousand soldiers from the 38th (Welsh) Division were killed or injured in the successful attempt to capture Mametz Wood from the German military. The Battle of Mametz Wood began on 7 July 1916. The wood was intended - by the generals, at least - to be taken in a matter of hours. In the event the battle lasted for five days as the Germans fiercely resisted the assaults of the Welsh Division. Mametz was part of the Somme massacre and was one of the First World War’s biggest battles.
Alun Cob says “This is a novel about the ordinary Welsh lads who went to the Great War and their lives leading up to the massacre at Mametz. The lads’ background and story are important – it’s not just a book about war.”
Mametz is the fifth Welsh-language novel by Alun Cob from Garndolbenmaen, Gwynedd, and is published by Gomer Press. “This is a timely, harrowing novel, full of humanity. It’s one hell of a story!” says the editor Elinor Wyn Reynolds from Gomer Press.
Mametz is now available from your local bookshop or directly from the publisher Gomer Press for £7.99. To read a snippet from the novel log on to www.gomer.co.uk
Bibliographic details
Mametz by Alun Cob
Publisher: Gomer Press
paperback, 190 pages
ISBN 9781785620072
£7.99
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AmeriCymru Interview With Bernard Knight 4/17/12
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AmeriCymru: Hi, Bernard, and many thanks for agreeing to talk to AmeriCymru. In the course of a distinguished career as a forensic pathologist, medical doctor and barrister you have also found time to write more than 30 novels since 1963, in addition to radio and teleplays and non-fiction works. What was your main motivation when you began writing fiction? What inspired you?
Bernard: I suppose my literary career began when I was a medical student in Cardiff in 1949, which was after being first a farm worker in Gower and then a hospital lab tech. By default, I became editor of the student magazine, appropriately called ''The Leech'' - and as usual, being editor of any small publication meant you had to write most of it yourself. But novel writing started not from ''inspiration'', but boredom. When called up to the Royal Army Medical Corps for compulsory military service in 1956, I had not long been married and applied to stay in Britain – so with the usual military efficiency, they sent me to Malaya for three years! Here the bloody twelve-year ''Forgotten War'' against the communist terrorists was going on and I was posted to a small military hospital in North Malaya, a place a bit like MASH, complete with helicopters and a mad commanding officer!
My main recreation was reading books from the camp library – many were crime novels, but as the hospital pathologist, I found many of the forensic aspects so wildly inaccurate that I decided I could do better myself. I started writing one and when I came back to my first forensic job in London, I mentioned this to a court reporter, and was astonished to see my boast in the next day''s Daily Mirror!
The next day, I had a letter from a publisher asking to see my manuscript – I had only written a bit of it, so I dashed off the rest and he took it! It doesn''t happen like that these days!
After this first shot at crime fiction with ''The Lately Deceased'', I went on to write about half a dozen ''stand-alone'' novels, several based in South Wales. Following this, I also started writing scripts for radio plays for the BBC and then for television. I wrote the story-lines for a very popular BBC forensic series called The Expert, and did quite bit of TV work, even presenting some documentary stuff on forensic topics like skeletons. A few years ago, I was involved in two programmes where we examined the alleged bones of St David, kept in a chest behind the high altar at the cathedral in Pembrokeshire– unfortunately, we showed that they were six hundred years too recent to be our patron saint!
I did some Welsh Language programmes, too, though I''m not fluent, much to my sorrow. One was a series about spies at the missile range in West Wales and more recently I wrote the stories for Dim Clew, a forensic team game on S4C.
I even had a try at biography and came to New York to write the life story of Milton Helpern, the famous Chief Medical Examiner of NYC. The book, written as an autobiography, called Autopsy,was very successful, going into five editions and book clubs, though unfortunately my old friend Milton died just before publication.
As a full-time pathologist, working for the university and the Home Office, I had to do all my writing at night, sometimes until three in the morning – I once passed my resident mother-in-law, an early riser, on the stairs as I was going up and she was going down!
AmeriCymru: How do you choose your subjects and can you tell us a bit about your creative process?
Bernard: My abiding fascination with Welsh history tempted me to write my first historical novel Lion Rampant in 1972, the true tragic romance of Princess Nest and Owain ap Cadwgan. It''s still my favourite book, being so closely bound to real history. I followed this with another twelfth century yarn Madoc, Prince of America , about which more below. These two books really got me hooked on the twelfth century, which set the pattern for Crowner John.
The creative process is a bit of a myth in terms of ''inspiration'', in that once I get a general idea for a book, I first beaver away at the historical background, this research being the most interesting part of the job – in fact, I don''t really like the chore of writing, slogging away at a keyboard. It''s the research that grabs me, it took a year''s work to get the facts right for Lion Rampant.
The themes for the Crowner John books were very varied – the business of sanctuary, where criminals sought shelter in a church; tournaments ( the medieval equivalent of football, horse-racing and baseball); the harsh forest laws; witchcraft, piracy, tin-mining and of course, ever-present dominance of the Church.
I used to write a detailed synopsis of a book before I started, even if the finished product diverged considerably from it. I''ve got lazier now, but I still need to know where I''m going with a book, rather than the ''sit-down-and-hope-for-the-best'' approach that some writers seem to get away with.
I now start with a flow-diagram on a single sheet of paper, with characters called X,Y.Z, and build up a visual pattern with arrows for motives. Then I put names on the people and write a ''curriculum vita'' for each, so that I can establish continuity.
This is vital for a series like Crowner John, with fifteen books to handle. I have a large file which I call ''My Bible'', which has separate sections for the personal details of each character, then bits about costume, diet, locations, maps, etc, so that I can keep a grip on things. Even so, one makes slips and my many readers around the world are swift to let me know – for example John''s cook-maid was blonde in one book and brunette in another!
Anachronisms are another problem - I had an Email from somewhere in the world to tell me that I had screwed a booby trap to the lavatory wall, which was impossible because screws weren''t invented until the 14th century!
Even in dialogue, anachronisms are hard to avoid – can you say in a 1195 book that someone was a ''sadist'' – or a man was ''mesmerised'', when those eponymous words were still centuries in the future?
The hardest part of a book is the ending, which causes many otherwise good books to fall flat. In crime books, the old standby, the ''denoument'' beloved of Hercule Poirot, with the suspects gathered together in the drawing-room, is quite unrealistic in real life, but there is only a limited range of outcomes – the culprit is either arrested, shot, commits suicide or conveniently has a fatal accident. It''s ''not cricket'' to let him get away with it!
AmeriCymru: You are perhaps best known as the author of the Crowner John Mysteries. Care to explain for our readers what a Crowner was and did?
Bernard: As a forensic pathologist, my instructions – and payment – for an autopsy came from the coroner, an official always either a lawyer or a doctor, responsible for investigating deaths which cannot be certified by a physician as natural causes. It was with the idea of becoming a coroner that I also studied to be a barrister, as an insurance against not getting a senior medical post.
The word ''coroner'' comes from the Latin ''Custos placitorum coronae'', meaning ''keeper of the pleas of the crown''. The office originated in 1194, partly as a means to attract fines from the population to help pay for the ransom of Richard the Lionheart, captured in Austria on his way home from the Third Crusade.
Anything 12th century was of interest to me and after a bit of academic delving, I had the idea to write a one-off book about a fictional first coroner. I would have liked to have set it in Wales, but that was impossible as in 1194, we were still independent and had our own laws of Hwyel Dda – so I had to go to England and I chose Devonshire.
Most of the characters I used were real and actually held the jobs I portrayed, like Sir Richard de Revelle, the sheriff . There was no record of the early coroners, so I invented Sir John de Wolfe, a returning Crusader who was looking for a job.
The title ''crowner'' is a bit of cheat for 1194, as it was not used until the 14th century as a slightly derogatory nickname – Shakespeare uses it in that sense in Hamlet.
The coroner''s job was to hold inquests on all deaths that did not occur in the bosom of the family, including murders, suicides, accidents etc – and where possible, bring any culprits to justice. He had to attend hangings to seize the property of felons, take confessions from sanctuary-seekers, attend ordeals, examine assaults, rapes, robberies, fires, wrecks, catches of the royal fish (whale and sturgeon) and many other legal tasks, most designed to gather money into the royal exchequer, rather than let the local lords continue to use their own courts. Essentially, his job was to record every legal event and present them to the king''s judges when they circulated around the county towns to administer justice.
It seemed a good basis for an investigative story, as at least it really was the coroner''s job – not like the many old ladies, writers, aristocrats and priests that abound in detective fiction! I thought this was to be a single book, but it was so popular that the fifteenth will be published this coming August.
AmeriCymru: From the Wikipedia we learn that:- "Apart from John, most of the main characters actually existed in history and every care is taken with research and the creation of atmosphere, to offer an authentic picture of twelfth-century England. Most the places described in the stories can be visited by readers today, even the gatehouse of Rougemont Castle in Exeter, where John had his office." How difficult is it to weave a fictional narrative around the lives of real characters? What proportion of your time is spent on research?
Bernard: Amongst historical novelists, there is a divergence of opinion about whether you should use real characters in the books. Some say it is perverting history and also risks possibly blackening the name of nice folk. I don''t think this is valid, especially after 900 years, as everyone knows the books are meant as entertainment, not teaching - though many ''fans'' have told me that they enjoyed such a painless way of learning some history, especially about common folk. I always try to tell life as it really was - the squalor, the dirt and the poverty, as well as how people ate and dressed all those centuries ago.
My information comes from all sorts of sources – history textbooks, monographs, direct questioning of very helpful experts – and of course the Internet, though one has to be careful in accepting everything in Wikipedia, as you never know if some historical essay was actually written by some spotty kid in Idaho!
I am almost obsessional about authenticity and cannot use anything I know or suspect to be wrong. Some of my writer friends are not so fussy, saying that it''s only entertainment, but I go to considerable lengths to try to get it right, even though I still slip up some times.
For instance in one of the earlier books, The Grim Reaper, I had the bright idea of having my serial killer, a priest, leave a relevant Biblical quotation at the scene of each murder, such as ''The Gospel of Mark, Chapter Ten, Verse Six.'' However, before I had finished the book, doubts began to gnaw at me and after consulting some theological colleagues, discovered that I could not do this, as the Bible in 1194 was continuous! Chapters were invented by the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 13th century and verses came in far later as a printing convenience.
Everywhere I write about, I have visited. It''s important, I think, to ''walk the territory'' which gives you a far more realistic impression of the scene than looking at photos or reading descriptions. I have even been up on Dartmoor in the snow to visit the place where the Devon tin miners used to hold their parliament.
I also find it very satisfying to tread the same stones as my characters did, all those centuries ago, like the gatehouse of Exeter Castle, built by William the Conqueror as early as 1068.
AmeriCymru: Crowner John could be called an "ancestor" of the modern pathologist, in writing about the beginnings of your own field in the 12th century, was it challenging to translate your much more vast knowledge of pathology to John''s limited resources, the information or education he would have had and the circumstances he would have had to work under?
Bernard: I went out of my way to avoid using my forensic pathology expertise in the Crowner John books, though of course, my more recent Dr Richard Pryor series based in South Wales in the 1950''s depends entirely upon it. But writing all those Crowner John stories was really a form of escapism for me, and it would have been a ''busman''s holiday'' if they contained any significant pathology – as well as being a total anachronism!
I confine the post-mortem examinations of John and Gwyn to crudely testing rigor mortis to guess how long someone had been dead – they probably did as well in 1194 as we do now, as it''s a pretty useless test! As for wounds, both John and Gwyn consider themselves experts after a lifetime on the battlefield, but they go little farther than sticking a finger into a stab wound to see how deep it was!
AmeriCymru: You have also written seven novels under the pseudonym "Bernard Picton". Can you tell us a bit more about those?
Bernard: In former years in Britain, it was unethical for doctors to professionally advertise themselves in any way - even the first TV doctor used to sit with his back to the camera! When I started writing in 1960, I could not flaunt my forensic knowledge in my novels and scripts, so had to take a pseudonym. At the time I was living in an old pub near Cowbridge, which had been ''The General Picton'', so I took that as a pen-name. Later, Margaret Thatcher forced the professions to open up and there was then no reason not to use my real name.
After my first novel in 1962, I went on to write another six ''stand-alone'' detective stories, all with a forensic flavour, one of them a ''link book'' to go with a major BBC forensic series called The Expert. I wrote the plots and acted as technical adviser for it, which I have done for several such programs – not that the producers took much notice of what I advised, if it didn''t suit their preconceptions!
These early books used forensic ''hooks'' on which to hang the plot and were sited in a variety of locations, from Cardiff to Newcastle, from Cardigan to Leningrad – the last one based on a trip I made to the Moscow State Forensic Institute in 1965.
AmeriCymru: Lion Rampant tells the story of a Welsh princess, Nest aka ''Helen of Wales'', and Lord Owain ap Cadwgan, Prince of Powys. Care to tell our readers a little about the book and how Nest came by that pseudonym?
Bernard: After the Norman invasion of Britain in 1066, England was rapidly conquered, but it took another 200 years for Wales to be completely subjugated, when Prince Llewelyn was killed in 1282 by Edward Ist – from whom, unfortunately, I am descended.
But in the flat lands of the south and west, the Normans swept in early and in 1093, Rhys ap Tewdwr, King of Deheubarth was slain by the conqueror of Brecon. His beautiful young daughter Princess Nest was taken prisoner and made a ward of King Henry 1st, who made her one of his many mistresses and by whom she had a child. Then he married her off to Gerald de Windsor, castellan of Pembroke Castle, by whom she had five children, starting a Fitzgerald dynasty that included a Bishop of St David''s and Maurice, a conqueror of Ireland, from whom John Fitzgerald Kennedy could trace his ancestry. Maurice took his father''s flag to Ireland, where it was called St Patrick''s Cross and is now part of the Union Jack.
One of Nest''s grandsons was the famous cleric and writer, Giraldus Cambrensis (Gerald the Welshman) from whose pen we have such a great knowledge of Wales in medieval times – and her nephew was ''The Lord Rhys'', who held the first national eisteddfod in Cardigan Castle in 1176..
At Christmas 1109, Nest was abducted from Cilgerran Castle, high on a crag above the Teifi, which belonged to her husband. The hot-blooded rescuer was her second-cousin, Owain ap Cadwgan, Prince of Powys, who having heard of her beauty, broke into the castle with a small band of men and galloped away with Nest and her children, after setting fire to the keep. Gerald escaped ignominiously through the latrine shaft – and again Nest gave birth to a child, this time Owain''s.!
This started a full-scale war and for this, Nest was later known as the ''Helen of Wales'' after the classical lady of Troy whose beauty was supposed to launched a thousand ships. Years later, Gerald killed Owain in revenge and Nest went on to have more chilldren by another two Norman knights – quite a fertile lady!
I mentioned my other Welsh historical novel earlier, Madoc, Prince of America.This well-known legend of the prince of Gwynedd who was alleged to have reached Mobile, Alabama in 1170 and gave rise to the ''Welsh Indians'' always intrigued me. I wrote yet another novel about it, using all the available ''evidence''. It has now become a bit of an embarrassment to me, as some years ago I became President of the Madoc Research Association – actually a small group of folk who met monthly in a pub in Maesteg to drink beer and gossip about Welsh history.
Though the legend has been around since Tudor times, being originally plugged by them politically in order to contest the prior claims of the Spanish to parts of North America, it was brought to modern public attention by a book published in 1966 by Sunday Times editor Richard Deacon. He produced a great deal of convincing new evidence to support the story, but recent research has shown that he was a pathological liar who fabricated most of his supporting evidence.
I no longer believe in the story, other than accepting that there was a tradition in medieval Wales of a mariner who ventured out far into the Western Ocean - a far cry from a Welsh prince ( of whom there is no trace in any historical records) reaching the Gulf of Mexico and then fighting his way up to the Ohio River and then the Missouri to found the Mandan tribe.
As a legend, it''s fine, but so much nonsense has been added to the story that it now lies beyond any credibility. For a balanced view of the legend, read Professor Gwyn Alf William''s 1979 paperback called Madoc.
AmeriCymru: The third book in your Dr. Richard Pryor series, Grounds for Appeal came out last December.. The Dr. Richard Pryor novels are set in the Wye Valley in Wales and take place during the 1950s, how much of your own life and experiences went in to these stories?
Bernard: These books have had a long incubation period, as in the early ''nineties, I wrote a proposition for a television series about a Welsh forensic pathologist who went into private consultant practice. This was taken up by a Cardiff TV production company and we developed story-lines and sample scripts. However, when we hawked it up to London to the large network companies, they were not interested, a common phenomenon with anything Welsh taken to London!
As it was not financially viable without network contracts, it was abandoned, but a few years ago, wanting a change from the twelfth century, I altered the names and locations and turned it into a book, ''Where Death Delights''. (This is a translation of part of an ancient Latin aphorism that is displayed in the entry hall of the New York Medical Examiners Office)
I wanted to get away from the current beaurocracy of the British ''nanny state'', with all its stuffy restrictions about Health and Safety, Human Rights, Race Relations, Data Protection and write about the days when I started pathology in 1955, when detectives in long raincoats and trilby hats could stand gossiping in the autopsy room with a cigarette and a mug of tea!
It was sheer nostalgia, writing about those post-war days when life was still austere, but freer from endless controls and restrictions.
I invented Dr Richard Pryor, a former Army pathologist who after service in the Far East, had stayed on in Singapore until he got a golden handshake and came home to Wales. His old aunt had left him her house in the Wye Valley where together with a disillusioned government forensic scientist, he sets up a laboratory and takes on a variety of cases from South Wales and the West of England. In addition, I run a mild romance through it, as Dr Pryor not only has this glamorous scientist at his elbow, but also a demure secretary, a pretty laboratory technician and a visiting anthropologist who looks like Sophia Loren!
Like the first Crowner John, I meant it to be a ''one-off'', but it proved very popular and I was asked for another two, which have recently been published, called According to the Evidence and Grounds for Appeal. The cases are naturally fictional, but have strands of reality running through them taken from my forty-five years in the job and there is an element of both nostalgia and autobiography in them. I have to think hard to make the techniques consistent with half a century ago, but at least they are a bit more complex than Crowner John''s primitive methods.
AmeriCymru: A lifetime of experience in medicine generally and forensic pathology in particular would seem to give you a "head start" as a mystery writer, has that freed you in any way to concentrate more on plot and character than might a writer less knowledgeable? Has your real-life experience been plot-inspiring for you or have you found real life forensics experience useful in crafting fiction and have you based incidents in your fiction on real-life cases?
Bernard: As mentioned earlier, the Crowner John books were in no way related to my professional life, quite the reverse. But of course, the many other crime books, plays and a few documentaries depended heavily on my forensic knowledge, though I never lift real cases into my fiction writing. However, parts of old cases, made unidentifiable, certainly get grafted into the stories, especially in the Dr Pryor books, but in a fragmented way, picking bits from different cases so that overall, they are unrecognisable. For instance, in one Dr Pryor book, my murder was concealed by letting a tractor wheel fall on to the victim''s neck – this was an echo of a suicide method I saw many years ago.
One problem about being a forensic pathologist is that it makes it hard for me to enjoy other crime novels where the forensic aspects are so badly portrayed – and in the case of the endless ''forensic'' television programs, impossible for me to watch, as they raise my blood pressure to dangerous levels! The greatest offender is ''time of death'' where the ludicrously-accurate claims of the author''s pathologist are exasperating. I edit the only textbook devoted solely to estimating the time of death – it has 270 pages, costs up to £100 and basically says that it can''t be done except within a very wide margin of error!
AmeriCymru: You''re also a founding member of a group known as The Medieval Murderers which has, among other things, produced seven novels, can you tell us what that is and how it came about?
Bernard: Other than the ''big name'' authors, most crime-writers are in the ''mid-list'', meaning that though they are not Dan Brown or John Grisham, neither are they complete dumbos whose books soon end up in the charity shops. However, this usually means that the publishers will spend little or no money promoting our books, so about ten years ago, a few of us historical mystery writers decided to form a self-promotion group called The Medieval Murderers, to go around libraries, bookshops, clubs and literary events giving informal talks about our work, either in a full group or as ones and twos. The members were Michael Jecks, Susannah Gregory, Philip Gooden, Ian Morson and myself, later joined by C J Sansom and Karen Maitland. We even had T-shirts made with a bloody dagger on the front!
Then a year or so later, we decided to write a book between us, which was not just a collection of short stories, but a ''chain book'', where each member wrote a ''novella'' of about 20,000 words which carried forward a theme set out in a Prologue and then tied up in an Epilogue. Once again, this was intended to be a ''one-off'' but The Tainted Relic was so successful that we have done one a year since then, with the eighth out soon and two more in the pipeline.
The writing method was unusual, being organised entirely by Email, as we all live far apart – Ian Morson was in Cyprus for most of the time. In fact, he has made a collection of all the messages, which he claims is longer than one of the actual books!
We began by deciding on a theme – the first was about a chip of the True Cross cursed when it was stolen in Jerusalem during the First Crusade, which killed anyone taking it from its container. Then we each wrote a story about it, using the period and characters from our own series, the idea being to publicise these other books. As the oldest (historically and personally!) I wrote the first chapter, using Crowner John to deal with the relic arriving in Devon. Then I had to leave it somewhere at the end of my story where Ian Morson, next in line in the 13th century, could pick it up – and so on up the line, until the end where I brought the saga into modern times in an Epilogue.
None of us knew what the others were writing, all that mattered was that the object was handed on smoothly between us. Later books used a sword, an abbey, a book of Celtic prophesies and the alleged bones of King Arthur as themes for the stories.
AmeriCymru: Do you have a particularly favorite character of your own that you especially like or enjoyed writing? A particular book that you enjoyed writing or are most proud of having produced?
Bernard: I suppose Crowner John himself is my favourite, he was physically modelled on a well-known local barrister that I worked with, tall, dark and saturnine. I made him somewhat unimaginative and not endowed with a great sense of humour, but honest and faithful to his friends and his king. Every sleuth needs his Dr Watson, so I gave him Gwyn, a big, amiable Cornishman, together with a diametrically-opposite character in Thomas de Peyne, a little runt of a priest with a slight hunchback and a limp. Unfrocked for an alleged indecent assault, he is pitifully thin and poorly dressed and I have had literally scores of letters, Emails and personal comments from ladies who seem keen to mother him!
As I''ve said before, Lion Rampant is still my favourite book, perhaps because it was my ''first-born'' historical novel, but from sheer nostalgic pleasure, I think my Malayan novel Dead in the Dog, which comes out this March, is high on the list of my favourites.
I also like the post-apocalyptic book I wrote in 2003, called Brennan . I wanted a complete change from the Middle Ages and decided to write a parody of the historic Arthur story, by describing the leadership of a senior Army officer from a South Wales barracks, who is left to collect and protect the few survivors of a viral plague that kills almost all the world''s population.
It had good reviews, being compared with Stephen King''s The Stand.
AmeriCymru: Do you read fiction for pleasure and, if so, what writers are you reading?
Bernard: I am an obsessive reader, can''t sit down without a book, even in the toilet. I''ll read anything, even the phone book if I''m desperate. For many years I was a reviewer for the crime website Tangled Web, so regularly got boxes of books through the mail with no control over the titles. Then I was one of the Crime Writers Association judges for the Silver Dagger Awards for non-fiction crime - and the local public library sees me about twice a month for a re-load, so I''ve had a heavy literary diet for most of my life.
Hard to say who my favourite authors are, it depends on how I feel – Lawrence Block, Ed McBain, Michael Pearce, Leslie Thomas, Alan Firth, John Le Carre, Len Deighton, Somerset Maugham – the list is almost endless. I love spy books and some SF, as long as it''s not the current fad for gold-brassiered princesses from Planet Zog!
AmeriCymru: What''s next for Bernard Knight?
Bernard: I''m pushing eighty-one now and swore that the fourteenth Crowner John would be my last, but clamour from fans made me squeeze out another final one. I have another two Medieval Murderers projects ahead, but they are relatively short. I don''t fancy sitting down to hammer out books of well over a hundred -thousand words any more, but I''d like to do some short stories. Not much of a market for them these days, but maybe Kindle might be the way forward. A couple of years ago, I wrote a short story by invitation for a ''Mammoth Book of Perfect Crimes'', called The Birdman of Tonypandy, about a pub landlord in the Rhondda who murders his wife. The editor put it last in the book, as he said that nothing could follow it!
I''ve also a yen to write something about the adventures of a Cardiff tramp steamer in the 1930''s, as I was born in Cardiff''s Grangetown and both my father and grandfather ''worked down the Docks''. I used to get rides during the war on ships between the lock gates and the berths which gave me a life-long affection for merchant ships.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Bernard: I know the US pretty well, having been there many times for medico-legal congresses, giving evidence in courts and visiting my many forensic friends, such as Dr Tom Noguchi, the colourful former coroner of LA . It''s a fantastic country, but I couldn''t live anywhere else but Wales, which is as much a part of me as my feet. To stand in the evening on a Pembrokeshire cliff or walk the lonely moors near the Teifi Pools is both peaceful and exhilarating. Everywhere you look, there is history, my history, your history. So all I can recommend is for readers to come back to Wales, for as long a time that you can manage.
Interview by Ceri Shaw ... Home ,,, Email
Works by Bernard Knight on Amazon
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The influence of popular Anglo-American culture is what drives author Jon Gower’s latest newly-published volume of short stories.
Rebel Rebel by Jon Gower is a collection of 21 short stories taking place all around the world, whilst introducing the reader to fictional and historical characters in believable and fantastic scenarios.
‘The literature of the United States, particularly novels, have had a big influence on me since I was a child – especially my hero John Updike and other giants such as Saul Bellow and Cormac McCarthy.’ says Jon Gower.
‘Later on I came to know the works of great authors such as Annie Proulx and Lorrie Moore and the love affair continues to this day.’ he continued.
His inspiration of combining popular Anglo-American culture with the Welsh short story came from various American authors – including Ernest Hemingway.
‘Some of these short stories I owe to Ernest Hemingway. One in particular tries to emulate his feat of writing a short story in only a handful of words,’ says Jon. ‘I was inspired by other authors too, especially contemporary American authors who write short stories – such as Wells Tower and Christopher Coake.’
But it was not just from authors that Jon was inspired and he is indebted to one artist in particular for his influence on him.
‘I had not realised just how great David Bowie’s influence was on me until he died, and the emptiness and the loss proved just how much that man was present in my life before then,’ Jon explained.
‘One of the most wonderful things about him was his latest and last work – his art blossoming even as he slipped deeper into illness. I had to include a new story to try and convey the greatness of his last album – a masterpiece he created despite the cancer, and in doing so succeded in creating an original and powerful piece to the every end.’
‘Jon takes us all over the world, to share the lustful secrets of David Bowie and Mick Jagger, to searching for a submarine from North Korea, to seeing the leader of the only extremist organisation left in Wales painting his toenails red in the colour ‘Coral Explosion,’ says Catrin Beard.
‘He wields the talent of Ellis Wynne as he provokes and satirises, and uses his vast knowledge of the films, literature, popular music and geography of America,’ added Manon Rhys.
Jon Gower writes in Welsh and in English, and has since written a vast array of books including Y Storïwr (Book of the Year 2012), Norte and The Story of Wales . Rebel Rebel is his fourth volume of short stories.
Rebel Rebel by Jon Gower (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
In a recent interview with AmeriCymru Jon described the book in these terms:- "A friend said that it "mythologizes an Argentine woman's journey around the world" and that pretty much sums it up. The woman, Flavia, is in a sort of purgatory, neither alive nor dead. Her story becomes a myth which becomes a religion, a case of global Chinese whispers." Her condition is in some way a consequence of and a testament to the undying love between her and her former, still earthbound, husband Horacio with whom she used to dance the tango in the back streets of Buenos Aries.
In the course of her journey she touches a great many lives and creates a profound impression but it should not be thought that the book is without humour. In fact the final section, set in Cardiff is suffused with surreal humour and bizarre incident. If you'll forgive a rather long quote, here is Jon's description of the passing of 'Bloomers' , a famous incident in the history of Caroline Street:-
"Half way along Caroline there used to be a famous club called Bloomers but someone attacked it with a petrol bomb, burned it to the ground. In the Echo the day after the conflagration the stalwart cartoonist, Gren, had captured the moment in an exquisite image. Caroline Street with a gaping hole like a tooth extraction: above it, dwarfing all the buildings, is an atomic mushroom cloud and there are two men flying through the air above the caption 'Now that's what I call a curry.' There is much more in this vein as the seemier side of Cardiff's nightlife and it's culture of heavy drinking and toxic takeaways are mercilessly ( and humorously ) exposed.
If you were planning to give someone a book for Christmas and were looking for something 'different', then look no further. 'Uncharted' has everything:- pathos, humour and a pace that makes it 'unputdownable'. The book is , unfortunately, ineligible for a Wales Book of the Year Award in 2011 because Jon is on the judges panel. It surely would have been a strong contender for first place.
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AmeriCymru: Your latest novel - Uncharted has been described as:- "a tale of Tango, unfathomable mysteries, and two ancient lovers who will not be parted". How would you describe it for an intending reader.
Jon: A friend said that it "mythologizes an Argentine woman's journey around the world" and that pretty much sums it up. The woman, Flavia, is in a sort of purgatory, neither alive nor dead. Her story becomes a myth which becomes a religion, a case of global Chinese whispers.
I tried to write about a character much as Dickens' writes about Little Nell, and wanted people to be moved by her death. To make me care a lot about her I modelled the central character, Flavia on my wife Sarah but when I came to killing her off I couldn't because it seemed too much like wishing my wife harm, so I kept her alive. Or seemingly alive!
AmeriCymru: The story is set partly in Buenos Aries, partly in Oakland and partly in Cardiff ( including a wonderful description of Caroline St, the hub of Cardiff's sophisticated nightlife ). What made you choose these locations?
Jon: I've been lucky enough to travel a lot in Latin America but hadn't visited Buenos Aires. When I did I fell completely in love with the place and came back to Wales on fire with a need to write about it. The competition for the prose medal at the Eisteddfod the following year required an urban theme, so I found myself writing about B.A and after some 10,000 words thought where else can I go? I decided to write about other ports I knew well, so plumped for Oakland, California, my wife's home town and as the Eisteddfod was in Cardiff I thought I'd write a judge-pleasing ending and set it in my own home. So it's a tale of three cities.
AmeriCymru: The book is adapted from Dalar Llanw ( Catching The Tide ) which is the first book you have written in the Welsh language. Is writing in a second language ( or perhaps i should say first ) a problematic or an enriching experience?
Jon: I usually try to write prose that has a melody and found writing the English translation difficult at first as I was trying to impose the Welsh "music" on the English version, that is until I decided to go with the English music. Adapting the book also gave me a chance to winnow out some weaknesses, and to alter the ending. The current archdruid James Jones said he didn't like the ending of Dala'r Llanw and I agreed with him, so I tacked on a new conclusion, which is less Hollywood ending and much more lyrical.
AmeriCymru: This is not the first time that your writing has featured an American location. In An Island Called Smith you presented an account of your stay on Smith Island in Chesapeake Bay. Care to tell us a little more about that experience and about the book?
Jon: I was intrigued to read a tiny little newspaper article about the Welsh and Cornish settlers of Smith Island and kept the piece of paper. Years later I was lucky enough to win the John Morgan travel writing prize which funded two trips to Smith Island, a disappearing island because of sea level rise. Here crab fishing is the mainstay of the economy and it was a rare opportunity for me, as a naturalist, to spend time with people who understand the richness and complexity of the natural world in an instinctive way. It's also a Methodist island, and gave me a glimpse of what parts of Wales were like when it was one of the most religious countries on earth.
AmeriCymru: You have also written short stories, some of which are anthologised in a collection titled Big Fish Care to tell us more about this volume?
Jon: I see myself as a short story writer above all else, although it's a form that doesn't sell. I still find this surprising when you consider reduced attention span, the pace of life, etc: it should be conducive to people's lives nowadays. 'Big Fish' mashes up Welsh themes with my take on American style, reflecting the fact I've always read a lot of American fiction, especially John Updike, Annie Proulx and Alice Hoffman. People found the stories zany, and I like that.
AmeriCymru: What is your working routine?
Jon: I have two daughters, Onwy who is twenty months old and Elena, who is five and a half years old I have to write around them, so it's a case of trying to get up before them to write, or doing so after they've gone to bed. Luckily, owing to years of news journalism I can write quickly in the time available. Though they often hear me getting up early and see it as a cue to get up themselves. Anyway 1000 words a day assuages enough guilt to allow me to enjoy the rest of life, and them. They're great kids.
AmeriCymru: Where do you get your ideas?
Jon: If I'm really stuck I deal a card from the Oblique Strategies website. The musician and record producer Brian Eno used to write post it notes in the studio with tips he and his engineer Peter Schmidt culled from their working day. They turned into a physical pack of cards and now you can generate one at random on the website. Even though they're about music they can usually get you out of a corner, or spark something off.
AmeriCymru: How did you become a writer?
Jon: I've always enjoyed writing, but writing books is an offshoot of earning a living as a journalist and trading words in that way. Gradually I've moved away from non fiction to fiction and like the freedoms of lyricism and imaginative flight.
AmeriCymru: Which of your own books do you like the best?
Jon: I'm genuinely proud of 'Uncharted' and like the fact that many people who've read it have enjoyed doing so. Not that it'll be everyone's cup of tea, of course.
AmeriCymru: Where can people order copies of 'Uncharted' and your other works online?
Jon: In the U.S you can get it through the Big Beast, Amazon.com. You have to hunt for some of the others, but Powells is a good place to start.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Jon Gower?
Jon: There's a new Welsh language novel out next year, when I finish it! It draws heavily on my own life and I spend a lot of time trying to protect the innocent! That will be followed by collections of stories in both Welsh and English ('Too Cold for Snow') in 2012 and then, in 2013 or 2014, I'm hoping that my "deep map" of Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia will see the light of day, ahead of the 150th anniversary of its establishment in 2015. It's inspired by William Least Heat-Moon's wonderful book about Chase County in Kansas.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Jon: Do check out the books on the long list for next year's Wales Book of the Year, due out in March. I'm one of the judges and even though we've yet to reach year's end it strikes me that there will be some wonderful books on the list, a very strong year seemingly and hopefully a good snapshot of the variety and confidence of Welsh writing at the moment.
Jon Gower on Amazon
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David: Thanks for giving me the chance to talk about the book! It's the first full length study of the part played by Wales and the Welsh in naval history, beginning in the Roman period, going through the age of the independent kingdoms and the conquest right the way up to the present day. It's based on several years of detailed research, including a great deal of work on original sources and my own fieldwork in different parts of the country. The book's been very well received, and was recently shortlisted for the prestigious Mountbatten Literary Award. ...
AmeriCymru: How significant was the Welsh contribution to British naval history?
David: Enormous! For example, Nelson's navy couldn't have been as successful as it was without Welsh copper, mined at Parys Mountain on Anglesey and smelted in Greenfield, Swansea and elsewhere: because it reduced the frequency of major refits, coppering effectively increased the size of the operational fleet by a third, giving it a huge advantage over Napoleon's navy. The Victorian Royal Navy depended entirely on Welsh coal, and so, too, did the navies of many European states before 1914, including Russia and France. And Wales always provided large numbers of men for the Royal Navy. For example, in the book I make the pretty controversial, but thoroughly documented, claim that at the Battle of Trafalgar, the proportion of Welshmen in the fleet - relative to size of population - was much greater than that for the Scots or Irish, and if you count seamen alone, even slightly larger than the English contribution, again relatively speaking. The book also discusses famous Welsh naval men, such as Sir Thomas Foley (Nelson's right hand man), Henry James Raby (the first man ever to actually wear the Victoria Cross) and Commander Tubby Linton, one of the most brilliant submarine commanders of World War 2. It also looks at the history of Pembroke's royal dockyard, which built over 250 ships for the Royal Navy - including many famous battleships, five royal yachts, and Sir John Franklin's Erebus , the wreck of which has recently been rediscovered in the Arctic.
AmeriCymru: Does the book examine the Welsh contribution to the history of piracy?
David: To an extent, yes, although I was aware of the fact that there are already several books in print about Welsh pirates, so I deliberately decided to focus on the much less well known story of the Welsh role in 'official' state navies. But it would have been impossible not to mention the likes of Sir Henry Morgan and Black Bart Roberts, so they do feature in it!
AmeriCymru: The book includes a chapter on Welshmen in non British navies. Does the US Navy feature here? Any significant names?
David: Yes, I've included a lot about the Welshmen who served in the United States Navy, and in the Confederate Navy, too. Probably the most significant name is that of Joshua Humphreys, the Philadelphia shipwright responsible for the US Navy's famous 'six frigates', including the USS Constitution . There were Welshmen aboard both the Monitor and the Merrimac/Virginia , and the likely remains of one of them were interred with full military honors at Arlington just last year . The book also includes a substantial and in some ways quite controversial section on the almost unknown naval context behind the survival of the Welsh colony in Patagonia.
David: I loved Patrick O'Brian's books, but I was very aware of the fact that the vast majority of the naval historical fiction genre was set within what might be called 'the age of Nelson', from about 1750 to 1815. Seventeenth century naval history had been neglected in comparison, and I wanted to rectify that, especially as I'd been working on the period as a historian for many years and had published two non-fiction books about it. It's a fascinating age, with spectacular events like the Great Fire of London, larger than life characters like King Charles II and Samuel Pepys, and a series of very hard fought Anglo-Dutch wars , which form the focus of my books. My hero, too, is different to the likes of Hornblower or O'Brian's Jack Aubrey, who go to sea as boys and are therefore highly skilled and experienced seamen when they take command. Captain Matthew Quinton is typical of the 'gentlemen captains' of the Restoration period - young Cavaliers who were given commands despite having next to no experience at sea. Matthew's first command is wrecked due to his inexperience, but he's given a second chance, and this leads him into all sorts of adventures during the course of the series, from the north of Scotland to the Baltic and the River Gambia! In a future book, I hope to take him to the Caribbean, too. At the moment there are five books published in the series: Gentleman Captain, The Mountain of Gold, The Blast That Tears The Skies, The Lion of Midnight , and The Battle of All The Ages.
AmeriCymru: Any new books in the pipeline?
David: I'm currently finishing the sixth Quinton book, which is going to be a little bit different to its predecessors - although I can't really say any more than that at this stage! I also have a couple of non-fiction projects in the pipeline, too.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
David: I think it's really tremendous that there's such a strong and active American network devoted to Welsh heritage! I'm originally from Llanelli, and part of my mother's family emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, in the 1890s; my mother still remembers the return visit one of them paid, a few years before I was born, and I have a copy of the diary that he made of his trip back to Britain, so I've always been fascinated by the Welsh diaspora. I hope that if any members of that diaspora have a look at Britannia's Dragon, you'll thoroughly enjoy it!
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AmeriCymru: Hi Brendan and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. How would you describe 'Dark September'?
Brendan: Dark September is a fast paced alternate history thriller set in Wales during WW2. It touches on the desperation and raw fear of ordinary people trying to survive against odds that are definitely not in their favour.
In the story Germany invades the UK. Soldiers pour ashore from warships in the Severn Channel, determined to secure the steelworks and the coal mines of South Wales.
Irishman Danny O’Shea is on his way to work in Newport Docks. His house is bombed and his wife is killed. His young son Adam, who nearly drowned when he was a baby, has severe learning difficulties. Terrified of what the Nazis will do to him, O’Shea resolves to take him to neutral Ireland.
Penniless and desperate, they head for Fishguard. But on an isolated Welsh road they witness an attack on a German convoy carrying the blueprints for an awesome new weapon that was discovered in a secret laboratory near Brecon.
German Captain Eric Weiss, responsible for the blueprint’s safe transfer to Berlin, knows that his job - even his life - depends on him getting it back.
But, following a major disagreement amongst the insurgents, the blueprint disappears. Then O’Shea goes to the aid of a dying woman - and both the Germans and the insurgents believe she’s told him where the blueprints are.
Suddenly O’Shea is separated from his son and catapulted into a world of betrayal and brutal double-cross. Pursued by both the Germans and the insurgents, his only concern is to find Adam and get him to safety.
One reviewer did think that the violence was too sudden and disturbing, but it only reflects the horror of the times and is not deliberately gratuitous.
AmeriCymru: How did you come to write the book and what is the story behind the new edition?
Brendan: The germ of the story has been in my head since the time I was in the Navy and we did exercises in the Brecon Beacons. I wondered what it would really be like to be running for your life through such inhospitable terrain with the bad guys determined to do you a serious injury if they caught you. But why would my character be running from anyone? What year should it be set in?
Later on I saw some disturbing footage of Nazis guards disposing of people with special need, and I felt tremendous sympathy for their families. How would I have react if I was in that position and Germany invaded the UK? Where would I take my child? Being Irish I felt it would be natural to gravitate to Ireland, which was neutral. And the chances were I’d still have some family there to go to.
Of course, once I’d started writing the story it took on a life of its own. Characters reacted in ways I never intended. People I created as decent characters turned into monsters half way through a chapter, even a sentence. It was exciting and disturbing all at the same time, and I enjoyed every moment of writing it.
I was concerned about making the leading nasty persons - two sisters - direct descendants of a treasured Welsh historical character. Initially they were beautiful, kind and loving girls but they were corrupted by both love and riches. But so far I haven’t had any negative feedback about it. I would appreciate the views of my Welsh readers on that.
The original book was self-published with Smashwords.com but it has now been taken up by http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about your background as a writer? When did you first put pen to paper?
Brendan: When I won my first writing competition I was so excited I ran all the way home. I was about eight years old. The Fun Fair was coming to Tralee - our little town on the West coast of Ireland - and apart from Duffy's Circus which came every September, this was the highlight of our year. Our English teacher asked us to write an essay about it, and I won the only prize - a book of ten tickets for the fair.
There were eight kids in our family so everyone got a ride on something. Even The Mammy herself had a go on the dodgems.
So writing was in my blood from a very young age. I loved essays and English literature, but we were a very close family - physically as well as emotionally - so there wasn't much free space in our little house in Railway Terrace for me to sneak off to and indulge in my hobby.
My grand-uncle Moss Scanlon was a harness maker and he had a small shop in Lower William Street, Listowel - a rural town in Kerry that was just a bus ride from Tralee - where we spent some wonderful summer holidays. Down the lane opposite the shop was the River Feale, and Moss did some serious fishing there, standing out in the middle of the river in waders that came up to his neck while us kids swam in the cool brown water or just chilled out on the grass watching him struggle with a pike or a trout.
The shop had a wonderful magic about it - a magnet for all sorts of colourful characters who'd wander in for a chat and a bit of jovial banter. One wonderful storyteller who often popped in was John B Keane, and it was a great thrill to actually meet him. I asked him once where he got his ideas from, and he told me that everyone has a story to tell, so be patient and just listen to them.
And I was there, sitting on the counter in the shop, when John B's very first story was read out live on Radio Eireann. I can still remember the buzz of excitement and the sheer pride of the people of Listowel. And the seeds of storytelling were sown in my soul.
Another source of raw encouragement was Bryan MacMahon, one of Listowel's finest writers and a schoolmaster to boot, who was a very easy person to talk to.
Anyway, I left school at fourteen and went to work in hotels in Killarney, and I quickly got caught up in the excitement and colourful buzz of the tourist industry - remember, this was in the 60s when the Beatles were creating a heady revolution and engulfing the youth with hopes and dreams of a wonderful future - so I felt no great urgency to write. I dreamed of being a writer, of course. I wanted to be a writer - but somehow life just got in the way.
When I joined the Royal Navy at eighteen I was sent to the Far East, and I spent the first three years between Singapore and Hong Kong, and again I was having so much fun I didn't get to write anything, although there were loads of stories bursting to get out.
It was only when I got married and the children came along that I made any serious attempt to put pen to paper, and the result was Dark September, an alternative history thriller set in wartime Britain.
I loved writing it - I always wrote in longhand in a school notebook - but I hated having to type it. After working a ten-hour day, I'd be clattering away into the early hours of the morning on an old Olivetti typewriter and getting on everyone's nerves. Then I'd scream in frustration when I'd discover that hours of hard work were ruined by some horrendous typo error, and I'd have to start all over again.
Amazingly, I found an agent almost immediately, but she insisted on some major changes so I spent a year re-writing it.
Unfortunately my agent died suddenly and the agency closed. It took ages to find another agent, but he too demanded even more changes. It became too much for Jennifer and the kids, so my manuscript hibernated in the attic for a few years.
Then Jennifer bought me a computer for Christmas - with Spellcheck! This time finding an agent has proved an impossibility - they only want to represent people who're famous for just being famous - so I self-published it with Smashwords.com, though I still longed to have it accepted by a mainstream publisher.
Now I'm delighted to say the book has been accepted by Tirgearr Publishing - http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com - an Irish company, and I'm delighted with the result and all the hard work they've put into it to make it a great success.
AmeriCymru: You also write short stories. Do you have any plans for a new anthology?
Brendan: I’m always troweling through the old stories looking for inspiration, and so far I have about six that would be good enough. But I’d need a few more before I could put an anthology together.
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about your collection of Irish short stories, 'Dreamin Dreams'?
Brendan: While Dark September was languishing in limbo I discovered that writing short stories is amazingly therapeutic. I get a great buzz from taking an idea and developing it, often watching it evolve into something completely different from how it started out. And I realized too that great ideas are all around us. Little gems are waiting to be harvested everywhere we look. I found myself listening to what people are saying, and the way they say it.
For instance, the Irish are famous all over the world for their colourful and exaggerated expressions, always using a dozen words when one would have done, so I build on that and set all my stories in Ireland. The names are changed, of course, because I don't earn enough to sustain a major lawsuit. I've written hundreds of stories, most of which are still stuffed in drawers somewhere, but I did manage to get more than twenty of them published over the years, in anthologies, e-zines and magazines as well as web sites.
Dreamin’ Dreams - published as an eBook with Smashwords.com, and in paperback by Lulu.com - contains twenty of my published stories, of which I'm very proud. They're all based on real people who passed through my life at some time or other, or events that actually happened to me. Enhanced, of course, and sometimes exaggerated out of all proportion.
The title comes from something my father said years ago when I got poor grades at school. 'What do you expect?' he said to my mother. 'He never does any studying. He just sits there, dreamin' dreams.'
The image on the cover is the statue in The Green, Tralee's town park, and it represents the characters in the song The Rose of Tralee. It's a tremendously impressive statue, and in a beautiful setting too.
Anyway, if you do get the chance to read Dreamin' Dreams, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
AmeriCymru: Where can people buy your work online? Do you have a website?
Brendan: bgobrien.com is my website.
Dark September can be found through Tirgearr Publishing and read on all e-readers.
http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com
Dreamin’ Dreams can be found through Smashwords.com, and all e-book retailers.
And in paperback from Lulu.com
AmeriCymru: What are you working on at the moment? Any new novels in the pipeline?
Brendan: I’m about two chapters away from finishing my latest novel, which is also an alternate history thriller.
Set in 1941, Ireland is sinking under the hordes of refugees swarming there to escape the war in Europe. Danny O’Shea is a Local Security Force volunteer - an auxiliary policeman, in other words.
A man is shot dead in a crowded pub and no one sees or hears anything. Then a young woman is found dead in the town park the very next day.
But when a child disappears from a hospital the suspense is ratcheted up several notches …and the Gardaí need all the help they can get from the LSF. But can O’Shea step up to the mark?
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Brendan: Thanks for taking the time to read this - I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did doing it. Remember AmeriCymru is a great place to hang out and chat with people who share a common interest - all things Welsh - so enjoy it and spread the word.
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AmeriCymru: Hi Brian and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What can you tell us about your latest novel Acts of God ?
Brian: Thanks for the invitation! It's always good to communicate with compatriots and friends on the other side of the pond. I'm not sure how to describe the new novel. I hope it's got more depth to it than the average thriller, which tends to place action (normally violent) above character development or the interactions between groups and individuals. And many of the thrillers I have read over the years don't give you much of a sense of place. I'm a geographer by training, and a sense of place means a great deal to me -- like everybody else in Wales, I have hiraeth in my blood! But here the place that becomes a character in the story is East Greenland rather than Wales.
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AmeriCymru: Why there?
Brian: Well, because I went to East Greenland and its amazing fjord landscape in 1962 as a student, as joint leader of an Oxford University expedition. The area around Scoresby Sund is referred to -- with some justification -- as the Arctic Riviera, because of the freakish hot and dry weather normally experienced there during the Arctic summer. It's the only place in the world where I've ever experienced heat stroke! We had a fabulous time in the field over a period of eight weeks, but we had a few close shaves with disaster, and realised at the end of the expedition that we had been lucky to come out of it without any major injuries or even deaths. We were completely unsupported, a hundred miles from the nearest help if anything had gone wrong, and not even any radios to call for help. In retrospect, we took some crazy risks, as young men tend to do. We probably thought we were immortal.
But there were also some intriguing things that happened to us -- heavy aircraft high overhead, encounters with US military personnel, and of course a strong US presence at Keflavik in Iceland, not very far away. We were there, after all, at the height of the Cold War. In 1962 Gary Powers, the U2 pilot, was released. The USA was still recovering from the Bay of Pigs disaster. The Cuban Missile crisis brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. The Berlin Wall was being built. There was tension in the air. So back in 1962 I suppose the seeds of this novel were sown in my mind -- and for over 50 years they have been slowly germinating. And a couple of years ago I worked out the theme for the novel and started work on the first draft.
Camp site on the Oxford Glacier in 1962. Some of the incidents from the OU Expedition to East Greenland were used as the basis for episodes in the new novel
AmeriCymru: And the theme is?
Brian: I don't want to give too much away, but let's call the book the first ever "Arctic Noir" novel! It's related in some ways to those dark and brutal "Scandinavian Noir" stories that have poured out of Sweden, Denmark and Norway over the past few years -- but this story does not have a dysfunctional detective or a homicidal maniac who leads the police in a complex chase through the murky winter landscapes of the Copenhagen suburbs. In the high Arctic the darkness is the blackness of the long winter night -- and symbolically the blackness imposed on a pristine wilderness and an innocent people by powerful nations intent on out-thinking and dominating other powerful nations. And there is a very dark villain too. The story follows several groups of people whose fortunes are intertwined. The action jumps from one group to another in a manner that is deliberately cinematic. But essentially, the narrative is about a group of young men who arrive in East Greenland on a scientific expedition and who find, even before they arrive in their fieldwork area, that strange things are happening to them and to their environment.
They experience one "Act of God" after another, and soon they are afflicted by deaths and serious injuries. They are not the only ones to suffer -- the small local population of Greenlanders is also caught up in strange events. As the death toll mounts, the explorers are too intelligent and too inquisitive for their own good, and they realise that their misfortunes can be traced back to a strange "mining settlement" in a red mountain called called Himmelbjerg, surrounded by glaciers and snowfields, some fifty miles away from their base camp. Gradually, they uncover a gigantic conspiracy which has its roots in the Cold War, and it becomes clear that they are being targetted by an implacable enemy with limitless resources who will not allow any of them to get out of East Greenland alive. The forces of darkness, by the way, are led by a man called Jim Wagner. And so the scene is set for the Twilight of the Gods.........
Author Brian John and two colleagues near the point of exhaustion, on Roslin Glacier in 1962.
AmeriCymru: So the story is an allegorical one, full of symbols?
Brian: Yes, it is. All good stories are allegorical to a degree, since every author is seeking to demonstrate universal truths through an examination of a unique set of circumstances affecting a specific group of people. The conflict between good and evil is played out in almost every work of fiction -- it's a universal theme. There's another theme too, which has been in my mind ever since I started planning this novel. It's the same theme that Alexander Cordell used in "Rape of the Fair Country" -- the loss of innocence, the violent despoilation of a beautiful wilderness, the loss of humanity, the cynical acceptance of collateral damage in pursuit of power and wealth. Greed and the lust for power lie at the heart of Cordell's story, as they do in mine.
But while he was dealing with mineral exploitation and industrialisation, I'm dealing here with geopolitics and military might. This is a Cold War story, and I have tried to capture the mood of the time. And as some of my readers have already remarked, the events which I've built into the story are not so fantastical that they cannot possibly have occurred in reality. Since I tend be have an optimistic turn of mind, I like to tell stories in which evil and brutality bring their own grotesque rewards, and in which virtue triumphs!
AmeriCymru: 'Acts of God' is very much a change of setting and genre from your 'Angel Mountain' series. What prompted you to explore new avenues?
Brian: I wasn't exactly bored with Martha Morgan and her Angel Mountain adventures, and am as fascinated by her as ever -- but shall we say I was getting rather complacent? After eight novels dealing with the same group of people in early nineteenth-century Wales I began to feel that I was in the comfort zone, and that there was a danger that my writing standards might start to slip. So rather than risking that, I decided to take on something more challenging -- an Arctic Noir story set in the Cold War of 1962. That of course involved huge changes in my storytelling technique, in the style of language used by the characters and in the interpretations of landscapes, political contexts, personal relationships and almost everything else. Also, in the Angel Mountain books I used a particular format -- an introductory chapter describing the discovery of another diary volume, and then a narrative unfolding in a diary format. Using a female voice, too!
This new novel has enabled me to experiment with a quite different narrative form -- third person, a relatively straightforward timeline, and several groups of players as the drama evolves. And for a change the real stars of the story are men! That having been said, there are just two women in this story -- but they are both absolutely critical to the manner in which the central crisis is resolved.
AmeriCymru: Where can readers find 'Acts of God' online? Is there a website?
Brian: The book is already available in both paperback and Ebook for Kindle. There is also a dedicated web site which is getting a wonderful response from readers.
This is the link to my web site, where I have a purchasing facility for both European and American readers:
And here are the other key links:
Acts of God ( Kindle ) Amazon.co.uk
Acts of God ( Paperback ) Amazon.co.uk
Acts of God ( Kindle ) Amazon.com
Acts of God ( Paperback ) Amazon.com
Polar bears such as this one inevitably play a role in a novel set in the Greenland fjords
AmeriCymru: While this story is obviously a full-blown adventure story with a dark conspiracy at its heart, it seems that you are also fascinated by the East Greenland landscape. Are you being paid by the Greenland tourist office?
Brian: If only! Maybe I should send them a bill? Seriously though -- of course I'm fascinated by the East Greenland landscape. It's one of the most exotic locations possible -- by far the most spectacular fjord landscape on earth, richly textured, washed with vibrant colours and ringing with birdsong and the sounds that come from glaciers and rolling and melting icebergs. I still have a large collection of digitised images from my own expedition in 1962, and during my research for this story I have dug up hundreds of amazing photos from more recent travellers into the area. I've put the best of them into a number of albums which anybody can access, including these:
Oxford University East Greenland Expedition 1962 on Pinterest
East Greenland is already becoming an important tourist destination, but access into the fjords is strictly limited to around two months every year, because of the ubiquitous East Greenland pack-ice belt. The Greenlanders are still involved in hunting, and it's important that their way of life should continue without too much interference from anybody else. But the wildlife resources are fantastic, and the tourist authorities are pushing "eco tourism" as hard as they can, with many visitors now coming in by air. That extends the tourist season, and now we are seeing trekking and "adventure holidays" in the area in the spring months as well, when the light is bright, the fjords are still frozen, and the snow is still thick on the ground. But tourism has to be handled carefully -- the area lies outside the East Greenland National Park, and great sensitivity -- and maybe tourist "rationing" -- is needed if this delicate wilderness is not to be damaged by those who seek to protect it.
AmeriCymru: Are you planning any further instalments in the 'Angel Mountain' saga?
Brian: Never say never. My faithful readers, who have bought 75,000 of my books since the series started, keep on hassling me and asking for more! All I can say at the moment is that there are still some long gaps in the story which are waiting to be filled. There are some interesting characters too -- like the wizard Joseph Harries -- who would make interesting central characters for other stories. Then we also have the next generation of the Morgan family, now that Martha is finally in her grave. I'll keep the matter under review!
AmeriCymru: What are you doing for Christmas?
Brian: Nothing very exotic. I hate the very idea of Christmas in a hotel, or away from home. So it'll be at home, all being well, in the company of my wife, two sons, one daughter-in-law and two teenage grandsons. In our family we are lucky, since my wife Inger is Swedish and since we therefore have to celebrate Christmas twice. Christmas Eve (Julafton) is the important day in Sweden, so of course we have to celebrate that properly with all the correct rituals and food. Then we do it all again on Christmas Day, this time with the full turkey dinner in the evening. By Boxing Day we are all desperately in need of fresh air and exercise -- so whatever the weather, according to tradition, we all go for a long walk either on the cliffs of the north Pembrokeshire coast or else up our local mountain of Carningli. Up there, of course, on the mountain, we can commune with the resident angels.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Brian: Keep up the good work! It's great to see you and so many others participating in a real project designed to keep the Welsh flag flying in North America. Hiraeth is alive and well, and I've always believed that a "sense of belonging" is at least as important as a sense of place to all of us, as human beings, if we are to lead interesting and fulfilling lives. I don't think there is any conflict at all in feeling Welsh as well as being American, or Canadian, or whatever. If I'm asked what I am, I will always answer than I am a Welshman -- but that doesn't stop me from feeling British and European as well. So keep the dragon flying, keep cheering on the Welsh rugby team, and keep on buying Welsh books! Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
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Mark: I came up with the idea for the anthology more-or-less out of necessity. Given the huge influence of Welsh author Arthur Machen on Lovecraft's work, combined with the fact that there has been an explosion in Cthulhu Mythos-themed books over the last few decades, I felt sure that a book like Cthulhu Cymraeg must already exist; one where Welsh authors returned the compliment paid to Machen by Lovecraft by writing in a Lovecraftian manner. Completing the circle, so to speak.
But after months of searching for this book that gave a uniquely Welsh twist to the Cthulhu Mythos, I gave up, forced to admit that no Welsh publisher had yet been down that road. That was when I approached Steve Upham, who upon hearing of the idea was keen that his Cardiff-based company, Screaming Dreams, should take on the project.
So I suppose you could say I produced the book because I wanted to read it!
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about your contribution to the collection:- 'Pilgrimage'?
Mark: I took something that many people in south Wales will be familiar with - the hour's rail journey between Cardiff and Swansea - and made it even stranger than it usually is!
The story nearly didn't happen, in fact. I'm always critical of writers who edit an anthology and include one of their own stories. It seems like cheating somehow.
But in this instance I'm merely being hypocritical. As one of the few Welsh authors who had already written a series of Lovecraftian stories, the publisher persuaded me that on this occasion I really needed to put my money where my mouth was.
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about the other contributors?
Mark: All the contributors were either born in Wales or have lived here for some time, so hopefully a uniquely Welsh point of view comes through in the writing. It'd be unfair to pick out individual contributors but all of them have a track record of writing tales of the fantastic and macabre; some have even won prestigious awards for their work.
The publisher, Steve Upham, and I agreed that we didn't simply want writers who were 'holidaying in horror' but rather authors who had an already proven commitment to the genre. And I think that shows through in the stories.
And there are more writers in Wales today creating tales of the fantastic than ever before. So there is a solid foundation for a Welsh School Of The Weird - maybe this book is its first manifesto, who knows.
I should also mention that we were very fortunate in that S T Joshi, Lovecraft's biographer and one of the world's foremost Lovecraft experts, agreed to write a foreword to the anthology. It speaks volumes about Machen's influence on Lovecraft in just a few pages. We were very grateful that he was generous enough to do that as he is always incredibly busy.
AmeriCymru: How much does this collection owe to, and celebrate, the legacy of Arthur Machen ?
Mark: Gwilym Games, of the Friends Of Arthur Machen ,often gives talks on the author's influence on Lovecraft. I've heard him say on several occasions "Without Machen there would have been no Lovecraft". I think that sums things up very well. And, by extension, without Machen there would have been no 'Cthulhu Cymraeg'. So you could say that the anthology forms a small part of his legacy.
AmeriCymru: In your opinion, how much of an influence did Machen have on Lovecraft's writing?
Mark: An enormous influence. Without him, Lovecraft's work would have been very different. If he hadn't discovered Machen's tales, the Anglophile New Englander would probably have been far more influenced by Lord Dunsany or Algernon Blackwood and perhaps his writing would have had far less impact than it has had.
In his 1927 essay 'Supernatural Horror In Literature', Lovecraft says about Machen: “Of living creators of cosmic fear raised to its most artistic pitch, few if any can hope to equal the versatile Arthur Machen.” He also praised Machen's story 'The White People' as one of the greatest examples of weird literature ever written.
And of course the influence of Machen's celebrated 1894 novella 'The Great God Pan' can be seen quite clearly in one of Lovecraft's best-known tales, 'The Dunwich Horror', which seems to have been partly written as an homage to the Welsh author.
AmeriCymru: How prominently does Welsh folklore feature in these tales?
Mark: One or two of the stories do touch on elements of Welsh folklore, although that was never really a major intention of the anthology.
But in the introduction I do suggest that Lovecraft's inter-dimensional beings are distorted versions of the Welsh myth of the Tylwyth Teg (or 'Fair Family'). Machen used these supernatural beings, who were said to dwell underground or below water, in his own work (most notably in 'The White People', 'The Novel Of The Black Seal' and 'The Children Of The Pool'), making them even more terrifying than their already unsettling reputation. Perhaps Lovecraft was impressed by these creatures' reputed ability to use water as an occult gateway between their own realm and ours, echoing this in his own creations' thankfully unsuccessful attempts to create their own gateways between the arcane and the mundane.
So it could be that Lovecraft himself was unconsciously influenced by Welsh folklore, transforming it (Oz-like) into something even more fantastical than the original.
Mark: My background is in journalism. I spent a decade-and-a-half working for Welsh newspapers (including the South Wales Echo in Cardiff and the South Wales Evening Post in Swansea) and the BBC before moving to a marketing and PR role in higher education.
I decided at the age of nine that I wanted to be a writer. I finally succeeded in getting into print at the age of 39!
My novella 'The Garden Of Doubt On the Island Of Shadows' was published in 2006. It was largely written as a response to my father's death two years earlier.
By a strange co-incidence it was read by the great American author Ray Bradbury, who was kind enough to comment favourably on it. This meant a lot to me as I am a great admirer of his work, which I discovered in my early teens.
My 2010 book 'Songs From Spider Street' is structured so it can be read as either a portmanteau novel or a short story collection, depending on your mood and how much time you have. It contains a mixture of magic realism, science fiction, existential horror and surrealism.
While the follow-up collection, 2013's 'Brightest Black', has a darker tone overall and is more traditional.
At the moment I'm working on a new collection for an American publisher. But as I'm quite a slow writer I can't say when that'll see the light of day.
My stories also pop up from time-to-time in anthologies and magazines when you least expect them.
AmeriCymru: What have you been reading lately? Any recommendations?
Mark: I've just finished re-reading Juan Rulfo's 'Pedro Paramo'. And I'm also dipping into a beautiful-looking book by Colorado's Centipede Press called 'A Mountain Walked: Great Stories Of The Cthulhu Mythos'. There is some wonderful work in there and, in terms of its size and weight, it reminds me of an old Welsh family Bible.
As for recommendations - well, Machen and Lovecraft of course. Any short story by Dino Buzzati. 'Invisible Cities' by Italo Calvino, which is endlessly inventive and great to dip in and out of. Christopher Priest's wonderful novel 'The Glamour'.
I can't choose a single piece by Thomas Ligotti, so I'll just content myself with saying that anything by him is well worth reading (even his shopping list, probably).
AmeriCymru: What's next for Mark Howard Jones?
Mark: Early next year a collection called 'Dreamglass Days' is due out, which collects together all the stories I've had published in the Manchester-based literary magazine Sein und Werden over the last eight years.
And there are plans for a second volume of 'Cthulhu Cymraeg'. The anthology had almost universally good reviews but the one thing people did say was that it simply wasn't long enough. So this time we'll probably be concentrating on publishing longer stories and even novella-length pieces.
AmeriCymru: Where can our readers go to purchase 'Cthulhu Cymraeg' online?
Mark: It's available through Amazon both in the U.S. and the U.K. They can also simply click on the ad in the Welsh-American Bookstore. >
If anyone wants more information about the book they can visit www.screamingdreams.com/cthulhucymraeg.html .
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Mark: Why not read 'Cthulhu Cymraeg' to your loved ones by the fireside on these cold winter nights.
Kicking off in North Korea is a series of travel diaries that follow his adventures from herding reindeer with the last of the Sami people to watching football in a silent crowd of 50,000 in North Korea. Through his travelling, Tim casts a piercing and sometimes judgemental eye on the kaleidoscopic world around him.
‘I think the seed for my travel addiction may have been planted when I visited the former Yugoslavia in 1979.’ says Tim, ‘It was still a communist country, I was a politics student and while my family were happy to sit on the beaches of the Dalmatian coast I was peering into offices and government buildings looking for evidence of workers committees, red banners, hammers and sickles.’
‘The travel bug was there, in my head, and I think the aim was to find further, maybe more difficult places to go to.’ he continued.
‘Some of charity drives we did across Europe, to Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Macedonia were fascinating because the landscape and people changed every day. The shockwaves of the fall of the communist empire is still being felt in Eastern Europe.’ he explained.
‘The riots in Kiev, the blood feuds in Albania and the ethnic tensions across the former Yugoslavia are for real, but you don’t have a chance of understanding them without going there yourself and talking to those involved.’ he continued.
But it was not all plain sailing.
‘There have been some hairy moments like when we hitched a lift across the Jordanian desert at dusk with the driver asking us to spell ‘terrorist.’’ says Tim. ‘There have been checkpoints, North Korean minders and young Israelis with guns. But there’s a myth that foreign places are inherently dangerous.’
The travel diaries also tell the story of his developing relationship with his son, Chester, while they travel the world together.
‘It never crossed our minds that Chester would not be part of our travels.’ he says, ‘I have seen him grow in confidence and become thirsty for knowledge of other places, other people.’
Tim Hartley is a writer and journalist. He has worked for the BBC for 17 years and for the British Council and the United Nations Development Programme in Central Asia and Africa.
He is also a regular contributor on radio and television and has shared his obsessions on the BBC’s ‘From our own Correspondent’ and a number of newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Golwg and the Western Mail.
‘You don’t have to travel to the ends of the world to get some great travelling experiences.’ concludes Tim. ‘North Wales may seem small on a map but every town has its own history and character.’
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Welcome to Sker House , a place where fact and fiction collide.
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REVIEW
It's addictive.... a real page turner. It will not scare the pants off you, although there are some eerie passages earlier on, but, it will keep you massively entertained throughout. Think 'ripping yarn' or 'H.P. Lovecraft meets Indiana Jones'.
The Indiana Jones connection is alluded to at one point in the narrative when the guests and staff of Sker House make their final stand against the other worldly horrors which infest the place:-
“This is beginning to turn into an Indiana Jones movie,” said Lucy, who seemed increasingly unimpressed with all the problem-solving.
“In that case, I hope it doesn't turn into the Last Crusade,” said Dale.
“Why? Does the hero die in that one? I haven't seen it,” said Lucy, feigning interest.
“No. It was just s**t.”
No fear of that! The final scenes, set in the catacombs beneath Sker House, combine comedy and drama with perfect pace to provide a satisfying and thrilling denoument to the creepy capers that precede it.
If you like your ghost stories with a generous side of humor then this book is definitely for you. Sker House landlord James Machen (an allusion, no doubt, to Welsh master of horror fiction, Arthur Machen) entertains us frequently with his wry observations. The alcoholic Welsh landlord, down on his luck and teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, reveals the sad story of his associaton with Sker in a series of drunken soliloquies. At one point he asks himself:-
"What was it Richard Burton said? Show a Welshman a million exits and he'll always choose the path to self-destruction. Or was it Anthony Hopkins? Maybe they both said it. Whatever. It sounded about right."
All in all I have no hesitation in recommending Sker House to anyone who has a sense of humor and a taste for the supernatural. With summer vacation time looming this book is a perfect accompaniment for long plane or train journeys and ideal for a lazy day at the beach.
INTERVIEW
AmeriCymru: How would you describe your latest novel, 'Sker House'?
In a nutshell, it's a traditional haunted house story with a contemporary twist and a distinctly Welsh flavour. Sker House is an actual location, near Kenfig on the south Wales coast. When I was a kid I used to go on family holidays to Porthcawl and Sker was a regular haunt, excuse the pun. It was in ruins then – the house been refurbished since – and there was just something about the place. There are loads of local legends and ghost stories connected to it. I thought about it a lot over the years, and always toyed with the idea of writing a book about it. When I was living in China a few years ago I had some time on my hands and decided to tackle the project head-on. During the research phase, I found that the truth is even stranger than the fiction. Of all the historical sites in Wales, Sker House is probably the most deserving of having a fictionalized book written about it. It's also one of the lesser-known sites. One of my aims was to share the story of Sker with a wider audience.
AmeriCymru: You have written many horror shorts for magazines, anthologies etc. What attracts you as a writer you to the horror genre?
I don't really know. It probably comes from being a huge Stephen King fan and being addicted to TV shows like Tales From the Crypt and Outer Limits when I was a kid. If I sit down to write, what comes out is naturally dark. Most of it has a little injection of humour, which unfortunately goes over a lot of people's heads. Writing dark fiction is also a bit of a release. My day job is writing about sport and lifestyle for magazines. I love my job, and consider myself lucky to be able to do what I love for a living, but as with most day jobs, it gets a bit monotonous at times. There's a lot of ticking boxes, writing stuffy corporate stuff, and trying to make uninteresting things sound interesting. My style, and what I write about, is largely dictated by the client or the readers. When I write fiction, I don't write for an audience, I write for myself. That's one reason why I turned to indie publishing a couple of years ago. I like the creative freedom. I control everything from the content and the cover design to the pricing, which has been a big sticking point with publishers in the past who always insisted on pricing my books way too high.
That was the first book I ever had published. Having left school with no qualifications, I was working in a packing factory in Rhymney. After my shifts I'd go home, research and write about local myths and legends. Partly because I wanted to identify more with Wales, and partly because I was just interested in the subject matter. When people asked what I did in my spare time I'd tell them, but nobody ever thought it would lead to anything, least of all me. I dreamed about being able to leave that factory. After six or seven years work, I polished the manuscript up and sent it out to about a dozen publishers. Most never replied, and the ones that did turned it down. The very last name on the list was a small Welsh publisher called Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, who liked it and agreed to take it on. It caused quite a stir when it came out, there were newspaper and radio interviews for which I was wholly unprepared, but it won the attention of the Welsh Arts Council who got behind it and I ended up getting a grant to go to university as a mature student. Since then, I've had to pinch myself every day. I am living proof that if you put your heart and soul into something, you can achieve anything.
That was something I started when I was in university, again as a kind of pet project just because I wanted to know more about the club. Their history is fascinating. They are the only club to ever take the FA Cup out of England, and remain the only football club in the world to ever hold the national cups of two different countries at the same time by winning the Welsh cup the same year (1927). There's a great old photo of the then-captain, Fred Keenor, with the FA Cup in one hand a fag in the other. How the game has changed!
It's not always enjoyable, but supporting Cardiff is never boring. The first game I ever saw was a 1-1 draw with Barnet in the old Fourth Division in 1992 (I think), and I went down to Ninian Park quite regularly until I moved away in 2003. I finished the book in 2007, but couldn't find a publisher for it at the time. Then, when the club won promotion to the Premier League in 2012/13, I had another go and lo and behld, there was more interest this time around.
AmeriCymru: What's next for C.M. Saunders. Any new titles in the works?
I took a huge leap recently and scaled down my day job to pursue fiction. Not 100% of the time, but now I do about half and half. I thought if I don't do it now, I never will. I have a new novella coming out in the summer called No Man's Land, a horror story set in the trenches of World War I. It's the centeniery of the Battle of the Somme, so I'm planning on giving the proceeds to a veteran's charity. My main project at the moment is an adventure series for young adults about a character called Joshua Wyrdd, who finds a magic amulet in a rock pool in Anglesey which transports him through time. I've always been a history buff. The books are written in such a way that they aren't just adventure stories, but are also at least partially historically accurate, so they can be used as educational tools for kids. The first book is about the Roman invasion of Angelsey and the Final Battle they had there with the Celts and the druids, while the second is about pirates and sea monsters and the third will be about the witch trials.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
The bond Welsh people have, wherever in the world they travel, is something that never ceases to amaze me. If I ever see a Welsh jersey in a random bar in Hong Kong, or anywhere else, I know I'm looking at a friend. We just seem to have an affinity with each other, and that is something to be cherished. I'd also like to thank Americymru, and it's members, for all their support. It truly means everything. Diolch!
When Buffalo Bill bursts into town with his band of Indian braves and sharp-shooting cowboys, crowds throng the streets of Cardiff. They all want a glimpse of the world-famous Wild West show. Amongst them, enjoying the colour and excitement, is young Sam Thomas. But it isn't long before he's in danger. Without a home or family to turn to, who can Sam trust and where will he find a place to hide?
This adventure story is sure to keep the readers engaged with its many twists and turns and Sam’s survival is uncertain until the very end of the novel. The book also includes a section entitled For the Historical Record for those interested in learning a little more about the history that inspired the author to write The Wild West Show.
Phil Carradice is a freelance writer, consultant and broadcaster. He regularly holds creative writing workshops in schools and colleges. A former teacher and headteacher, he hails from Pembroke Dock, but now lives in the Vale of Glamorgan. Phil has a strong interest in history and writes a regular blog for the BBC Wales website – Phil Carradice on BBC Wales
The Wild West Show is available from all good bookshops and online retailers.
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
The Mimosa in the 1860's. Wikimedia Commons
In an important new book, published by Y Lolfa, author Sion T. Jobbins calls for the 28th May to be commemorated annually in Wales as 'Flag Day'. He explains the reasoning behind this suggestion in the following succinct paragraph:
"There is no designated Flag Day for the Red Dragon. The author would propose 28 May, which was the day the flag was hoisted on board the Mimosa ship on its voyage to Patagonia in 1865. This was the first known and dated occasion when the flag was flown by Welsh people as a symbol of Welsh national identity."
The book is a treasure trove of information about the Ddraig Goch from the earliest times to the present day. For instance did you know that:
- The Ddraig Goch flag in its present form was only officially adopted as the flag of Wales in 1959?
- The Red Dragon was originally the banner of the Roman legionary cohorts. Their name for it was the draco coccinus. Both terms entered the Welsh vocabulary as loan words (somewhat adapted) from the Latin?
There is much more detail about the Flag's 2000 year history and at slightly less than 100 pages this book is the most informative and entertaining on its subject matter that you are likely to find. Of course the departure of the Mimosa from Liverpool Dock in 1865 is in itself an historic occasion worth celebrating. The voyage led to the founding of Wales first and only colony in the America's. For more on the voyage of the Mimosa see the links below. To purchase the book go here:- The Red Dragon - The Story of the Welsh Flag
And remember to commemorate Flag Day on May 28th!
From the Wikipedia :- "The idea of a Welsh colony in South America was put forward by Professor Michael D. Jones, a Welsh nationalist non-conformist preacher based in Bala who had called for a new "little Wales beyond Wales". He spent some years in the United States, where he observed that Welsh immigrants assimilated very quickly compared with other peoples and often lost much of their Welsh identity. He proposed setting up a Welsh-speaking colony away from the influence of English. He recruited settlers and provided financing. Australia, New Zealand and even Palestine were considered, but Patagonia was chosen for its isolation and the Argentines' apparently generous offer of 100 square miles (260 km²) of land along the Chubut River in exchange for settling the still-unconquered land of Patagonia for Argentina."
The Mimosa :- "The Mimosa was a clipper ship best known for carrying the first Welsh emigrants to South America in 1865.
Mimosa sailed from Liverpool, England on May 28, 1865 to Patagonia, South America with a group of about 153 passengers with Captain George Pepperell and a crew of 18. Thomas Greene, an Irishman from Kildare, had been appointed as ship's surgeon. They landed on July 28, 1865 and named their landing site Porth Madryn. They were met by Edwyn Cynrig Roberts and Lewis Jones who had already arrived in Patagonia in June 1865 to prepare for the arrival of the main body of settlers.Their aim was to establish a Welsh colony which would preserve the Welsh language and culture. The proposed site for the colony was in the Chubut River valley. On September 15, 1865 the first town in the Chubut colony was named Rawson, and the settlers went on to build the settlements at Gaiman and Trelew.
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Where the Stream Ran Red is the story of one place, one family (yet, in many ways hauntingly true of families throughout the south Wales coalfield) whose narrative takes us as far as the West Indies in the time of slavery, the high seas off Singapore and the pogroms of Tsarist Ukraine.
This is the story of the entry of Gilfach Goch into history as a mining valley, separate from the anthill of the forked valleys of Rhondda, with its own curious tripartite administration and its own special part to play in the turbulence of the south Wales coalfield. The red-tinted bed of a slim stream rising in the moorland overlooking a small, isolated unpopulated valley, a cil fach , gave its name to the writer’s birthplace.
Out of the years of productivity and optimism, and the grinding misery of long, bitter strikes and economic depression, rises a compendium of stories, in which stark and sobering facts jostle with speculative reconstruction of events in past centuries and memories of boyhood in the Valleys.
‘I was prompted to write by a sense of my own failure to ask my parents, sisters and others, who were witnesses of events before I was born and during forgotten childhood years, about their experiences in two wars and the years of strikes and depression between them.’ explained author Sam Adams.
‘In the boyhood times I recall the pits were busy day and night, all able-bodied men and increasing numbers of women were employed - and we all had ration books. Families had to bear the pain of the loss of loved ones in the war, sickness had to be borne, but people simply got on with it, in the valleys as elsewhere.’
‘Stoicism and understatement were ingrained in the code of the mining valleys; I do not think my family differed from others in telling me very little about their own histories. In my case, by the time I was thoughtful enough to want to find out, it was already too late. There was nothing I could do about all the lost personal testimony, except try to ensure that our children and grandchildren would not regret, as I have done, missed chances to ask how we came to be where we are.’
‘I decided I would write for them what I remembered, and what I could find out, about the family and the times in which they lived.’ he added.
In common with many in south Wales, the author’s family has roots spread wide – from Derbyshire and Somerset to Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Breconshire, and tales of origins (lost glories even) carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation.
Writer and editor Sam Adams was born and brought up in Gilfach Goch, Glamorgan, when it was still a busy mining valley, his elementary school days there coinciding with the Second World War. Having studied English at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, he combined a career in education with work as writer and editor.
His poems and critical writing have appeared in all the magazines of Welsh writing in English and he has made more than a hundred contributions to the Carcanet Press magazine PN Review . His editorial work includes the Collected Poems and Collected Stories of Roland Mathias and among his other publications are three monographs in the Writers of Wales series, three collections of poems and the novel Prichard’s Nose (Y Lolfa, 2010).
Where the Stream Ran Red – Memories and Histories of a Welsh Mining Valley by Sam Adams (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
"Esme's passions are treated sensitively and honestly in this memoir, brought again to life so graphically by Teleri" Lord Dafydd Ellis Thomas
Buy 'Esme: Guardian of Snowdonia' here
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This is the story of Esme Kirby, the heroine of Thomas Firbank's 1939 international bestseller, I Bought A Mountain, which portrayed the rigours of farming in Snowdonia, North Wales.
Esme's marriage to Thomas ended at the beginning of the Second World War and this book takes up her life as she struggled to cope alone on the 3000 acre Dyffryn Mymbyr sheep farm. Still a young woman, she could easily have given up such an arduous life but, instead, she grew to love her vocation and appreciate the fact that she lived in the most remarkable of landscapes.
Such was her fondness for Snowdonia, and concern for its future, that she later established the Snowdonia National Park Society, a 'watchdog' to ensure that the landscape was protected from any adverse development. She also led a campaign to re-establish colonies of the native red squirrel in Anglesey. Her legacy in this beautiful, rural community continues to this day.
Teleri Bevan comes from a farming background, yet her working life was spent at the BBC where she launched Radio Wales as its Editor and later became the Head of Programmes for BBC Wales radio and television. In retirement Teleri has enjoyed writing books about women who made distinctive contributions to rural life in 20th century Wales: firstly the story of establishing Rachel's Dairy, and then recording the accomplishments of the Ladies of Blaenwern , who bred world-famous Welsh cobs.
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AmeriCymru: How would you describe your new book 'The Timeless Cavern'?
John: It is a historical, fantasy, time travel treat. A cave in Mid Wales where no time passes is the base for Marged Evans and her friends. She works out how to re-calibrate the time stones so that she can help people out who have been trapped in the cave, some of them for hundreds of years.
The idea is to get young people and others interested in historical events, local, national and international via fun, time travel, fantasy.
AmeriCymru: Do you plan a sequel and if so when can we expect publication?
John: The Timeless Cavern series will be on going. The second book Marged Evans and the Pebbles of MORE time is finished and will be out by the middle of this year. The third book is a third complete and should be finished by the end of the year. The fourth and fifth books are in the planning stages.
AmeriCymru: You currently live in Minnesota but you are from Mid Wales originally. Care to tell us a little about your Welsh background?
John: I was raised on a hill farm in Mid Wales and lived there until 1976 when I came to the US and attended University. While in Wales I was active in Young Farmers and Wildlife organisations.
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about your one man show “John Dingley and the Biggest Pack of Lies You Ever heard”?
John: It is a collection of stories most of which are based in actual happenings that showed up in my life over the years. Many of them will show up in another book which will also be published soon. (See below)
AmeriCymru: What's next for John Dingley?
John: Another book coming out called "A visit Home" a collection of short stories and a few poems. Also another book which is finished, however still needs work. A non fiction. "Hard Work in Paradise When all our food and lives were organic"
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
John: Keep supporting the world of Welsh Writers. We all need your support. Read voraciously and have fun.
"A man with such a dramatic martyrdom and intense commitment which led to that martyrdom is worthy of becoming a legend,” says Dr. Samuel Hugh Moffett about Robert Jermain Thomas, missionary to China and Korea [1839-1866]. Thomas has become legendary in both North and South Korea: in the North he is considered enemy of empire—one who attempted to bring in American imperialism—to many in the South he is considered the first martyred Protestant missionary to Korea.
AmeriCymru: Hi Stella and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. What inspired you to write about Robert Jermain Thomas ? Care to introduce him for our readers?
Stella: Sometimes we can live so close to great history and yet not see or appreciate the many hidden places or individuals that could enrich our lives.
So it was when I first learned of Robert Jermain Thomas. I had previously lived a few miles down the road from Llanover, Monmouthshire, the home of the missionary, Robert Jermain Thomas and yet it was not until I moved thousands of miles from my homeland, teaching at Gordon College, Massachusetts, that I first learned of the significance of this man to the Korean peninsula.
Little was known of him in Wales, but he is a household name for many in Korea. Chosen for Choson, is the first book about Robert Jermain Thomas written in English. His family were Welsh speaking, and lived next door to the famous Lady Llanover who encouraged everything Welsh. Currently, Chosen for Choson is available in English and Chinese and next year it will be available in Korean. Wouldn’t it be lovely if someone could translate this into Welsh!
The one that inspired me most must be Dr.Samuel Hugh Moffett whom I met at Princeton Seminary, who, by the way, celebrates in 99th birthday this year. Sam told me that a man like Thomas was “worthy of growing into a legend” because he had such a “dramatic” and “intense” commitment to spread the Gospel of Christ which eventually led to his martyrdom in Korea. Sam’s father, Samuel Austin Moffett, had served in Korea from 1890, through Pyongyang’s Revival in 1907, and stayed during the Japanese annexation in 1910 until he was forced to leave in 1935.
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about the General Sherman Incident in which Robert Thomas became entangled?
Stella: Mystery surrounded the General Sherman, the boat on which Thomas traveled on his second missionary journey into Korea. Thomas even refused to tell his friend its name. Some believe it was a spy ship; others, a merchant ship, or even a raider of tombs. As they traveled up the coast, they received many official warnings to turn back. However, they adamantly and arrogantly continued their course, intruding a country which was hostile to the outside world.
It is not surprising then, that on September 3, 1866, the command to destroy The Sherman was issued. Despite the inequality between the strength of The Sherman and the local boats, the Koreans were victorious. They floated several burning boats (turtle boats or scows) loaded with brush sprinkled with sulfur toward the schooner, setting it into flame. The captain and crew plunged into the sea and waiting for them on the shore were their executioners. Sadly, there were no survivors.
It was exciting to hear Sam tell me that he knew of eye witnesses of the account. He says, ‘My father came to Pyongyang less than 24 years after the General Sherman disaster. One of his helpers, reverend Hansok-jin, met eye witnesses of the attack on the Sherman. They had seen a white man in the smoke on the burning deck, shouting “Jesus” and throwing books to the people lining the shore. Some of the crowd were brave enough to take the books, one pasting the bible on the walls of his home. Later, this home became a thriving church.
AmeriCymru: How is Thomas remembered in Korea today?
Stella: For thousands of Korean Christians, Thomas is remembered as one who brought Christianity to Korea. He is greatly revered. Recently a chapel built on the grounds of Wales Evangical School of Theology, Bridgend, has been named after him. At Sarang Church in Korea, you will see a Welsh church built in the center of their buildings. Koreans In their hundreds visit the historical places in Wales attached to the memory of Thomas. Recently I was able to help John Gower on S4C television with details of the journey of Thomas. The story of Thomas continues to intrigue us.
AmeriCymru: You currently live in Wales but you lived for many years in Canada and then Massachusetts. Care to tell us a little about your time in Canada and the US?
Stella: My husband and I left Wales with three children and lived in Nova Scotia for several years; later we moved to Masachusetts. My husband was a doctor in Yarmouth, NS, and in Hamilton and Essex, MA. I taught at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts. All our children studied in the USA.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Stella Price?
Stella: My biographies, Chosen for Choson and God’s Collaborator have kept me busy for a while. I am currently writing a novel based on a story line that begins in Nova Scotia and ends in post WWII London, UK with many cross-cultural dilemmas. It’s going to take a while, however. Researching this era is fascinating.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Stella: My book, “Chosen for Choson,” introduces you to the lives of Robert Jermain Thomas and Caroline Godfrey, two young people who were adventurous and brave. Their lives ended tragically, yet their story still reverberates throughout Wales, China, and Korea. My second book, “God’s Collaborator,” tells the story of a man who was imprisoned in North Korea, yet lives to tell the story, and whose life did not end tragically, but who has now founded a university in Pyongyang, North Korea, on the very site where the Memorial Church, dedicated to the life of Thomas, was destroyed. Stories really never end. They simply continue throughout the generations. I hope you enjoy these books.
Following on from the success of Welsh Cakes and Custard – which won the English Tir na n’Og award in 2014 – Emyr Rhys and Betsi Wyn are back…
With an offer of two spare tickets to the match and two spare seats on the minibus, Emyr and Da-cu excitedly grab their scarves and join their friends on the bus. But having arrived at the Millennium Stadium, Da-cu realises that he’s left mobile phone at home – how will they let Nain know where they are? With their eyes on the big screen and armed with plenty of daffodil hats, white card and a marker pen, they hope that the cameraman spot them!
Emyr and Da-cu’s adventure at the Millennium Stadium is one of five delightful stories about Emyr Rhys and Betsi Wyn. Other stories include getting stranded on Caldey Island, dressing up as a frog and a school trip to a Victorian school.The stories also celebrate the special bond between children and their grandparents as Mam-gu and Da-cu play very important roles in the adventures of their young grandchildren.
Published by Pont Books, exciting times – and funny moments – fill these five new stories for young readers, with illustrations by Helen Flook, reflecting the gentle humour of the text.
As a child growing up in Llanelli, Wendy loved spending time browsing the shelves at the local library and after graduating from Lampeter University, she worked as a library assis tant before training to become a teacher. Wendy has taught in primary schools in England and Wales and now lives in Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire with her husband and children.
Three Cheers for Wales is available from all good bookshops and online retailers.
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk or visit the author’s website www.wendywhite.org.uk
Talented photographer Iestyn Hughes will present his new book at the Drwm in the National Library of Wales at 7pm.
His striking pictures take us on a personal journey around Ceredigion looking at past and present images of the county. We travel from coast to uplands, through towns and villages in good times and bad, through the eyes of an adopted ‘Cardi’ whose love for his county is visible in every frame ...
Iestyn Hughes, who lives in Bow Street, says that “Our formative years (mine were spent inAnglesey) are incredibly important in forging a sense of belonging and community, and I lacked such an emotional bond with Ceredigion. So the idea of a photographic project based on Ceredigion formed in my mind. At the very least, it would get me out of the house and at best, it might help me feel less of a stranger to the place. I upgraded my camera gear, put on my boots, and began a long process of wandering here, there and everywhere, getting acquainted with parts of the landscape and some of the people around me ...”
According to Iestyn, capturing the county is “like trying to paint a portrait of a bored teenager who won’t sit still. The best I can do is to offer a glimpse of a ‘then and now’, with or without the blemishes, some of it real, some of it imagined and idealized, some of it lost forever, in the hope of leaving an impression. After all, as details, words and images fade away, all that remains is an impression. I just hope it’s an interesting and lasting one.
“It is a visual journey – a combination of past impressions, formed from pictures I saw and was sometimes captivated by as a curator over many years, and a contemporary pictorial record, a moment in time that anyone can experience for themselves now, if they travel thoughtfully around the county.
“Many of the places I’ve photographed are easy to reach by car. As you turn the pages, you’re taken, more or less, on a journey eastwards to the remote uplands, then clockwise around the county, popping inland now and again, up the coast from the Teifi right up to the Dyfi, sometimes setting foot in neighbouring counties, then home sweet home again, back to Aberystwyth.
”Iestyn adds that Ceredigion is “like a flower waiting for sun, it bursts open with life in the glow of any social event! Those I met at carnivals, races, theatrical performances, food festivals, farmers’marts, livestock sales, village shows, young farmers’ rallies, eisteddfodau, elections, Welsh-language classes, choral evenings, society meetings, protests, seaside cleanups, lectures, and myriad gatherings, proved to me that Ceredigion is alive and brimming with people who care for its heritage and who are passionate about securing its future. It’s the Cardis, more than any particular spot on the landscape, that have left the most abiding impression.
”Ceredigion: At my Feet / Wrth fy Nhraed by Iestyn Hughes will be launched at the National Library of Wales on 3 March at 7pm. Spaces for the launch are limited, so please contact GomerPress in advance if you wish to attend (elen@gomer.co.uk / 01559 363090).Iestyn Hughes will also be signing copies of the book in Aberystwyth on Saturday, 5 March, at Siop y Pethe at 11am and Siop Inc at 2.30pm.Ceredigion:
At My Feet / Wrth fy Nhraed is now available from your local bookshop or directly from the publisher, Gomer Press, Llandysul on www.gomer.co.uk. It’s an ideal gift for all Cardis and a wonderful souvenir for visitors to the county. Bibliographic details
Ceredigion: At my Feet / Wrth fy NhraedIestyn HughesPublished by Gomer Press
ISBN 9781848517516, £14.99, paperback, 216 pages
His comments appear in a new comprehensive history of the iconic Welsh flag published by Y Lolfa– the publishers who recently launched little Red Dragon flag stickers for motorists to place over the Union Jack flag on the newly designed driving license.
‘Flying the Union Jack means always, in the final analysis, deferring to Westminster and airbrushing Wales from the picture.’ says Sion Jobbins ‘Where we have the Union Flag – such as the Olympic Games in a few months’ time, we’ll see that Wales is invisible and doesn’t exist. To fly the Union Jack is to agree ultimately that our Welshness can only by in the image allowed within Westminster rule and sensibilities.’
The book details the story behind one of the world’s most distinctive flags and Wales’s greatest symbol. Jobbins also makes some very interesting discoveries. Readers may be surprised to know that the popular flag was only made the official flag of Wales in 1959. Jobbins recalls campaigns to have the Welsh flag recognised had included local nationalist activists and Bangor students climbing up the flag pole on Caernarfon Castle’s Eagle Tower on St David’s Day in 1932 to tear down the Union Jack.
The vast majority of Welsh people may also be unaware that the official flag of Wales in the 1950s was not the one they now know and love. Rather, it was the ‘Welsh Office’ design which was the official flag. It was only following a mass campaign lead by the Eisteddfod Gorsedd in 1958 that the Cabinet decided in 1959 in that the familiar and popular flag would, at last, be the official flag.
Jobbins also suggests 28th of May be the ‘Flag Day’ of the Red Dragon as it was on this day in 1865 that the first recorded flying of the flag in its modern incarnation was made. The flag was flown aboard the Mimosa ship as it sailed from Liverpool with the first settlers for the Welsh colony in Patagonia.
Sion Jobbins was born in Zambia and raised in Cardiff and is also the author of the popular book ‘The Welsh National Anthem: its story, its meaning’ also published by Y Lolfa.
The Red Dragon – The Story of the Welsh Flag is full of photographs, cuttings and illustrations and sure to appeal to both visitors to Wales and locals alike and is keenly priced for the impulsive buyer.
The Red Dragon - The Story of the Welsh Flag by Siôn Jobbins (£3.99, Y Lolfa) is available now from all good bookshops.
BIOGRAPHY OF SOLDIER WHO HATED WAR MARKS CENTENARY OF MILITARY CONSCRIPTION ACT
Wednesday Mar 2 2016, 6:30 PM
@ Y Drwm, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
Almost hundred years to the day the Military Conscripton Act came into force, the life of one of the most famous Welsh pacifists of the 20 th century is remembered. A...
The Shadow of Nanteos by Jane Blank, published by Y Lolfa, was Waterstones’ Book of the Month in Wales in November. Jane will be touring North America in late 2016: currently planning Toronto, New York and Washington. So please let me know if you’d be interested in her coming to speak at your society or college about the book, the history and Ceredigion. The novel is in English, but Jane is a fluent Welsh speaker from a Ceredigion family.
New Welsh Historical Novel: The Shadow of Nanteos by Jane Blank
When William Powell and his headstrong wife Elizabeth inherit the glorious Nanteos estate in Cardiganshire, it seems their new life is everything they could wish for. Yet, as her debt-ridden husband is snared by the land disputes and violence of the 1750s lead wars, Elizabeth is increasingly drawn to the mysterious figure of Cai, the estate's handsome bailiff. Superstition, tales of haunting, and the powerful Nanteos grail cast their shadow over the house and soon the family is caught up in a vicious political and legal battle that will end in tragedy. ISBN: 9781784611712
http://www.ylolfa.com/en/dangos.php?ISBN=9781784611712
https://www.facebook.com/Nanteos1750/
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Nanteos-The-Jane-Blank/dp/1784611719
"A Wonderfully gothic evocation of Wild Wales" - Robert Peston, BBC.
"Dark, dramatic and visceral - Jane Blank has done for West Wales what has been done before for South Wales – she tells the story of how the land and the people were exploited for profit. We've had 'How Green was my Valley' for South Wales, but I've never read anything about the lead mines in Mid-Wales at this period." - Deborah Kay Davies, author of Wales Book of the Year 2009.
The Shadow of Nanteos “is no soft-focus costume drama. There is a strong sense of social division between local Welsh workers and the anglicised middle-class and upper-class landowners and mine-owners. The central character, Elizabeth, although at first revelling in her new fortune and status, soon breaks the social rules both in relation to her servants and in what is expected of a gentlewoman. The locations are vividly evoked, and the landscape has a part in the drama as it does in Hardy's novels" - Caroline Clark, Gwales.com
Nanteos Mansion, near Aberystwyth, is now a luxurious Country House Hotel
Jasmine Donahaye explores the life and politics of Welsh Jewish writer Lily Tobias
Thursday Mar 3 2016, 7:30 PM
@ London Welsh Centre, 157-163 Gray's Inn Road, WC1X 8UE
Introduced by writer Kathryn Gray 2016 is the centenary of the Military Service Act, when thousands of men became conscientious objectors during the First World War - among...
RHYS BOWEN ON AMAZON Rhys Bowen is the award winning writer of the Constable Evans mysteries set in the Snowdonia Mountains of Wales. Apart from the Constable Evans series, Rhys has written many other novels and children's books, including many best-selling titles. She has also written some historical sagas and TV tie-ins. She currently resides in California and spends her winters in Arizona. Her latest titles include Dreamwalker (The Red Dragon Academy Book 1) and The Edge of Dreams (available from bookstores and online from March 3rd). AmeriCymru spoke to her about her work and future plans.
Rhys: Thanks for inviting me, Ceri. Dreamwalker is a middle grade children's fantasy novel, set at Red Dragon Academy, a strange boarding school in Wales. The children who have been sent there seem to have strange powers and one hallway leads to another world. If you liked Harry Potter you'll enjoy this. Not the same but the same sort of feel. And plenty of Welsh mythology tied in.
AmeriCymru: When can we expect a sequel?
Rhys: As you know I usually write adult mystery novels. This was my first venture writing with my daughter Clare. We were sitting together lamenting no more Harry Potter when I said "You know. I have an idea..." and we talked it through. Now she is bugging me to get that first sequel written. I have a really full writing background but I'm going to try to make time to plot out a second book next month.
AmeriCymru: Can you tell us a little about your Welsh background? What effect did your many childhood visits to North Wales have on your writing?
Rhys: My grandfather is Welsh. My passionate Welsh aunt Gwladys used to take me to Wales every summer where I stayed with Welsh speaking great aunts. We were near Snowdonia and my aunt was a passionate hiker so I've done every trail up Snowdon. From a small child I have always felt the draw of that majestic scenery--towering mountains, streams rushing down them, the bleeting of sheep. That was why I started the Constable Evans series because I wanted to share that experience with those who didn't know about Wales.
AmeriCymru: What initially attracted you to mystery writing?
Rhys: I've always been a mystery reader. I love the puzzle, the suspense. I had been writing in other genres (YA TV etc and suddenly felt I wanted to write what I enjoyed reading. I wanted to write mysteries with a strong sense of place. And of course the place that came to mind was Wales.
Rhys: As I just said I knew I wanted to write mysteries with a strong sense of place. It was when I was telling a friend about my childhood experiences in Wales that she said "Did you ever put this in a book?" and I thought Aha! So then Constable Evans walked in, almost fully formed and said "Hello, here I am." The funny thing was it was as if I knew him from day one. I didn't have to make anything up.
I've really loved doing those books and would like to write another one, but alas the publisher started taking some of the books out of print. It made no sense to me to go on writing if a new reader couldn't find the whole series (Luckily they are now all on Kindle etc). But I have promised readers that I will write an Evan e-story from time to time so that we can see how he is doing. I'm curious to know, aren't you?
Rhys: Of course the awards are amazing and rather humbling. But I think my proudest achievement is my number of fans to whom my books mean something. I've had letters saying "your book got me through time at the homeless shelter, or through chemo, or through the loss of a dear one." Those really mean something.
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about your 2014 novel City of Darkness and Light and the Molly Murphy series of which it is the latest instalment?
Rhys: The Molly Murphy novels are set in early 1900s New York. This book starts with a devastating event when Molly's house is blown up and she is sent for safety to her good friends in France. She arrives to find no trace of them. Alone with a baby in a strange city she has to find out what happened to her friends and how their disappearance is linked to the murder of a well-known Impressionist painter. It was fun to write as I adore Impressionist art!
By the way, the next Molly book is due out on March 3, called The Edge of Dreams .
AmeriCymru: From Her Royal Spyness ( 2007 ) to Queen of Hearts ( 2014 ) your Lady Georgiana ( aka Georgie ) series has proved immensely popular. Care to introduce the character for our readers? Are there any further titles in the pipeline?
Rhys: Lady Georgie is 35th in line to the throne in the 1930s. Although she has royal connections her branch of the family is destitute and she is trying to make her own way in the world at a difficult time. The Molly books are suspenseful and serious. The Royal Spyness are pure fun. I poke fun at the British class system, at my clumsy heroine, her awful maid. Think Bertie Wooster meets Bridget Jones with the occasional body!
And yes, there are more titles ahead. The next one is called Malice at the Palace and is about the (real) wedding of the Duke of Kent to Princess Marina... so tied in to some real history and set at Kensington Palace.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Rhys Bowen?
Rhys: More Molly and Lady Georgie books, the next Red Dragon Academy and hopefully enough time in between to travel, enjoy the best fish and chips in Wales in Usk and Cornish pasties in Falmouth!
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Rhys: Cymru am byth!
We are proud and pleased to announce that our good friend and AmeriCymru member Ralph Jones has just published his fourth book:- Klondyke Tales: A History of the Dowlais RFC The book is a history of the Dowlais rugby football club and the people who made it.
A short excerpt -
Chwarae Teg,Teg Chwarae translated into English means fair play, play fair. This is the motto of Dowlais rugby football club a little club with big family values which nestles at the top of the Merthyr valley. The club was formed initially to play so called friendly games on Sunday mornings mostly against other local pub teams.They would spend a year or two wandering like rugby nomads from venue to venue before eventually settling at their now Fortess Klondyke home. Sid Hill put an advert in a local paper saying that a meeting would be held in the Slipper (Prince Llewellyn) public house where players who were interested in forming a rugby team in Dowlais were invited to attend. Games were to be played on Sunday mornings.
The book can be purchased from Amazon.com or via the Welsh American Bookstore
Both the Welsh Books Council and the National Museum have chosen the debut novel by author Sheila Harries as their July Children’s Book of the Month and Book of the Month respectively.
Over 50 shops have signed up to the Welsh Books Council’s scheme and Cathryn Gwynn, editor at Pont Books says
“We are delighted that The Picture that Made Time Fly has been chosen as the first English-language title since the scheme was launched in March.
“Pont publish English-language books that have a strong Welsh identity and our aim is to build a connection between the young people of the different cultures of Wales and their country through great stories and lovely books”.
Originally from Northampton and a former school librarian in Oxfordshire, Sheila Harries has had many years’ experience of talking to young people about what makes a good book, and has welcomed great authors and illustrators such as Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman, Caroline Lawrence and Nick Sharratt into her library to inspire and entertain.
Now living in Penarth, the author is a frequent visitor to the National Museum of Wales which is where the novel opens, with a group of children on a school trip.
It was just another picture in the art gallery – or so Megan and Rhys thought, as they stared at it long and hard. But it wasn’t…
All of a sudden, a normal school trip day at the museum turns into a spinning vortex through time, dragging them both into a strange place where they have to survive on their wits.
Embroiled in dangers and facing challenges far away from the present, the question is always there… can they ever get back? How?
The Picture that Made Time Fly is available from all good bookshops and online retailers and is suitable for readers aged 8 – 11 years
For more information, visit www.gomer.co.uk
About the author
It’s fair to say that Sheila Harries loves books. In her career as a school librarian in Oxfordshire, she has had many years’ experience of talking to young people about what makes a good book, and has welcomed great authors and illustrators such as Philip Pullman, Malorie Blackman, Caroline Lawrence and Nick Sharratt into her library to inspire and entertain. Now she has written an entertaining and inspiring book herself. The book, like Sheila, is based around Cardiff and reflects her love of history, languages, and art – and a good adventure. Living in Penarth, she is a frequent visitor to the National Museum of Wales which is where the novel opens, with a group of children on a school trip. It’s a familiar scenario to her as someone who enjoys taking her grandchildren to see interesting places. She is also a keen traveller herself – but loves coming back to her garden and the cats!qwdqwedq
A friend of the unemployed and Socialist intelligentsia alike - he was visited during his time in Detroit by Welsh statesman Jim Griffiths and in Machen by black singer and human rights activist Paul Robeson - he was a fearless champion of the underdog, though, perhaps, got carried away sometimes by the power of his own oratory. A polyglot and a cultured man of many interests, he succeeded in disturbing the waters almost everywhere he went..
About the author
A native of Treherbert in the Rhondda Valley and a miner's son, the Revd Ivor Thomas Rees served Congregational and United Reformed Church pastorates in Port Talbot, Clapham, Manselton and Rochdale before retiring to Swansea in 1996.
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Dr Wynne Davies MBE is one of the best-known names and voices in the world of Welsh ponies and cobs. Co-owner of Ceulan Stud, breeding and showing these beautiful animals is in his blood.In his long-awaited autobiography, he offers a fascinating portrait of several generations of his family and their connection to ponies and cobs, as well as his life story, which is inextricably linked to the horses. From Dr Wynne's early life at Ceulan Stores, Tal-y-bont, to teaching in the Rhondda and the eventual relocation of Ceulan Stud, we follow every step in the life of a man so dedicated to his field that he was awarded the MBE in 1995 for long-standing dedication to Welsh ponies and cobs. BUY 'FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH' HERE
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But this was not his only appearance at the show. On Tuesday 21st of July Dr Wynne launched his long awaited autobiography at the Welsh Pony and Cob Society Pavilion. For more details about the book please read this post .
Today we are pleased and proud to present a short picture biography of this extraordinary man together with short excerpts from the book. This post provides only a partial account of Dr Wynne Davies' exceptional career . Amongst other things he introduced Welsh ponies to the USA where they were virtually unknown before 1957 . For a fuller understanding of his achievements you can buy the book here .
Ceulan Stores – Where is all began – Central Stores, Tal-y-bont, Aberystwyth
"I was born at Ceulan Stores, Tal-y-bont, Cardiganshire, on 19 March 1932, the third child of Evan Samuel Davies and Janet Mary (Williams). Ceulan Stores was rebuilt between 1935 and 1937 and renamed Central Stores."
Collecting ponies – My father (right) collecting ponies for the USA at Revel Farm, Talgarth in 1955 with Mr Jenkyn Morris, who went with them.
"The ponies from south and mid-Wales and Hereford were assembled at the Revel. Our friend from Tal-y-bont, Jenkyn Morris, was paid £30 by British Livestock Exports to escort the ponies from the Revel to Glasgow, and look after all 33 until their arrival in New York. He was allowed to spend two weeks with his brother-in-law in America and was given free transport back to Tal-y-bont."
With Mr William Simpson USA – With Mr William Simpson of the USA, May 1957 at the Dyrin Stud, Sennybridge, where Mr Simpson bought seven mares (four with foals at foot) and seven fillies
"I began writing show reports for publications in 1952. My report of the Welsh mountain ponies at the RWS was published in the American monthly magazine Your Pony in April 1953 alongside an article on ‘Our correspondent from Wales’. At that time, sections B and C Welsh ponies, or Welsh cobs, were unknown in the USA. The editor of Your Pony was William Simpson of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, who came over to Wales and bought 33 Welsh ponies in October 1955 and again in May 1957, when he bought 56 for himself and clients."
Ceulan Siwan Sidan a Seirian – The winning progeny group at the RWS1982 (from left) Ceulan Siwan, Sidan and Seirian
"The highlight of 1982 for Ceulan was the progeny competition at the RWS with the three full-sisters from Twyford Sprig x Ceulan Sprite, namely Ceulan Siwan (f. 1981), Ceulan Seirian (f. 1980) and Ceulan Sidan (f. 1978). All three were placed individually and together, and they won the Gwyn Price Mare Progeny Cup from the group out of Friars Golden Sunset (which had won in 1979 and 1981), and the Ceulan group were reserve for the Pennell Stallion Progeny Cup to the group sired by Bengad Nepeta."
Horse of the Year – Receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Horse of the Year Show 2012 with grandchildren Joseph and Leah
"I was invited by Showing World magazine to attend the HOYS on 5 October – to present an award, I was told – but to my great surprise, it was a presentation to me of Lifetime Achievement Award."
"This gripping story is the eagerly awaited sequel to his bestselling novel The Head of Gonzo Davies and sees ex-international No. 8 Gonzo grafting, inspiring and reviving his local club and village. But his rugby world is about to change once again, as dramatically indeed as his personal life. Taking in New Zealand, Dubai and Paris along the way, Gonzo Davies Caught in Possession is a thriller where camaraderie and brutality are constant companions."
BUY 'GONZO DAVIES: CAUGHT IN POSSESSION' HERE
BUY 'GREAT RUGBY MOMENTS' HERE
Over the past 10 days or so, David Lewis and I have been marketing quite frantically on social media, trying to sell his book of poems, Slushy Tourette's.
This book, both in e-form and print, will benefit Harrison's Fund, a member of the Duchenne Alliance. Neither David nor I will gain anything from the sales, apart from a sense of satisfaction. A small core of supporters has both bought the book (sometimes several copies) and helped spread the word via Twitter, but we need more sales! Until 15th October, lulu.com is offering the print version (and all print books on its site) at a 25% discount with the code EATYOUREGGS. This is a fantastic opportunity to buy the book either for oneself or as a gift; it would make a super stocking-filler at Christmas or a rather wonderful and rather different wedding favour.
There are so many demands made of all of use these days, from umpteen charities, but this one is special. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy affects 1 in 3500 children (almost always boys) and they are unlikely to live beyond their 20s. Slushy Tourette's gives people the opportunity to do some good and to get something for themselves.
Like many people, I have charities which I support regularly and I tend to ignore the rest. And, like other people, I have problems in my own life which make it hard to care as much as I should about those in trouble, even if they are in worse straits than myself.
David is dying; he has a terminal illness and is in constant pain. I'm not sure what is worse than that. If I'm honest, I am feeling extremely tired; my father has severe dementia and I have scarcely seen my own home this year, being obliged to help my mother. The stress has affected my own health. In addition, my oldest friend has had cancer this year and, because of my situation, I have been unable to be of any direct support. That has upset me greatly.
You might say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, Yadda, yadda, yadda. We've all got our own problems". Indeed we have and many of them are far worse than mine, but if David can pull himself out of the slough of despond and do something positive with what remains of his life then the least one can do is log on to one of the websites below and spend just a little money (the cost of a fancy cup of coffee for the e-book or a bottle of very ordinary wine for the print version) to bring some hope to thousands of children and their families.
Just do it.
SLUSHY TOURETTE'S by David Lewis
e-book at smashwords.com
print book at lulu.com (with 25% discount through 15th October with the code EATYOUREGGS)
Standard bearers of local pride and iconic features of the contemporary Welsh landscape, they have moved audiences the world over with their stirring harmonies.Written by Gareth Williams, one of Wales’s leading cultural historians, Do You Hear the People Sing? The Male Voice Choirs of Wales , traces the origins and growth of male voice choral singing in Wales from the 19th century to the present day, using the Eisteddfod as a lens through which to view its development.
Their reputation for excellence was often forged by their fierce rivalries on the stage of the National Eisteddfod where they would compete in front of crowds of up to 20,000.
Uniquely, the book records the winners of every male choral competition as the choirs fought for supremacy at the ‘National’, in an unbroken sequence since 1881, along with the stern and sometimes caustic remarks of adjudicators.
This is the biography of a famous tradition – a story about Wales, its people and its culture.In his foreword, founder and musical director of Only Men Aloud and Only Boys Aloud, Tim Rhys-Evans describes the book as a “compelling account of Wales’s most famous musical export”.
Laced with humour, the book will settle countless arguments of the kind that still rage among choir aficionados. There are chapters dedicated to the choral giants of Morriston, Treorchy, Pendyrus, Pontarddulais and Rhos but also the successes of smaller choirs and more recently the emergence of slick professional outfits like Only Men Aloud.
The fluctuating fortunes of choirs during times of prosperity and poverty and the sacrifices they made during two world wars and in the teeth of industrial depression, reveals what singing together meant to these often embattled communities.
The day of the Welsh male voice choir is far from over; it has always adapted to changing times and taste, and the book ends where it begins, on the field of the Millennium Stadium in front of 70,000 followers, for like rugby the male voice choir is a tradition with a special Welsh resonance that continues to arouse the passions and touch the emotions of millions.
Do You Hear the People Sing? The Male Voice Choirs of Wales will be launched at the Heritage Park Hotel, Trehafod on Monday, 7 th of December, 7pm.
Do You Hear the People Sing? The Male Voice Choirs of Wales is published by Gomer Press and is available from all good bookshops and online retailers
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
About Gareth Williams
Recently retired from the University of South Wales, Gareth Williams is one of Wales’s foremost social and cultural historians. A well-known writer and broadcaster, he has published widely on the history of Welsh rugby, boxing and choral singing. He writes in a scholarly but stylish manner that is always accessible to the general reader. He is a member of one of Wales's most famous male choirs, Pendyrus.
Coleg Sir Gâr art students, Pont Books, debut author and Machynlleth bookshop work together
By , 2015-12-01
The artwork of students from Coleg Sir Gâr will be displayed in the Penrallt Bookshop in Machynlleth to celebrate the launch of a book for readers aged 9-12, Top Dog, by first-time author Emma Rea. Pont Books gave students on the Digital Illustration B.A. course at Coleg Sir Gâr, Carmarthen a challenge – to design a cover which would capture something of the novel’s friendships and quarrels, the bikes and countryside, a young dog and a mysterious newcomer. The project was so successful that Liam Cole’s design, of a boy holding up a puppy at the end of a summer’s day, was chosen by Pont Books editor, Cathryn Gwynn, and author Emma Rea as the final cover. At the very start of the process, Liam Cole said “I’m totally excited by this work, because illustrating children’s books is what I really want to do in the future.”
Emma Rea said ‘It was wonderful to see such accomplished representations of my story. I liked several of them very much – but I thought Liam’s captured the spirit of the story.’ Emma lived near Machynlleth for five years; her two boys went to Llanidloes Primary School and her daughter was born in Dolgellau. ‘Mid-Wales is an exciting place for young children, with its rivers, hills and woodlands. I think a certain amount of freedom encourages initiative in children and I hoped to portray this in my story. Watching them make bowls from clay found in the river, and creating bike tracks around trees inspired me to write a story in which excitement is found in the real world, in what children can make and do by themselves.’
Top Dog , published by Pont Books will be launched at Penrallt Bookshop, Machynlleth at 6pm on the 28 th of May. The book tells the story of Dylan, who has high hopes of building a challenging and exciting bike track around his father’s fields. When a new boy, Floyd, arrives in the village Dylan’s plans start to go awry. As Floyd encroaches further and further into Dylan’s life, Dylan begins to notice the new boy’s strange behaviour and sets out to investigate.
Cathryn Gwynn of Pont Books said “We are very pleased to work in co-operation with Coleg Sir Gâr in offering new and talented students an opportunity to develop creative ideas and skills linked to children’s books. Pont is also delighted to welcome Emma Rea as one of its new summer authors of 2014. Read Top Dog and enjoy!”
Diane Bailey of Penrallt Bookshop said ‘With Pen'rallt Gallery Bookshop's third birthday this month, we begin a 'new year' with a focus on good writing for young readers in both Welsh and English; Emma's book, TOP DOG, published by Pont Books, an imprint of Gomer, set in the locality and packed with excitement, provides a perfect curtain raiser. If we're to enjoy quality book cover art, new artists must be supported and encouraged, so we're thrilled to have the opportunity to display the work of these accomplished student designers.'
Top Dog will be available from all good bookshops and online retailers.
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
Pirate adventure published to celebrate author’s centenary
This month marks the centenary of Wales’ most popular Welsh-language writer for children. T. Llew Jones, born in 1915 near Llandysul in West Wales, wrote swashbuckling adventure books for young readers, many inspired by real life characters such as pirates Black Bart, Captain Henry Morgan and highwayman, Twm Siôn Cati.
To celebrate the centenary of his birth in October 2015, Pont Books, the English language children’s books imprint of T. Llew Jones’ publishers, Gomer Press, are publishing Captain Morgan and the Pirate Treasure , a new translation of the author’s best-selling adventure, Trysor y Môr-ladron .
Loved by generations of Welsh children, the novel was inspired by notorious 17th Century buccaneer, Sir Henry Morgan, who made a fortune robbing Spanish galleons in the Caribbean before becoming Governor of Jamaica.
Translated and adapted from the Welsh by writer and broadcaster, Catrin Gerallt, Captain Morgan and the Pirate Treasure is a fast- moving adventure featuring murder, mayhem and fights to the death on the high seas. The novel has become a Welsh language classic, telling the story of young serving boy, Ieuan, who follows local landowner Sir Henry Morgan to the Caribbean. Together with a group of hard-bitten but loyal pirates, they embark on a perilous voyage to recover Captain Morgan’s stolen treasure;
He moved the blade closer to Ieuan’s eyes.
‘Are you going to answer me?’
Suddenly, the knife was at Ieuan’s chest and he closed his eyes, waiting for the death blow…
Despite being popular with generations of Welsh children, few of Jones’ novels have been translated into English. The new translation of Captain Morgan and the Pirate Treasure gives English speakers a chance to enter the captivating world of this master storyteller.
Jones’ novels of piracy, lost treasure and gipsy caravans were huge successes in the 1960s and 70s and are consistently ranked among the most popular Welsh language books for children. His young fans were, and still are, legion. A lifelong teacher and headteacher, he was always delighted to meet his readers and to share his tips for storytelling. He treasured children’s correspondence and towards the end of his life, was particularly amused by a letter from a young reader saying that his novels were far better than those of JK Rowling.
Captain Morgan and the Pirate Treasure is available from all good bookshops and online retailers.
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
About T. Llew Jones:
Before becoming a full-time writer, T. Llew Jones (1915-2009) was a primary school teacher in Ceredigion for 35 years, first at Tregroes Primary School and then at Ysgol Coedybryn near Llandysul where he became headmaster. He first came to prominence as a poet, winning the chair at the National Eisteddfod in 1958 and then again in 1959. He continued to write poetry for adults and children but was best known as a writer of adventure and detective stories for children. He published over 50 books in total for adults and children and some were also adapted for television and shown all over the world. In 1991 he was awarded the Mary Vaughan Jones Award, given for outstanding contributions to children's literature in Wales and in March 2005, aged nearly 90, he won the chair in Cymdeithas Ceredigion's annual Eisteddfod.
About Catrin Gerallt:
Author and broadcaster. Catrin was Assistant Editor for Current Affairs at BBC Wales and Executive Producer of "One Show" on BBC 1. She has published short stories in both Welsh and English, in print and for Radios 3, 4 and BBC World Service.
She lives in Cardiff and now works as a writer and Independent Producer and has produced a series of special features on Welsh writers including an adaptation of Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” starring actor Matthew Rhys and a feature on Dannie Abse’s novel, “Ash on a Young Man’s Sleeve” read by Richard Harrington.
She is currently working on a feature on T. Llew Jones for BBC Radio Wales (to be broadcast Weds, Oct 14th) where Hinterland actress, Hannah Daniel, reads from translations of Jones’ dramatic tales of mystery and adventure.
Catrin is also working on her first novel.
When we talk about rugby in the 1970s, what we actually mean is Welsh rugby in the 1970s.
Published by Gomer Press, Welsh Rugby in the 1970s by Carolyn Hitt has a fabulous retro annual feel to it and takes us headlong back to a glorious decade of rugby.
The 1970s was a decade of stark contrasts in Wales. While six Triple Crowns and three Grands Slams made for a fantastic decade on the rugby field, it was also a difficult time in Wales economically, politically and culturally.
Carolyn Hitt describes it perfectly, ‘It was the best of times. It was the worst of times… As so many certainties of life in the industrialised valley communities were unravelling, success on the field of play remained as a constant and reassuring thread…’
It was, of course, a decade which made international superstars of Gareth Edwards, Barry John, Gerald Davies, Phil Bennett, Mervyn Davies and JPR. It was the decade which gave us the Pontypool front row – and Max Boyce, of course.
The book is unashamedly a nostalgia-fest and like those much loved annuals of the 1970s, it features all the best bits about Grand Slams and Groggs, Lions and Barbarians, tours and scores and will appeal to those who are able to say ‘I was there’ (and those who wish they were!)
Carolyn Hitt, Western Mail columnist, author and broadcaster, grew up in the 1970s and when she was asked in primary school to ‘draw a picture which means Wales to you’, she drew Mervyn Davies!
Welsh Rugby in the 1970s will be launched at the Kuku Bar, Park Plaza, Cardiff on Thursday, 22 nd of October, 7pm.
Welsh Rugby in the 1970s is published by Gomer Press and is available from all good bookshops and online retailers
For more information, please visit www.gomer.co.uk
About Carolyn Hitt
Former Welsh Feature Writer of the Year, Carolyn Hitt has been a regular columnist for the Western Mail since 1992. She has also written and presented television and radio series on the arts, popular culture, consumer issues, history and sport for BBC Radio 4, BBC Wales and ITV Wales.In 2001 she became the first woman to win the Welsh Sports Journalist of the Year prize and went on to win the award for the whole of the UK in the British regional press awards. In 2011 she became the first woman to win the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Journalist of the Year Award. In 2012 she published her first book – Wales Play In Red – covering Welsh rugby in the noughties.
As a television and radio producer she has worked with some of Wales’s most well-known personalities and is a co-founder of the award-winning television and radio independent production company Parasol Media Ltd.
In November, Carolyn – who is an Ambassador for Velindre Cancer Centre - will be joining Rhod Gilbert and a 50-strong team on their Patagonia Trek to raise money for this charity.
AmeriCymru spoke to New Welsh Review/Reader editor, Gwen Davies about the re branding and the magazines future direction.
Gwen: New Welsh Review , is a literary and cultural magazine working across Wales with eleven publication dates in different formats including print, app, epub and online, through the media of text, photography, video, audio, graphic poetry and animation. This national magazine with international readership and horizons has contributors including Terry Eagleton, Michael Longley, Patricia Duncker, Stevie Smith, Jem Poster, Richard Gwyn, Rory MacLean and Tessa Hadley. Our USPs are that we publish newcomers alongside established writers, are highly professional, develop the work of students and emerging writers, and that we pay contributors. We rebranded in May 2015 to publish creative work and literary essays in the New Welsh Reader (print, app and epub formats), and to publish reviews and comment in the New Welsh Review (online only).
AmeriCymru: Where can American readers go to read more or subscribe?
https://www.newwelshreview.com/
https://www.newwelshreview.com/newsub.php
AmeriCymru: With regard to the recent name change / re branding...what is new in Welsh Reader? Has there been a change of focus?
Gwen: The emphasis, noted above, of creative work in New Welsh Reader, has been appreciated by readers who perhaps aren't so interested in reviews or like to get their reviews more quickly online. Our readers tell us that highlighting our creative work – poetry, creative nonfiction, short stories, novel previews, illustration, photography, graphic books and longer literary essays – in this way gives this type of work more status and room for contemplation, which print, in particular, favours. Publishing eight online supplements of reviews and comment allows us to respond more quickly to new books and topical issues without worrying about the production process. These supplements are published under the old umbrella, New Welsh Review. This move, of course, also saves money in a climate of public funding cuts.
AmeriCymru: What, for you are the highlights of the latest edition of New Welsh Reader?
Gwen: As it happens, am American contributor, Peter E Murphy www.murphywriting.com , whose essay is a fictionalised family memoir about his family's connections to Wales. His father and grandfather, longshoremen Eddie and Teddy Murphy, were billeted together in Newport and Belgium during the Normandy landings. Teddy was a nasty piece of work and Eddie was a tall-tale-teller of the first order. Other highlights in our autumn edition are former British serving officer Daniel Jones' story about an Afghanistan posting, and newcomer Crystal Jeans' dirty urban story about how a mother's sexual fantasy of Bukowski propels her to seduce the local alcoholic tramp: 'I lean over to my knicker drawer and pull out a condom. Bukowski wouldn't use a condom. Or he would, but right at the end he'd yank it off, sink his d*** back in and say, "You can have my seed and like it, you w****.' But you can take something too far.'
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about the New Welsh Writing Awards program. Are there any upcoming publication plans? What will be the theme for next year?
Gwen: To elaborate on the rebranding you mentioned above. We rebranded around the term 'New Welsh' since that encapsulates all our work, and we have further sub-brands of the New Welsh Writing Awards which this year ran under the banner of writing for nature and the environment and was sponsored by WWF Cymru with further support from CADCentre (a software company working with early school leavers) and writing centres Ty Newydd and Gladstone's Library in north Wales.
The Awards' USP is that it celebrates essays or books of at least 10,000 words and part of the prize is publication in Kindle ebook form. Our fourth brand is New Welsh Rarebyte which is our new ebook imprint and publishes the winner of our writing award, this year (publishing on 15 October) 26-year old Eluned Gramich's Woman Who Brings the Rain , A Memoir of Hokkaido, Japan. It's available for pre-order internationally here as a Kindle ebook via Amazon. We are currently seeking sponsors to run next year's Awards, either from commerce or from education as we are looking into the possibility of combining work on the Awards with a university placement programme that would give experience to students, either with a literature background or in business or marketing, to work on a large event such as running a prize and ceremony. We hope that we will get enough funding next year to run an extra category, so that would be nature and the environment as before plus memoir. The prize should interest expats with a Welsh connection as our Terms & Conditions welcome international entries by people who were born in Wales or educated here.
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?
Gwen: The publishing climate for journalism is very hard as we are hit five times over by the change in reading patterns caused by the internet, ie people accessing free stuff; writers having become willing to publish their work for free, thus undermining their own value and that of curated publications who see payment as part of the professional service they offer; the democratisation of the internet which, despite its many positive points does undermine the old hierarchy of choice and curation which publishers offer; the feedback and sense of community offered to writers by social media which used to be provided by magazines and authors' societies, and, finally, the current British austerity climate which has led to public funding cuts in the arts as elsewhere. We really do feel, in respect of our current mix of subscriber-exclusive and free-to-view content, that we are sucking it and seeing. We don't know how things will develop, how much will people pay to read in future in a world in which originally only very few of the big newspapers opted for the paywall model.
At New Welsh Review, however, we have been working creatively to track down alternative funding sources. Mainly this has been with the institution in which we are physically housed, our host and sponsor Aberystwyth University, to create a student work placement scheme producing a multimedia programme that provides us with audio and visual features, clips, reviews, interviews and creative showcases that exercise the students' skills in research, presentation, camerawork, editing, performed reading, animation, graphics, getting on with authors and working as a team as well as being responsive to an editor's demands and real-time deadlines. This relationship gives us a home and allows us to pay and develop the skills of a greater range of contributor. For the university, it ticks their employability boxes. To AmeriCymru I would humbly ask: does anyone want to sponsor an exciting Awards scheme and/or work with us to replicate our student placement model over the pond? Last year, during the Dylan Thomas centenary, many Americans learned of or visited the many beautiful west Wales locations associated with the poet. In Aberystwyth we are just down the coast from Laugharne and New Quay. If you would like to sponsor or develop any of the ideas outlined above to further strengthen the links of Wales and the US, and to put our mutual traditions of great writing on both our maps, contact me at editor[at]newwelshreview.com.
Rugby Mania: A Quiz Book For Fans by Tomos Morse
Rugby Mania – A Quiz Book for Fans is available from all good bookshops and online retailers
For more information, visit www.gomer.co.uk
About the author
Tomos Morse is originally from Tonteg, near Pontypridd, and now lives in Cardiff with his wife and their three children. He is a producer with the BBC, and in his spare time, he’s a cinema and biography buff. But his favourite pastime is going down to Sardis Road to watch his beloved Pontypridd play.
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AmeriCymru: How did this idea for the Swansea map come about?
Rose: I’ve been involved in some international art collaborations with fellow artists Melanie Ezra and Alban Low; Melanie lives here in Swansea and Alban is from London. Alban approached Melanie and me to get involved with his idea to publish a group of 10 artist maps. We jumped at the chance because it’s so different to the normal tourist maps that get produced; this is about our feelings about Swansea, what we like about the place as citizens and artists. It’s a chance to do something different and focus on the things we think are important about the city.
AmeriCymru: How did you and Melanie go about compiling it?
Rose: First of all we met up to discuss the little idiosyncrasies that interested us around the city centre. Swansea is full of art, culture and history and we wanted to put in the things that fascinate us. We ended up with a huge list, far too many for the format. The next stage was to go through our existing artwork to see if we had images that would correspond in some way to the places we had chosen. Because of the timescale, we couldn’t realistically do new work and it’s an interesting process to use existing work for a different purpose.
Then we narrowed it down to 18 locations that can be walked easily across the city centre, taking in quirky and historical places as well as the seafront. Melanie took the lead on the layout of the visuals, while I researched facts about the places we chose to put on the map. We’re fine artists, not graphic designers so we decided not to get too bogged down with computer graphics packages and instead laid out the pictures and text onto a sketchbook around Melanie’s hand-drawn map, a bit like we’d work into our own sketchbooks or work boards anyway.
Once the map section was finalised, we put together the rest – the front cover, a biographical section on each of us and a final page giving a list of weblinks to many of the interesting sites we’d had to leave off.
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little about the reaction to the map?
Rose: The map was launched at an exhibition in London at Sunbury-on-Thames in 2015. There were loads of people there and a lot of maps sold. All the maps, a set of 10, were very well received. Since then, there have been a lot of Internet sales of the Swansea map, not just local but also from Australia and the USA where they’re a hit with ex-pats. The map seems very popular for birthday presents and wedding gifts and some parents have bought them for youngsters about to move to Swansea. It’s ridiculously cheap so it’s a quirky and affordable present to give and people seem to like our different insight.
Locally, there’s been a lot of interest because we’re showing people a new way to look at their city. Many locals didn’t realise what’s around them, you take what’s around you for granted and sometimes you need to see things through new eyes.
AmeriCymru: What is your favourite part of Swansea?
Rose: Oh that’s a hard one. The map takes in Dragons, Doctor Who and the Da Vinci Code; street art, sand and Granny’s Custard; galleries, museums and allotments. And a castle! Swansea’s a great place but if I had to choose one part it would be the beach. I walk along it most days and even though it rains a lot, the climate is reasonably mild and the beach is fringed with palm trees! There are the remains of an ancient petrified forest when the tide is out with clay deposits that were originally used for the earliest Swansea potteries; it’s a fine, orange terracotta when it’s fired but black and sticky in its natural form. The clay dissolves into a sludge that we locals call ‘Granny’s Custard’, it squidges between your toes!
AmeriCymru: Where can our readers go to purchase a copy of ’Swansea: On The Map: An Artist’s Walk’?
Rose: It’s available directly from the publishers, Sampson Low Ltd…….
http://www.sampsonlow.com/
…. and from Amazon, here’s the link -
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swansea-Artists-Walk-Melanie-Ezra/dp/1910578061/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429604582&sr=1-2
And here are the technical details:
Published April 2015
ISBN 978-1-910578-06-3
A3 fold out map
Author – Melanie Ezra and Rose Davies
Editor – Alban Low, Melanie Ezra and Rose Davies
SLB0014
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Rose: It’s great that so many people in the USA are interested in Wales and I hope this map motivates people to find out more about the area around Swansea. Melanie and I both publish daily blogs that feature life in Swansea as well as art and culture, so please feel free to drop by and visit us in the blogsphere. We’re also on Facebook and Twitter.
Rose Davies (Rosie Scribblah) is an artist and printmaker, scribbler and ageing headbanger. She works directly from life, carrying a sketchbook at all times looking for any opportunity to have a scribble. She works from her studio in Wales, UK where she lives with her husband and cats, who often feature in her drawings and blogs.
Blog: https://scribblah.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rosie-Scribblah-Printmaker-and-Scribbler/149442308432211?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @RosieScribblah
Melanie Ezra is a UK-based fine artist who works using her own original photographs to create beautiful and intricate collages. She often works in series, providing visual responses to external stimuli such as literature, science, and music. She considers herself a specialist in the deconstruction of time and the extension of the moment.
Blog: http://melanieezra.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanie.ezra?fref=ts
Twitter: @melanieezra
AmeriCymru spoke with Mari Griffith author of 'Root of the Tudor Rose' BUY THE BOOK HERE "Immensely readable and compelling…Highly recommended!" Alison Weir, bestselling author of The Six Wives of Henry VIII
“A stunning first novel…this new treatment of Catherine de Valois’ story will be a delight to lovers of historical fiction.” Bernard Knight CBE author of the ‘Crowner John’ historical mysteries
AmeriCymru: Hi Mari and many thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Mari: My pleasure. It's good to have the opportunity to put the record straight about the origin of the Tudor dynasty which is the backdrop for my novel. English writers have had it their own way for too long because despite films, books and television series which would have you believe otherwise, the Tudors weren't an 'English' dynasty. Well, not entirely. Their roots are in France ... and in Wales. And not a lot of people know that!
AmeriCymru: So what's the Welsh connection?
Mari: The original Tudor, the one who gave his name to the best-known royal dynasty in British history, was from Penmynydd in Anglesey. He was Owain ap Maredydd ap Tudur who Anglicised his patronymic Welsh name to become Owen Tudor. He was related either by blood or marriage to three of the ancient royal houses of Wales, the 'Uchelwyr' as they were known. He could claim descent from the families of Ednyfed Fychan (who was chief advisor or 'seneschal' to Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth), also to the Deheubarth dynasty of South Wales and the Powys dynasty. In fact, his grandmother's sister was Owain Glyndŵr's mother. Are you still with me?
AmeriCymru: Yes, just about! So how was it that a young man from North Wales gave his name to this so-called 'English' dynasty?
Mari: Well, so many of his family had supported their kinsman Owain Glyndŵr in his heroic battle to save his people from the English invader, that they were naturally devastated by defeat. Then, with an astonishing degree of arrogance, the English king offered a 'pardon' to Glyndŵr's family which, when offered a second time, was finally accepted by Glyndŵr's son Maredydd who then went to London and entered the service of King Henry V, probably as a sergeant-at-arms. There's no written record to support my theory but I think it very likely that Owen had followed his cousin's example in going to London because he certainly went into the service of the English royal family, eventually becoming Clerk of the Wardrobe to Queen Catherine.
AmeriCymru: That doesn't sound like very much of a job!
Mari: No, it doesn't, does it? But actually, it was. He would have been in charge of her seamstresses, laundresses and tiring women and would have dealt with suppliers like her cordwainer (Ed: Her who? MG: Her shoemaker). When Her Highness travelled, her Clerk of the Wardrobe would have been responsible for the safety of her jewellery, her personal cutlery and plate as well as her gowns, both formal and informal. And, of course, he would have overseen the accounting ledgers for all the expenditure involved. Quite a responsible job!
AmeriCymru: But that doesn't found a dynasty, surely?
Mari: No, it doesn't. What happened was that King Henry V, in the interests of bringing France under English rule, had married the Princess Catherine de Valois, daughter of the French King Charles VI. Then, when King Henry died, Catherine was left a widow at the age of twenty. Her baby son inherited his father's title and became King Henry VI. He was just ten months old and needed all his mother's love and protection so, naturally, Catherine remained at the English court where she was regarded by many with deep suspicion simply because she was French and therefore not to be trusted. Very vulnerable, Catherine had few friends except one - her Clerk of the Wardrobe who was also an untrustworthy 'foreigner' to English eyes.
AmeriCymru: Ah ... I'm beginning to see the connection!
Mari: You've got it! Yes, the two gravitated towards each other and became friends, ultimately falling in love and embarking on a clandestine affair which was enormously dangerous. Though Catherine was the Dowager Queen of England , she was little better than a kitchen wench in that she had been got with child by a servant! They had to keep it a secret at all costs, otherwise Catherine would be sent to a nunnery and Owen would almost certainly lose his head.
AmeriCymru: Dramatic stuff! Have you always known the story? Were you a fan of history at school?
Mari: No, absolutely not. I was a complete dunce. I hated history in the way it was taught to me. It seemed to be little more than a string of boring facts and dates. If only I'd been told the stories behind the facts, I'd probably have loved it. But, no, I failed my History exam gloriously, not once but three times. I've come to History as a subject since I've retired and realised what an important part Wales and the Welsh played in British history of the 15th century. Certainly, many members of the Tudor dynasty would have had a good grasp of the Welsh language - Henry VII was brought up by his uncle, Jasper Tudor (one of Owen and Catherine's sons) in Pembroke Castle and, two generations later, the chief among the ladies in attendance on Queen Elizabeth I was a Welsh woman by the name of Blanche Parry. Yes, there were plenty of us around - and that's only the tip of the iceberg.
AmeriCymru: So, given all these fascinating facts, might you be thinking about a sequel to this book, featuring any more of the Welsh Tudors? What's next for Mari Griffith?
Mari: Well, there is another book in the pipeline though it doesn't continue where this story leaves off, it's more an offshoot of it. The Duke of Gloucester persecuted poor Owen Tudor mercilessly and the next book is about his 'comeuppance'. The Duke's wife, the Duchess Eleanor, had an associate called Margery Jourdemayne who was strongly rumoured to be a witch. Not the broomstick-riding kind, more a village 'wise woman' with ideas above her station. But those who were of a mind to undermine the Duke's authority chose to do so by accusing his wife and her associates of treason and thus bringing him down by association. The sensational trial at which they were accused was the biggest cause célèbre of the fifteenth century and I'm in the final stages of committing it to paper.
AmeriCymru: Well, good luck with that! Have you any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Mari: Yes, of course - I really hope you enjoy reading Root of the Tudor Rose and I'd be delighted to hear your comments. As for the next book, it's to be called The Witch of Eye . It's already commissioned, again by Accent Press, and should be available early next year. And I promise that my friends at AmeriCymru will be among the first to know the publication date! In the meantime, I'll leave you with some links you might like to follow:
The rugby zombies make a return… just in time for Halloween and the autumn internationals!
By , 2012-10-23
As Halloween approaches, the Rugby Zombies are making a comeback in the most frightening village in Wales Aberscary.
The third book in the popular Rugby Zombies trilogy by Dan Anthony, The Last International , is published by Pont Books and with the rugby autumn internationals fast approaching, fans of the Welsh Rugby Zombies will be glad to hear that they are on fire to play
Since his recent glory against Aberscary and a hand-picked Invitation XV, Arwel is having problems with his self-image. His head is turned by sixth-former, Trish, who is eager to make a name for herself in the world of journalism.
Meanwhile, the Rugby Zombies still need to play a full international match to lift the ancient curse but Arwels makeover changes more than just his hairstyle. Can Martin, Glen and Beth make him see the error of his ways and help him lead the Welsh Rugby Zombies to victory one last time?
Dan Anthony, will be taking part in the first Penarth Book Festival on Tuesday, 30 October . The event will be held at the Lower Penarth Community Centre at 11am and the cost of entry is 3.
The author, Dan Anthony from Penarth, Cardiff, has written widely for children, working as a scriptwriter on CBBCs Story of Tracy Beaker and S4Cs The Baaas . A very talented and energetic young author, Dan also holds creative writing workshops for children in schools.For more information, visit his website:-
The Last International is available from all good bookshops and online retailers
For more information on the Penarth Book Festival, please visit www.penarthbookfestival.org.uk or call 07787848337 for booking information
