Tagged: y lolfa
Jac by Sam Adams (Y Lolfa) is a novel of boyhood novel set in a south Wales Valley during the Second World War (1939-1945).
Described as “a lyrical and beautifully crafted story of growing up in the Valleys in the shadow of World War II” by poet, essayist and editor John Barnie, the novel follows Jac, a young boy at the start of the story, as he grows in awareness of the world beyond his home and family.
Author Sam Adams says:
“I wrote the novel to recall a lost age – wartime and the era of coal production in south Wales; the realities of the time. I also wanted to explore and commemorate the first steps in life outside the home, first friends and first boyhood adventures.”
The novel explores how war affected everything, including the play of children.
“The novel is semi-biographical, as I was a boy during the Second World War and grew up in a mining valley in south Wales. I have tried to recapture a time and a place which I know well,” said Sam Adams.
Jac by Sam Adams is available now (£9.99, Y Lolfa).
Popular illustrator and artist Valériane Leblond has written her first book for children, as well as painting the images that bring the story to life. The Quilt (Y Lolfa) is a beautifully illustrated hardback offering a message of hope which is sure to also strike a chord with many adult readers in these difficult days: when things look bleak, remember that happy times will return.
The story follows a little girl who lives with her parents on a farm near the coast, around the turn of the twentieth century. Times are hard and the family decides to emigrate to America, raising the fare by selling all of their possessions except for a black and red quilt lovingly hand-made by the mother. The little girl feels homesick and sad at times, but the memories of love and home contained in the quilt help her overcome this and adapt to her new life.
“I’ve been interested in quilts and quilting since I was a teenager, when my mother made me a quilt. Since moving to Wales, I’ve painted and read a lot about the craft of Welsh quilting, which is unique,” said Valériane. Traditionally, Welsh quilts are of a simple patchwork design, with more emphasis on the stiches and thread patterns. “The most interesting fact for me is that these quilts were made when opportunities for women to work and earn were very limited. Also, if you look closely, it’s much more than a craft – it’s an abstract fine art!”
Praise for The Quilt :
“[Valériane Leblond’s] first book as author and illustrator is a glorious production which conveys a message of hope... I loved the muted palette and Leblond’s portrayals of Wales, Liverpool and the New World.” Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller
Valériane Leblond is a French author, illustrator and artist. Books illustrated by her were shortlisted or won the prestigious Tir na n-Og children’s book award for five years running from 2015. She now lives in an old farmhouse near Aberystwyth with her sons, several cats and too many chickens.
Suitable for children between 4 and 8 years old.
The Quilt by Valériane Leblond (£5.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
“From my early childhood I was fascinated by the self-sufficiency and wisdom of the people who lived ‘on the mountain’ near my childhood home. I wanted to know their story. Over the years that I interviewed people and drafted this book I learned about a whole hidden way of life. I acquired a huge respect for the people of the hilltops, their courage, ingenuity and wit,” said Lilla Pennant.
The book is a snapshot of a traditional way of living, with the oral histories collected by the author in the 1980s, from the community in which she grew up. At the time, one particular family lived in a farmhouse that showed barely any trace of the twentieth century. Pennant tells the story of the people who lived in the Welsh hills, who were neither farmers, nor employees, but lived by their wits on dark winter nights with a steady wind.
“I didn’t intend to write this book. I set out to write about the rich history from this part of the Vale of Clwyd, but I am not a historian, and it was not going well. I started writing from the oral history that I had collected, and the book took off! Since writing this book in the 1980s, genetic research has found that descendants of the earliest surviving race in all the British Isles were to be found not in Scotland or Ireland, but in North Wales, or the mountainous world of North-West Wales to be precise,” said Lilla Pennant.
Reviewers have described On a Dark Night with Enough Wind as:
“Lilla Pennant has created an important piece of work documenting the stories of a life in Tremeirchion and Sodom by seeking out and listening to the oral stories of people living on the mountain and then committing the stories to paper for future generations to read.” Roy Hogben
“The book had me gripped from beginning to end. It is an interesting mix of a mystery story that turns into a elegy for a lost way of life. Above all I was moved by her obvious love for the people she writes about and her desire to make sure that their stories are not lost.” Jessica Starmer
Lilla Pennant grew up in Wales. She has worked as a freelance writer in London and New York. She has written two small books on remarkable civilian stories from both world wars. She has also worked in the field of family violence and published professional articles in this field. Lilla Pennant currently lives in the United States.
On a Dark Night with Enough Wind by Lilla Pennant (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Wales – The First and Final Colony by Adam Price, published this week by Y Lolfa, is a collection of writings by the politician and Plaid Cymru leader on the politics, history and culture of Wales. In it, Adam offers his ideas for securing a brighter future for Wales.
Adam Price was born to a working class family in a council house in Carmarthenshire the son of Rufus, a miner and Welsh champion boxer, and Angela, who moved to Wales from Worcester.
At 31 years old, he was elected an MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in 2001 and within a year he was uncovering dodgy dealings between Tony Blair and international steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Shortly after, he led a campaign to impeach Mr Blair following the invasion of Iraq – eventually leading to the Chilcot Inquiry.
However, in 2010 he stood down from Parliament and headed to the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard, before taking up a role in an innovation foundation.
He returned to frontline Welsh politics in 2016 when he was elected as an Assembly Member in his home patch of Carmarthen before subsequently becoming leader of Plaid Cymru on 28 September 2018.
Speaking ahead of the book’s publication Adam Price said,
“I grew up in the shadow of the miners’ struggle of 1984. A struggle which shaped the politics I retain today.
From council house to House of Commons and from Harvard to Cardiff is not a well-trodden path, but I now face the biggest challenge of my political career – leading the Welsh national movement. But mine and Plaid Cymru’s message to the Welsh people must be simple: Yes Wales Can.
As the first openly gay man to lead this party and indeed any party in Wales, I am a modern, inclusive leader for a modern, inclusive Wales.
I am confident that we can compose a new future for a new Wales. Labour will not be its author. And nor will it be written for us in the marbled halls of Whitehall and Westminster. It will be written in the streets and shops, the pubs and rugby clubs, the homes and hearts of our nation.
Some may shrug off our hope as blind optimism. I say to you that a successful, independent Wales is not a far-off, unachievable aspiration. It is a firm, near-term, realisable goal.”
Over the coming months, Adam Price will be embarking on a Wales-wide tour aimed at sharing his ideas with the people of Wales with the tour launching on Monday 26th November in Insole Court, Llandaf in Cardiff.
Wales – The First and Final Colony by Adam Price is available now (£9.99, Y Lolfa).
REVIEW
I’m supposed to be reviewing it and then giving it back, but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. I’m keeping this copy and everyone else will just have to buy their own.
Teach Your Dog Welsh is published by Y Llofa because who else would do this book but “the fun place”? Each of the more than fifty nifty phrases appears on its own page and includes an English translation and phonetic pronunciation guide on the left page, and a demonstrative illustration on the right.
The illustrations are playfully 60s-ish, on white in black and one other kind of desaturated color per illustration, and very cheerful. Her style reminded me of Canadian illustrator Margaret Bloy Graham’s wonderful books for children. The translations and their phonetic guides are very easily understood and you can check your pronunciation (to some degree) against google translate’s robot Welsh voice .
I’ve been trying to learn Welsh well enough to hold a conversation for a while and this book is really useful, especially if I want to tell my boyfriend to sit or stop barking. I also love dogs and I’ve thought for years, why not train my dog in Welsh? People do it in German for German Shepherds and, especially here in the USA, how many people are going to be able to countermand my commands in the proper language? If they can, I probably want to hang out with them anyway. Gaabriel Becket
Buy it here! Our price $11.99 - 20% Off (price includes postage & handling)
THE BOOK
Here’s a book for Welsh learners with a difference! Teach your Dog W elsh aims to help Welsh learners practise their Welsh with their dog.
Teach your Dog Welsh (Y Lolfa) is full of appealing 1950s-style retro illustrations, with a picture and the expression it illustrates (in both Welsh and English) on every double page, as well help with the Welsh pronunciation. There are over 100 expressions to practise, from Paid â chrafu (‘Don’t scratch’) to Fydda i ddim yn hir (‘I won’t be long’). It’s an excellent and really fun introduction to learning Welsh for all ages – and most of the phrases can also be used in non-dog related situations!
The inspiration for the book came to Anne Cakebread after she re-homed Frieda, a rescue whippet. Anne came to realise that Frieda would only respond to Welsh commands. Slowly, whilst dealing with Frieda, Anne realised that she was overcoming her nerves about speaking Welsh aloud by talking to the dog, and her Welsh was improving as a result – this gave her the idea of creating a book to help other would-be learners whilst also using her skills as an illustrator.
The book has been awarded W H Smith Book of the Month for November 2018 and praised for its beautiful illustrations and quirky concept. Comedian and writer Richard Herring has commented:
“Anne Cakebread not only has the best name in the Universe, she has also come up with a brilliantly fun book which will help humans and canines learn new languages. I am world renowned for doing the best Welsh accent ever, so it’s good to now also be able to speak some actual Welsh too. And more importantly, so can my dog.”
Originally from Cardiff, Anne and her partner moved to a village on the west Wales coast. She wanted to improve her Welsh as it was important to her to become part of the lively Welsh-speaking community in the area.
“I first had to unlearn the Welsh I'd been taught in school as it's nothing like the Welsh people speak here. That's why I've made the expressions in the book colloquial, as a large part of learning is listening to what people say around you.”
Frieda, the Welsh rescue whippet, can understand a few words in English and the other English dogs have learnt a few sentences of Welsh – so the house is fully bilingual!
BBC weatherman and Welsh learner Derek Brockway has praised the book and described it as “a really nice, fun way to start learning Welsh – great book!”
Summoning up the confidence to use a language you’re learning can be daunting at first, and a number of books are available to help with vocabulary and pronunciation, but the lighthearted context and the beautiful illustrations mean that this book is a bit out of the ordinary. Lefi Gruffudd from Y Lolfa says:
“This book is both a practical and a fun way to practise Welsh, and hopefully it will be a useful resource to Welsh learners.”
Carolyn Hodges, Head of English Publishing at Y Lolfa, who developed language-teaching materials for Oxford University Press for many years, said: “Some people have a bad experience of learning Welsh at school and that puts them off trying again as adults. One of the key factors in motivating someone to start learning and using a new language is to make it enjoyable. Teach Your Dog Welsh really brings the language to life and makes it fun – it’s a really positive (re)introduction to this wonderful language.”
There are plans to expand the series to include Teach Your Cat Welsh, as well as translations into other minority languages including Manx, Cornish and Maori.
Anne Cakebread is a freelance illustrator with over 20 years’ experience in publishing and TV, including cover art and illustrations for numerous books, magazines and adverts. She also illustrated sets and props for Boomerang on S4C’s award-winning ABC. She grew up and went to school in Radyr, Cardiff and now lives with her partner, two whippets and lurcher in St Dogmaels, where she runs a B&B.
Teach Your Dog Welsh by Anne Cakebread is available now (£4.99, Y Lolfa).
A new book, Finding Wales, reminds us that there is more to Britain than just England
By , 2018-07-10
Mark Easton, BBC News’s Home Editor, has recently enlightened us with the results of his study into English identity, The English Question Project, in which he claims that ‘interlaced English and British identities remain an important part of how the people of England see themselves. For many it seems the two are almost interchangeable’. ‘Britishness’ means Shakespeare, the House of Commons, idyllic English country villages, the stiff upper lip, being conservative and traditional.
According to Llanelli born and Llantwit Major based author Daniels, “This doesn’t sound like the talkative, passionate, warm, open hearted Welsh. So perhaps we should remind Mark Easton and the world at large what the Welsh are like, and how we actually differ from the English.”
As a Welsh exile in England, Peter had a successful career in market research, but the strong ties he retained with his homeland through the London Welsh RFC and the London Welsh Association led to a fascination with his own national identity. And in his first book, In Search of Welshness, published in 2011, he charted the ways in which exiles living in England attempted to hang on to their Welsh characteristics and values in a London dominated social and cultural scene.
In Finding Wales he delves into the reasons why such exiles, including himself, have returned to Wales. Some admittedly have been forced to return because of family responsibilities or economic necessity. And others speak of a value for money ‘good life’ that is to be had in Wales, against a backcloth of its scenic beauty. But many yearned for more, for the friendlier community spirit that they feel exists in Wales, or an even deeper hiraeth for either the Welsh language and culture, or for a less class ridden way of life than they had encountered in England.
These returning exiles need however not only to sing the praises of the Welsh, but also to raise their voices in an attempt to wrestle back from Westminster a far greater degree of self determination in their everyday lives. But for the moment let’s just wallow in Welsh character, friendliness and humour as we follow the exploits of Peter Daniels’s returning band of Welsh exiles.
And what better time to study Welsh personality and culture than in National Eisteddfod week. Both books will be available at the stall of publisher, Y Lolfa, throughout the week.
In 2015 Anne Hayward spent three months as a pilgrim, travelling on foot to visit some of Wales’ holiest sites and carrying everything she needed to camp along the route. Her main objectives were four ancient places of pilgrimage – Holywell, Bardsey Island, St David’s and Llantwit Major – but she also visited numerous churches and other places of interest along the way.
Her reflections, insights and experiences will be published this week by Y Lolfa.
In A Pilgrimage Around Wales she gives some of the history of those ancient places of pilgrimage and reflects on the spiritual experience of being a modern-day pilgrim.
‘I was very fortunate – ‘blessed’ is a more apt word, perhaps – to have been able to take time out of ordinary life in the spring and summer of 2015 to go on a pilgrimage around Wales. This book is a fruit of that pilgrimage,’ explained Anne.
‘Being on foot, and carrying quite a heavy pack for a small(ish) woman, was both liberating and constraining,’ said Anne, ‘What became increasingly clear during those three months was that my research prior to my walk had left me unprepared for the sheer joy of quietly discovering new places and the enormous sense of achievement that I felt each day. Often what was most overwhelming was the beauty of the ordinariness of many of my days.’
In the book, she also meditates upon the significant conversations she found herself sharing with the strangers she met along her path.
‘The subtitle of this book is In Search of a Significant Conversation , and its contents cause us to appreciate the conversations, random or otherwise, which peppered the author’s pilgrimage around Wales,’ said the Most Reverend John D E Davies, Bishop of Swansea & Brecon and the Archbishop of Wales. ‘Unspoken or spoken, those conversations bring the places to life, and illuminate the faith which motivated the journey.’
‘“ Camping here is my gift to you ,” said one campsite owner to Anne on her tremendous pilgrimage, and this book is a real gift to us, with Anne’s thoughts reminding us of the vast riches we have in Wales in so many ways’ added the Revd Canon Ian Rees, Rector of Central Swansea.
Anne Hayward read History at Oxford University and went on to become a secondary school teacher. Over the last few years, she has walked thousands of miles to places of pilgrimage in Wales, Ireland, Brittany and England. She is a Reader in the Church in Wales and is involved as a licensed Lay Minister in her local church and the wider area. She lives in the Brecon Beacons, and has written articles for various local magazines and newspapers.
A Pilgrimage Around Wales will be launched at 6.30pm on Monday 26 March at Book-ish in Crickhowell.
A Pilgrimage Around Wales by Anne Hayward (£8.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
FIRST EVER BIOGRAPHY FOR ONE OF THE 'WORLD'S BEST PHOTO-JOURNALISTS', WELSHMAN PHILIP JONES GRIFFITHS
By , 2018-03-13
Philip Jones Griffiths is remembered mainly for his photographs of the Vietnam war – photographs that contributed to changing the attitude of the American people towards the war. During his career he visited 140 countries, many of them that were at the heart of the horrors of war and suffering. But Philip would refuse to be labeled as a war photographer. It was not war in itself that spurred his interest, but to find the root of why that war was taking place, and the effect it had on the lives of innocent people.
In Vietnam he believed that the US forces tried to push their own values on the old local civilization, which reminded him of the cultural and linguistic conflicts he had experienced during his childhood near the Rhuddlan border. The reason for him to be so successful in his work in Vietnam was that his apprenticeship for that country had begun during his childhood in Wales, he said. This volume also tells new and humourous stories about that childhood.
His objective through his work, he said, was ‘to spread light on the dark shadows of the world’.
‘I had decided that I would be the one to find out what the truth was,’ he said, ‘Taking real-life photographs of real people, that's my ambition.’
After leaving St Asaph Grammar School, Philip studied at the School of Pharmacy at the University of Liverpool before working as a pharmacist with the Boots company in London. He began to take photographs in his spare time for papers like the Observer and the Sunday Times, before becoming a full-time photographer. He went to live in New York after becoming president of the famous Magnum photography agency, a post he held for five years, longer than anyone else.
In his tribute, another Magnum photographer, Stuart Franklin, said ‘He gave to photojournalism its moral soul’.
The hardback volume contains fifty of Philip’s photographs, some portraying the horrors from the battlefield, others portraying an industrial Wales that has long since gone. Philip Jones Griffiths’s photos, like Philip himself, are a mixture if the sorrowful and the light-hearted.
The author and journalist Ioan Roberts from Pwllheli first came to know Philip Jones Griffiths in 1996 through his work in the world of television, and both were in occasional contact until Philip’s death in 2008.
‘Crucial to his work was his humility, his love for people and his intuitive sympathy with the weak. That came from his Welshness and his Welsh upbringing,’ said Ioan, ‘Through shining a new light on his backstory, I hope this volume will make the shining career of Philip Jones Griffiths easier to understand’.
‘Philip had strong convictions, he was a giant of a man physically and in terms of his presence, but yet friendly and witty.’
His work has attracted praise from some famous figures in world of photo-journalism including one of the founders of Magnum, Henri Cartier-Bresson, who said, ‘no-one since Goya has portrayed war as Philip Jones Griffiths did.’
And Australian photographer, journalist and director John Pilger said,
‘He was the greatest photographer and one of the finest journalists of my lifetime, and a humanitarian to match. His photographs of ordinary people, from his beloved Wales to Vietnam and the shadows of Cambodia, make you realise who the true heroes are. He was one of them.’
In the words of Marian Delyth, who contributed to the foreword of the volume,
‘It would be a matter of pride for Philip to see that it is in the Welsh language that his first biography is being published. Its now been ten years since we lost him. One part of Philip’s wishes were fulfilled – that his work was kept in Wales.’
‘It is now our responsibility to ensure that those images can continue to influence contemporary opinion in every period as they did with the Vietnam war’ she added.
An evening to launch the volume will take place at Rhuddlan Library in Denbighshire at 7pm on Monday, March 19 in the company of the Rev. Elfed ap Nefydd Roberts, author Ioan Roberts and Dai Thomas of the Rhuddlan Local History Society. The evening is organised by Denbighshire Libraries and sponsored by Rhuddlan Town Council.
Philip Jones Griffiths – Ei Fywyd a’i Luniau by Ioan Roberts (£19.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Heulwen Davies of Machynlleth publishes Mam – Croeso i’r Clwb (Mam – Welcome to the Club) this week – a book full of facts for new mothers recording the experiences of parents, families, doctors and midwives, leading the mother through the pregnancy up to the end of the child’s first year. The volume will include an open and light discussion about the changes and challenges facing new parents whilst offering advice along the way. It will be launched in time for Mothers Day on 11 March 2018.
‘As a first time mother, it became clear that there were plenty of English books and websites available to get advice and share experiences, but there was no Welsh language or Welsh digital platform,’ explained Heulwen, ‘Although the English resources were of help, I was not able to identify with these mothers, as the majority lived in a city, were rich and posh! Their life was very different from my life - a pregnant mother in rural Wales. Not better, just different.’
‘I was keen to change the situation, to help future parents, and ensure that the experiences of parents are shared in Welsh and bilingually, to portray the life of a parent in Wales today.’ says Heulwen, ‘I started blogging my experience as a new mother and had a very good response’.
Eager to encourage more parents to discuss and support each other, Heulwen decided to write her own book and in the process she set up the popular bilingual blog, Mam Cymru.
The incentive to write the book finally came from author Caryl Lewis when Heulwen attended a one-day writing course in Tŷ Newydd, which was led by Caryl.
‘At the end of the course, Caryl's words were, ‘If you don’t take this idea to a publisher by Monday, I’m going to take it for you!’ said Heulwen.
The volume's drawings were produced by cartoonist Huw Aaron to ‘add to the humor of the book’. Huw was glad of the opportunity and went through a similar experience himself during the time spent illustrating the book’s pictures when he became a father for the second time.
Although extensive parts of the volume are based on Heulwen’s experiences, there are contributions from over fifty parents, midwives and experts from all over Wales following an online questionnaire created by Heulwen in order to gather other parents’ experiences in Wales.
‘I'm not an expert, I’m a mother, but I’m absolutely honest and eager to help and make prospective parents and parents alike smile and laugh as they realise that everything that they are going through is normal!’ said Heulwen.
‘It's impossible to explain what its like to be a mother. You’ve got to experience it for yourself as you go on this exciting, emotional, happy and challenging journey.’ she said.
‘If you take one thing from this book on your journey, I’d like you to remember the importance of Prosecco – no, I’m joking! Its the importance of time!’ added Heulwen, ‘Make the best of your time, make the most of the time together and do what’s right for you. Mum knows best!’
Heulwen Davies lives in the Dyfi Valley with Gareth and Elsi Dyfi. She travelled Wales and the world as a producer and director of television and radio, before returning to Machynlleth and begun a career as a manager and marketing consultant and events.
The book will be launched in Caffi Alys, Machynlleth at 7pm on Friday 2 March and then in Medina in Aberystwyth at 6.30pm on Monday 5 March, both in th company of Heulwen Davies and Caryl Lewis.
Mam – Croeso i’r Clwb! by Heulwen Davies (£6.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
SÊL Y GWANWYN
O’r 26ain o Chwefror tan yr 2il o Fawrth bydd gostygiad o 20% ar bob archeb ar wefan Y Lolfa.
Ewch i www.ylolfa.com i fanteisio ar y cynnig yn awr.
SPRING SALE
There will be a discount of 20% on all orders placed on Y Lolfa’s website between the 26 th of February and the 2 nd of March.
Visit www.ylolfa.com to take advantage of this offer now.
Matthew Jones is the author of many acclaimed quiz books including the bestselling Welsh Rugby Quiz Book which has been recently updated with over fifty new questions and reprinted after selling over 12,000 copies. This week, he publishes the comprehensive The Wales Quiz Book which will test the readers’ knowledge on Wales and all things Welsh.
‘It’s always fun to test your own knowledge, and even better to challenge others,’ said Matthew Jones, ‘Now here’s a chance o prove to family and friends how much you know about Wales and test your memory on Wales’ rich tapestry of history, culture, landmarks and people.’
The Wales Quiz Book includes fifty rounds of ten questions on a variety of topics including music, films, successful individuals, memorable events, geography and more. Some questions are harder than others but Matthew is confident that ‘there's something for everyone’.
‘From Tom Jones to Manic Street Preachers, Richard Burton to Rhys Ifans, there's a real spectrum of enjoyment bursting from this book’ said Matthew Jones.
‘It’s an impossible task to pack everything about Wales into 500 questions, but The Wales Quiz Book gives a fantastic mixture of facts to suit everyone.’ added Matthew, ‘ This is a fun way for you to see how much you know about the country and its people, and getting friends together is even more enjoyable – people love a good quiz!’
Matthew Jones is the author of Welsh Sports Quiz Book, The Rugby Union Quiz Book, The Lions Rugby Quiz Book, The Six Nations Rugby Quiz Book and the bestselling Welsh Rugby Quiz Book . He lives in Cardiff and does media and PR work in English or Welsh.
The Wales Quiz Book by Matthew Jones (£3.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Na, Nel! Un Tro by Meleri Wyn James, illustrated by John Lund, will be published by Y Lolfa in time for World Book Day celebrations on 1 March 2018. The book will be part of the official World Book Day activities in Wales, which is supported by the Welsh Government and Waterstones. This will be the first time that a Welsh-language book has been included in the range of special £1 books that are published annually as part of the UK-wide campaign.
Angharad Sinclair, Reading Promotions Project Manager for the Welsh Books Council, said, 'It’s such a pleasure to include a Welsh-language book for the first time for World Book Day. I’m sure children across Wales will enjoy reading about Nel’s next adventure! The Na Nel! series is extremely popular and proves that original series can hold their own and sell really well.'
Garmon Gruffudd, Managing Director of Y Lolfa, said, 'We’re delighted to be part of this pioneering scheme. Nel is well established as one of Wales’s most popular characters and we hope that this will be a further boost to the series.'
The book will follow the adventures of Nel, the mischievous girl who appears in the popular Na, Nel! series. It will capture the fun and playfulness of the stories and encourage children to go on to read the other books in the series. In the new book, Nel will cast herself in the middle of the story once again and show how mischief follows her, wherever she goes
'I’ve loved reading and writing since I was a child, and now I love reading with my own children and sharing the Na, Nel! stories with young readers all over Wales. It’s an honour that Nel’s original adventures have been chosen as the first Welsh-language book to be part of World Book Day this year' said author Meleri Wyn James, 'I hope that children will seize the opportunity to buy Nel’s latest adventure for a £1, and that it will encourage them to read more of Nel’s stories and to dip into the wealth of Welsh books which are available to children today.'
Meleri Wyn James is an experienced author and editor and has published over 25 books for children, young people and adults. Since 2014 she has been responsible for creating a number of adventures for Nel, the mischievous little girl.
World Book Day was designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. World Book Day is a partnership of publishers, booksellers and interested parties who work together to promote books and reading for the personal enrichment and enjoyment of all. A main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
In Wales, the campaign is coordinated by the Welsh Books Council and supported by the Welsh Government and Waterstones.
Additionally, a brand new production by Theatr Arad Goch, which is a stage adaptation of the popular books by Meleri Wyn James, will visit theatres around Wales during the summer of 2018. Na, Nel! Wwww! travels to 17 theatres across Wales between May and July with a new, original story by the author, bringing the popular characters alive on stage for the first time.
A new colourful activity book will be published to coincide with the show, Na Nel!: Waw!, which will encourage children to use their imagination and is full of Nel’s usual fun and laughter.
Na, Nel! Un tro... by Meleri Wyn James (£1, Y Lolfa) is available now.
ORIGINAL WELSH CHILDREN’S BOOK CHOSEN AS PART OF THE WELSH GOVERNMENT’S FLYING START SCHEME
By , 2018-02-01
Geiriau Cyntaf Cyw by Helen Davies (Y Lolfa) was chosen as the successful book after the Welsh Books Council was asked to be part of the tendering process to supply 10,000 copies of a Welsh title as part of the Flying Start programme.
Flying Start is part of the Welsh Government’s early years programme for families with children under four years of age living in disadvantaged areas of Wales. As well as providing childcare, an enhanced health visiting service and access to parenting programmes, it also provides parents with support in regards to speech, language and communication.
Evidence shows that speech, language and communication ability is an important predictor of later progress in literacy and has an impact on social skills as well as behaviour of children.
The successful title had to be a Welsh language picture book for pre-school children - preferably with a Welsh theme.
Geiriau Cyntaf Cyw (Cyw’s First Words) is a colourful picture-word book presenting a simple vocabulary in various locations such as the garden, farm and seaside. It was originall published in cooperation with S4C and Boom Pictures Cymru. It is suitable for children who are attending nursery or for young children aged between 3 and 5 years old.
‘The Lolfa is very proud that Flying Start has chosen one of the Cyw books for the scheme,’ said Garmon Gruffudd, managing director of Y Lolfa, ‘I hope, as a result, that parents will find more of the great original books that are available to children in Welsh.’
I am delighted that this book, which has received Welsh Government support via the Welsh Books Council's grant scheme, was chosen for Flying Start’ added Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Welsh Books Council, ‘It will give children and parents living in Wales access to an authentic Welsh book originated entirely in Wales and hopefully contribute to lifelong enjoyment of reading.’
Copies will be distributed around Wales as part of the scheme by the beginning of February.
The prize for the winning entry will be an original piece of artwork by Mellten creator, Huw Aaron and a Family Ticket to Hay Festival 2018. The strip will also feature in the next issue of the comic! There is also a prize available for the winning school – a workshop with Huw Aaron himself.
The competition is open to all and you competitors can choose to complete the Capten Clonc cartoon strip included in the seventh issue of Mellten or create a totally new character or cartoon.
The competition closes on the 31 st of March and the names of the winners will be announced in April. Competitors are asked to send their work to cllc.plant@books.wales or through the post to – “Mellten Competition” , Welsh Books Council, Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2JB.
‘'We are delighted to be working with Mellten and y Lolfa on this competition and give the children and young people of Wales the chance to get their imagination going by creating a new cartoon character or strip,’ said Angharad Wyn Sinclair, Reading Promotions Project Manager, ‘What better way to celebrate World Book Day this year than by reading the latest issue of Mellten and trying out in this competition? We look forward to seeing the various creations!’
‘The seventh issue is a great example of encouraging children to create and use their imaginations,’ says Huw Aaron, ‘We at Mellten are very eager to help and develop children’s creative talent. I myself especially want to see the next generation of cartoonists creating their own comics in the future.’
‘The creative talent is certainly there but children need the opportunity to showcase their talents’ he added.
In the pages of the seventh issue Gwil Garw discovers himself in a bit of trouble, Bloben discovers its affection for Cyw and Iola is preparing to race at the Space Rally competition.
There will be more stories from the shadows as the storyteller tells the story of Pontarfynach’s mysterious bridgge, the Allwedd Amser mystery will continue while poor Boc is missing on the farm and the animals are all on the run.
Aimed at children between 7 and 13, Mellten is the first original Welsh language comic in decades. The next issue will appear in March. Individual issues are available or it is possible to subscribe for £8 a year via the website, schools or local bookshops.
The seventh issue of Mellten (£2, Y Lolfa) is available now.
In Wales construction of most cinemas took place in 1910 and 1911, although a number of buildings had been converted into cinemas before that.
‘In days gone by a weekly visit to the “flicks” was as common as watching the television is today. It was an adventure and one of the few modes of entertainment available,’ said author Alan Phillips, ‘It was a chance to step back in time or to the future, a chance to forget daily toils and, for an hour or two, be transported to a make-believe world’.
Wales had its own film pioneers, such as John Codman, son of the Llandudno pier Punch and Judy man, who travelled throughout north Wales with his magic lantern living picture show. Then there was Arthur Cheetham who filmed day-to-day scenes throughout the country for the purpose of showing them at venues across most of Wales. He eventually settled in Rhyl and in 1906 established the Silvograph Animated Pictures - the first permanent cinema in Wales.
But, by the 1960s the advent of television and increased running costs caused cinema attendances to decline and several went into financial difficulty.
‘Times have changed now,’ added Alan, ‘Some cinemas or theatres were converted into bingo halls or were used for other uses, such as supermarkets, or eventually demolished. Today several cinemas have been taken over by J.D. Wetherspoon pubs, and they have retained the décor to give us a glimpse of their former glory days’.
There are still some independent cinemas left in Wales, mostly run by local authorities with the help of volunteers. Over the years the Welsh Government has supported the venues with grants from the European Development Fund which have enabled the cinemas to invest in modern equipment such as digital projectors.
As well as being a former cinema projectionist himself, Alan notes that his motivation behind the book were ‘more than anything seeing the number of cinemas that have closed throughout Wales since the 1960s’.
Alan Phillips studied history at University College of Wales, Swansea, before joining the RAF. He worked as a cinema projectionist with the Kinema Corporation and later with the Ministry of Defence.
The Cinemas of West Wales by Alan Phillips (£6.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
The volume Flowers of Wales published this week by Y Lolfa is the life work of botanist Goronwy Wynne, a leading Biology lecturer and life long member of the British Botanic Society.
The book, which spans almost six hundred pages, covers all known Welsh plants in an ambitious hardback volume.
‘This volume is the fruit of a lifetime’s labour’ said Professor Deri Tomos, ‘As well as being a prestigious catalouger, Goronwy Wynne is one who is passionate about what is behind the romantic facade of nature.’
Twm Elias was also amazed by the book.
‘The book is presented in a compact, easy-to-understand style and is a pleasure to read. Goronwy is one of the best Welsh botanists, and is a great communicator and writer,’ he said, ‘We see the expert's authority at its very best here, in a volume that has clearly taken a lot of years of careful research and writing’.
This is the first Welsh volume to try to present the history of every single Welsh plant.
The volume discusses their names, distribution and habitats. The ecology of plants is cited – from the ordinary to the rare. The reader is given a tour of all of the old counties of Wales describing ten sites in each county, with their special features and flowers, and how to find them flowers and appreciate them.
After graduating in Agriculture and Botany at Bangor University, Goronwy Wynne taught at his old school at Holywell, then became Principal Lecturer in Biology at the North East Wales Institute. He received a doctorate degree from the University of Wales and Salford University and is a Fellow of Bangor University and the London Linear Society. He has been a cataloguer for the British and Irish Botanic Society for forty years and editor of Y Naturiaethwr for the Edward Llwyd Society for ten years. In 2014 he received the National Eisteddfod's Science Medal.
The book will be launched Friday 1 December at 7.30pm at Stamford Gate Hotel in Holywell with Ieuan ap Sion, Bethan Wyn Jones, Austin Savage and Goronwy Wynne.
Blodau Cymru – Byd y Planhigion by Goronwy Wynne (£39.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Dark Territory by American-born and Wales-based author Jerry Hunter is set in the seventeenth century around the period of the English Civil War, and highlights the fact that the violence associated with religious extremism is not a new issue.
‘It is relatively well known that during his bloody military campaign in Ireland Oliver Cromwell approved the wholesale slaughter of civilians in Wexford and Drogheda because they were Catholics,’ said Jerry Hunter, ‘but less attention has been given to another massacre suffered at his forces’ hands.’
‘This is the story of the Women of Naseby, a dark episode of Welsh history which has been surprisingly absent from popular histories,’ he said.
After the Battle of Naseby in June 1645 the Parliamentarian cavalry, in pursuit of fleeing Royalists, came upon the Royalist camp and a large group of women. Hearing them screaming in an unknown tongue, the English soldiers assumed they were Irish Catholics, and cut them down in cold blood.
But in fact these women were crying out in Welsh – most of Wales had declared for the King, and these were the wives of soldiers in Welsh Royalist regiments who had followed their husbands to war to cook and wash for them, as was the custom at that time. Despite over a hundred of them being killed on the spot, and the faces of others mutilated, their fate has largely been forgotten.
Dark Territory ’s protagonist is a zealous Welsh Puritan whose beliefs initially lead him to embrace Parliament’s cause and the violence of Cromwell’s New Model Army, but whose conviction is tested by these atrocities.
Described as ‘an epic historical adventure set during one of the most turbulent periods in history’, the novel also poses questions about violence, power, religious extremism and rejection of difference which are chillingly relevant to our world today.
Jerry Hunter was born in Cincinnati, USA and is now is a Professor of Welsh and Pro Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bangor, and lives with his family in North Wales.
‘With this novel I also wanted to cross-examine the ideological foundations of “American Exceptionalism”,’ he explained. ‘For centuries politicians in the USA have referred to the nation as a “shining light” for the rest of the world to follow. Through the prism of fiction, this work examines the dark realities at the foundations of those beliefs.’
‘Particularly now in the age of Trump, when the old myths of exceptionalism are being invoked once again in an attempt to “make America great again”,’ he added.
The novel has already received acclaim, with literary critic and author Jon Gower praising it as ‘the work of a master... nothing less than a classic’.
Jerry Hunter is best known as a Welsh-language author and has won prestigious literary awards including Welsh Book of the Year for his academic work Llwch Cenhedloedd , and the National Eisteddfod Prose Medal for his first novel, Gwenddydd .
Dark Territory by Jerry Hunter (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Porter Square Books in Cambridge Mass
Friday, May 25, 2018 - 7:00pm
Also featuring translator Pat Ford, former chair of Celtic Languages and Literatures department at Harvard.
Portsmouth Athenaeum in Portsmouth NH
Sunday, May 27th 2018 - Time TBD
Sponsored by RiverRun Bookstore
Harvard Coop Bookstore, Cambridge MA
Friday, October 5, - 7:00 p.m
Jerry will be participating in the Harvard Celtic Colloquium
Am Newid by Dana Edwards follows main protagonist Ceri who returns to her childhood home but has changed a lot since she left. She goes to join Merched y Wawr and despite being a woman, the fact that some still think of her as a ‘boy’ mean that it is not easy for them to accept her.
But Ceri isn’t the only one who’s changed. Over the past twenty-five years, her community’s language, culture and attitudes have also changed.
‘I wanted to write something that was contemporary but that would also demonstrate a timeless attitude shown towards people who are deemed different or who don’t conform to our idea of ‘normal’,’ said Dana Edwards.
‘Issues on gender and sex appear in the press almost daily – schools change their toilets to be unisex, policemen change their outfits to also become unisex, and the discussions on abolishing the need to state your sex in the next census. So I thought that writing about this would be both timely and relevant.’
The novel looks at how Ceri copes with the change in her world, how the world copes with Ceri, and the change that comes when she decides to settle down once again in west Wales.
‘In the past, Welsh novels have been accused of being old fashioned,’ said Dana, ‘but I do hope that Am Newid , amongst many other contemporary Welsh novels, prove that that isn’t true anymore.’
Said author Lleucu Roberts, ‘ Am Newid is a compelling, easy to read novel and Dana Edwards has shown herself to be a capable author who knows how to weave a plot and develop characters.’
The novel will be launched at the Winter Fair in Builth Wells on Monday 27 November at 2pm at the Merched y Wawr stall at Clwyd Morgannwg Exhibition Hall with Tegwen Morris, Merched y Wawr director, who will be in conversarion with Dana.
‘Its very appropriate to launch at the Merched y Wawr stall as the organisation is the backdrop to Ceri’s story,’ said Dana, ‘Merched y Wawr has a reputation for being a very welcoming and inclusive organisation, but how will Ceri be welcomed?’
During the launch, Carol Nixon will talk about her experiences of living as a trans woman in Wales and singer Siân James will perform a few songs that celebrate diversity. There will be a rainbow LGBT+ cake and mulled wine to close the launch party.
Dana Edwards is from Aberystwyth. Am Newid is her third novel following The Other Half (Accent Press, 2014) and Welsh novel Pam ? (Y Lolfa, 2016).
Am Newid will be launched at the Merched y Wawr stall at Clwyd Morgannwg Exhibition Hall at the Winter Fair in Builth Wells on Monday 27 th November at 2pm with Dana Edwards, Tegwen Morris, Carol Nixon and Siân James.
Am Newid by Dana Edwards (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Gareth Thomas moved to the Vale of Glamorgan six years ago following a career in England as an actor, teacher and director.
Like many others he had heard of Iolo Morganwg but knew little of his story or significance.
His imagination was fired by the attention given to ‘Old Iolo’ in the National Eisteddfod in Llandow and visits to the places in the Vale associated with the bard such as his memorial in the church in Flemingston, the Samson Pillar in Llantwit Major, St Mary Church where he was married, the examples of his work as a mason that can be seen across the Vale and Cowbridge and The Bear Hotel where Iolo performed much of his seditious verses and delivered passionate speeches on political issues.
‘The more I learnt, the more I marvelled at his story’ said Gareth Thomas, ‘It’s a tale that needs to be told.’
But Iolo proved to be an enigma. There were differing opinions amongst his friends on the subject of Iolo - some of whom admired him as a hero who helped form the national identity of Wales and others who saw him as a cheat and con-man. Having read the research of Gwyneth Lewis, Geraint Jenkins, Mary-Ann Constantine and others, Gareth came to the conclusion that here was a story with real contemporary significance.
The result is Myfi Iol o , a new Welsh language historical novel which recounts Iolo’s true story which is published this week.
The novel is set at the end of the 18 th century where Iolo is a young man with a host of talents and limitless energy. He is full of anger against the injustice he sees and is committed to the cause of freedom in Europe.
‘Iolo’s story has every element you would wish for in an historical novel: adventure, mystery, love, revolution, violence, drugs, passion, spies and betrayal’ said Gareth.
The scene moves from Cowbride to the grand drawing rooms of Mayfair, from Gorsedd ceremonies on inhospitable hillsides to the luxurious bordellos of Covent Garden, from his cottage in Flemingston to a hearing before the Privy Council in Downing Street.
‘Here was a man who inspired friendship but turned friends into enemies. Here was an incredibly talented man who ultimately failed to win a livelihood in any field.’ said Gareth, ‘Was Iolo a conscious trickster – or was he inspired by a bigger vision?’
The novel has already recieved substantial praise by the author Dr Mary-Ann Constantine calling it ‘a fasincating novel about a fasinating person’.
The novel will be launched in the Georgian ballroom in the Bear Hotel in Cowbridge on November 23 at 7pm.
‘It was in The Bear hotel in Cowbridge that Iolo Morganwg performed his poetry and spoke passionately about politics. So there’s no better place to launch the novel!’ added Gareth.
The launch will be led by Carys Whelen who will be interviewing the author and there will be readings from actors Eiry Palfrey (Gwaith/Cartref, Dinas) as ‘Peggy’ and Danny Grehan ( Harri Tudur, Casualty) as Iolo Morganwg.
Gareth Thomas was born to parents from Cwm Rhondda and studied drama in the Barry and London. He worked in England as an actor, teacher and director before learning Welsh aged fifty. His first novel, A Welsh Dawn , was published in 2014. He currently lives in Cowbridge.
Myfi, Iolo by Gareth Thomas (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
THE INSIDE STORY OF BBC WALES BY A FORMER CONTROLLER RAISES ‘QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE BBC IN TODAY’S WALES’
By , 2017-11-11
The Broadcasters of BBC Wales, 1964–1990 by Gareth Price, published this week by Y Lolfa, is the inside story of an exceptional period in Welsh broadcasting when an eclectic collection of characters emerged both in front and behind the microphone.
Gareth Price, a former Controller of BBC Wales (1986-90), worked for the Corporation between 1964 and 1990, during the most exciting period of growth in the history of Welsh broadcasting. He spent ten years (1964-74) as a radio and television producer and 16 years (1974-90) appointing, enabling and leading production teams in all their varied activities at the BBC.
‘Gareth Price has produced an admirably readable account of three exhilarating decades in Welsh broadcasting, an account which tracks his rise to the Controller’s office of BBC Wales,’ said broadcaster Huw Edwards,
‘His story is full of absorbing insights into BBC culture, and along the way he profiles some of the biggest names in the business. It also raises pertinent questions about the role and status of the BBC in today’s Wales.’
His memoir is the human story of those individuals who worked through the most exciting period of growth in the history of Welsh broadcasting.
‘Many were an extraordinary mix of creative and often eccentric people making music and writing drama; celebrities in the world of sport and entertainment; or inquisitive journalists reporting on daily events and producing in-depth documentaries’ said Gareth.
‘The memories remain of an eclectic group of people who were attracted to an institution which, in the words of Head of Programmes Hywel Davies in 1962, ‘must be a debating chamber, an exhibition centre, a publishing house, a theatre, a concert hall, a centre which, if near to its audience, can develop the national identity in English and in Welsh.’’ added Gareth.
In just six years, between January 1977 and November 1982, two national radio stations (Radio Wales and Radio Cymru) and S4C were launched, leading to the simultaneous relaunch of a BBC Wales TV service devoid of the Welsh language.
By 1982, BBC Wales had grown to become the largest BBC operation outside London.
Gareth recalls the tensions between BBC Wales and S4C in the run-up to S4C’s launch as well as the difficulties in selling programmes with Welsh content to London controllers.
As well as recounting the work of high profile and creative colleagues, Gareth Price recalls events which shaped Wales and the BBC during this time, such as the anguish of Aberfan in 1966; a surge of national pride created by great Welsh rugby teams of the 1970s and the sadness and suff ering as King Coal died a slow death during and after the last great strike of 1984–5.
‘Mine is a social history of a specific era and the personalities who enlarged and revolutionised the broadcasting landscape of Wales.’ added Gareth.
Gareth Price was educated in Aberaeron and at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, before becoming an assistant lecturer at Queen’s University, Belfast. He joined BBC Wales in 1964 and during the next 26 years spent ten years as a producer before joining the management team as Head of Programmes and Controller, BBC Wales. In 1990 he left the BBC to join the international Thomson Foundation. Gareth is a Fellow of Aberystwyth University and was awarded the Commonwealth Association Medal for Services to International Public Broadcasting in 2006.
The Broadcasters of BBC Wales, 1964–1990 will be launched at Tŷ Oldfield, Llandaf on Thursday the 16 th of November at 6pm in the company of Gareth Price, Roy Noble and Frank Lincoln.
The Broadcasters of BBC Wales, 1964–1990 by Gareth Price is available now (£12.99, Y Lolfa).
Lliwio’r Chwedlau / Colouring Welsh Tales by artist Dawn Williams published this week includes 21 beautiful pictures of scenes from popular Welsh folk tales to colour in, including Gelert, Pwyll Pendefi g Dyfed, Branwen and Llyn y Fan Fach.
The book is a follow-up to the incredibly popular Lliwio Cymru / Colouring Wales, the first Welsh colouring book for adults published last year which sold over a thousand copies in its first run.
‘Following the success of Colouring Wales we thought it would be an ideal time to publish a colouring book depicting scenes from some of Wales’s most popular folk tales and well-known legends’ said Meinir Edwards, an editor at Y Lolfa publishers.
‘The book contains some beautiful, exciting and dramatic scenes from the ancient Mabinogion, Britain’s earliest prose tales. Stories such as Blodeuwedd and Culhwch and Olwen were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13 th centuries from earlier oral traditions’ said Meinir, ‘The book also includes some historical figures such as Dwynwen , the patron saint of lovers, and the Red Bandits of Mawddwy , plus favourite childhood stories such as Twm Siôn Cati and The Lady of the Lake . The stories are our heritage, and they fire the imagination.’
‘I’m so glad to have been given the opportunity to create a second Welsh colouring book based on the best of our mythology,’ said Dawn, ‘Welsh mythology is an integral part of our culture and history as the people of Wales and has formed the backbone of our literature. I hope this book will be a different way to tell these stories – and encourage people to relax as well.’
According to the Mental Health Foundation 59% of adults in Britain say they are under more stressed today than they were five years ago. Although colouring is an activity for children it is now being used as a form of alternative theraphy to help adults relieve stress and anxiety.
The professional artist Dawn Williams was born in Bangor and raised in Ynys Môn. She now lives in Llanrug and is married with three sons.
Lliwio’r Chwedlau / Colouring Welsh Tales by Dawn Williams (£4.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
A well known Welsh artist has accused the art scene of being ‘too elitist’.
The famous artist, Wynne Melville Jones, said that ‘art needs to be for everyone and not just for a select few who are financially privileged’.
‘Too often public galleries and private business concentrate more on people who are wealthy’ said Wynne, ‘But I strongly believe art should be a medium that enriches everybody’s life’.
His comments follows the publishing of Darluniau o Gymru / Paintings of Wales this week.
This striking bilingual book shares some of Wynne Melville Jones’s most well-known paintings, as well as telling the story behind the pictures.
Best known for his images of west Wales , the artist now paints landscapes from all over the country and some of his works have created interest far beyond. His painting of Soar-y-Mynydd chapel is owned by former US president Jimmy Carter, and his picture of ‘Elvis Rock’ at Eisteddfa Gurig, Ceredigion, is now on display in Graceland Tennessee.
Most recently his painting of Pantycelyn went on a tour around Wales including visiting the Senedd in Cardiff, as a response to the lack of celebration and recognition for influential national figure Williams Pantycelyn, three hundred years after his death.
The book was launched last Saturday at an exhibition of some of the works featured in the book at Oriel Rhiannon, Tregaron in the company of Ben Lake MP and Sulwyn Thomas with Bois y Fro and Merched Soar performing
‘I sincerely hope the paintings in this volume will appeal to a variety of people and that it will bring fine art to a new audience’ said Wynne,
‘Many of my paintings include Welsh iconography. This is where I’m from and I feel pride in my Welshness, my heritage, and my language and culture. I feel passion and responsibility for all things Welsh’ added Wynne.
‘These paintings will enrich your lives – enjoy the book, the feast awaits you.’ Added David Meredith, Chairman of The Sir Kyffin Williams Trust.
‘Painting brings me great pleasure. I hope I can share this pleasure with others – that is all I need’ said Wynne.
Best known for his pioneering work in bilingual communications Wynne Melville Jones ( Wyn Mel ) is a former art student, who has rediscovered his zest for painting and is establishing himself as one of the most prolific artists in Wales.
Darluniau o Gymru / Paintings of Wales by Wynne Melville Jones (£12.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
‘I was eased out of the Wales team; subjected, in my view, to bullying treatment; dragged back and forth from Clermont to squad training in Wales without WRU reimbursement for travel expenses, just to hold tackle bags’ says Lee, ‘By the end of 2013, there’d been no communication with the management for two years, but here was a man – a man who I felt had tried to humiliate me in front of my teammates – ringing up and expecting me to come running because he’d clicked his fingers’.
The Byrne Identity charts Lee’s meteoric rise from a childhood on a tough estate in Bridgend through teenage years on building sites across Europe to rugby stardom at the very top of world rugby, earning forty-six caps for Wales and securing his place as one of the nation’s best-ever full backs and one of the brightest talents to grace the Welsh game.
Lee talks frankly about the joy of playing at the highest level for the Scarlets, the Ospreys, Wales and the Lions, and gives an insider’s glimpse into Welsh rugby under Warren Gatland and the tactics and psychology employed.
The autobiography has already been dubbed ‘rugby book of the year’ by Wales on Sunday .
In this candid, no-holds-barred autobiography, Lee Byrne reveals all for the first time about the gambling habit he managed to kick, how he’s come to terms with dyslexia, and how he struggled with depression after his enforced early retirement due to injury. He also gives an insight into players’ and coaches’ hilarious off-field antics, the rugby drinking culture that exists within Welsh rugby, and opens up about how the death of his good friend Jerry Collins affected him.
‘After two somewhat tough years following my forced retirement from the game, I felt the time had come to tell my story,’ explained Lee. ‘Despite my unconventional route into rugby, I managed to make it to the pinnacle of the game, playing nearly fifty times for Wales and representing the British and Irish Lions. I had talent, perhaps, but it also required an awful lot of hard work.’
‘There’s also much about the sheer joy of playing rugby at the highest level, and the fun I had off the field,’ he added.
The book includes a foreword written by his friend and Welsh International, Shane Williams.
‘Straight away you could tell [Lee] was a good player. Within a couple of years he was being talked about as the best full back in the world, and rightly so,’ said Shane.
Former England star Jeremy Guscott also waxes lyrical about Lee’s abilities. ‘Lee played sublime rugby that really stood out. Great players have the ability to slow everything down… Lee certainly had that ability. A world-class full back with an exceptional skill-set – sheer class.’
Lee currently runs rugby camps for young players, and pursues a number of business interests. He is an ambassador for Tomorrow’s Generation , a dyslexia charity based in Cardiff. He lives in Bridgend.
The autobiography was co-written by television journalist and sports reporter Richard Morgan.
Lee Byrne will be embarking on a book signing tour to promote his book, beginning in Llanelli on November 3rd, and will visit Swansea, Carmarthen, Newport, Cwmbran, Penarth and Bridgend.
The Byrne Identity by Lee Byrne (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
In The Last Days of Owain Glyndŵr , which is published this week by Y Lolfa, Gruffydd Aled Williams, a leading authority on the subject, here rigorously assesses the evidence in oral tradition, manuscripts and printed sources, as well as on the ground, sorting fact from fiction.
He also investigates Glyndŵr family history and, based on new research, brings to light new information available in English for the first time on Wales’ most enduringly inspiring national hero, who led the war of independence in the early fifteenth century.
A descendant of the Princes of Powys through his father and of the Princes of Deheubarth through his mother, Glyndŵr was proclaimed Prince of Wales in 1400, the last native-born leader to boast this title. In the first years of the century, he led a successful campaign against the English rule of Wales under Henry IV, capturing strategically-important castles and winning key battles against the English army.
However, by 1409 the castles had been retaken and the last documented sighting of Glyndŵr seems to have been in 1412. What happened to him after that and the locations of his death and subsequent burial remain shrouded in uncertainty.
‘There are certain mysteries that can never be finally solved. One such mystery is that of the last days of Owain Glyndwr,’ says Gruffydd Aled.
‘This volume, therefore, has not been written with the intention of finally revealing where Owain died or where he was buried. Its aim is rather to survey the various traditions that have been recorded about Owain’s last days in detail and to evaluate them as far as is possible in the light of known historical facts and the broader historical context,’ he added.
The author’s original Welsh language book, Dyddiau Olaf Owain Glyndŵr (2015) – the first extended and comprehensive analysis of the subject -- was hailed as ‘outstanding’ and won the 2016 Wales Book of the Year ‘Creative non-fiction’ award.
The Last Days of Owain Glyndŵr also discusses one or two new locations and traditions which have come to light since the publication of the 2015 volume, and which are significant from the point of view of tracing Owain’s last days.
The volume also includes colour photos by acclaimed photographer Iestyn Hughes.
‘It was my intention to fill a gap in Welsh historiography and to do that in as readable a manner as possible,’ added Gruffydd Aled.
Gruffydd Aled Williams grew up in Glyndyfrdwy, the district which gave Owain Glyndŵr his name. Before retiring, he lectured in Welsh at University College, Dublin and the University of Wales, Bangor, and was Professor of Welsh and Head of the Department of Welsh at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He delivered the 2010 British Academy Sir John Rhŷs Memorial Lecture on medieval poetry associated with Owain Glyndŵr, and contributed chapters to Owain Glynd ŵ r: A Casebook (2013). He is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, President of the Merioneth Historical and Record Society, and a member of Gorsedd y Beirdd (Gorsedd of the Bards).
The Last Days of Owain Glyndŵr by Gruffydd Aled Williams (£12.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
The sacrifice of Wales' airmen and airwomen during first world war told for first time
By , 2017-10-09
Wales and the First Air War 1914- 1918 by Jonathan Hicks is an account of Welsh involvement in the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force during the First World War.
When the Great War began in 1914 aviation was in its infancy. Airmen took to the skies in wood and linen aircraft that were illequipped for the demands of mechanised warfare, and by 1917 the average lifespan of a newly-posted pilot was just three weeks.
Welshmen volunteered for the new service arm in large numbers and Wales contributed pilots, observers and ground crew to the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Air Force. The stories of these men are told here for the first time. Their deeds, gallantry and ultimate fates are recounted, as are those of the Welsh ‘aces’ who pitted their skills against those of their famous German counterparts.
‘Wales produced its own aces, and these men are worthy of remembrance for their heroism in fighting a war high up in the air, where the chances of survival, if aircrew or machine were hit by enemy bullets or shrapnel, were slim’ said Dr Jonathan Hicks.
Two air stations were constructed in Wales to house the new airships: one at Llangefni on Anglesey and the other at Milton in Pembrokeshire.
Wales also provided a pioneer of airship design. Ernest Willows from Cardiff was the first man in Britain to be granted a pilot’s licence and, on 28 December 1910, he made the first cross-Channel airship flight from England to France. He built his first airship when he was just 19. After the war ended, he continued his pioneering work until he was killed in a balloon accident in August 1926.
Dr Jonathan Hicks is an award-winning military historian and novelist. The winner of the Victorian Military Society’s top award for his work on the Anglo-Zulu War he was also awarded the Western Front Association Shield for his work on Barry and the Great War. He has also written novels on the battle at Mametz, including The Dead of Mametz and Demons Walk Among Us and also factual volumes, the bestsellers The Welsh at Mametz Wood (2016) and The Welsh at Passchendaele 1917 (2017).
Wales and the First Air War 1914- 1918 by Dr Jonathan Hicks is available now (£12.99, Y Lolfa).
'THE NEXT DECADE WILL BE MOST SIGNIFICANT TIME EVER FOR WELSH POLITICS' SAYS BBC WELSH AFFAIRS EDITOR
By , 2017-09-28
In the book, Pen ar y Bloc , which is published this week, Vaughan says that ‘the tectonic plates are moving and questions that would have seemed ridiculous ten years ago are now reasonable’.
These movements, he says, mean that questions arise about the existence of some of the larger parties in their current form, and also could mean that the days of the politics of class could be nearing their end. He also predicts the possibility of the United Kingdom and the European Union breaking apart.
‘Will the United Kingdom, the European Union, or both, be likely to fall to pieces or can they succeed in re-creating themselves? We shall see’.
The book, written by Vaughan and his fellow BBC journalist, Ruth Thomas, reproduces the best of Vaughan’s successful blog, ensuring that his witty writings will not disappear in this ‘Digital Dark Age’.
Publishing the volume, which includes new material that explores some of the most important political developments since 1997, will mean that a completely indispensable record of Welsh history has been created.
The volume also pays tribute to former Wales First Minister, Rhodri Morgan, who died on the 17th of May this year. Vaughan wrote the tribute especially for this book.
Professor Richard Wyn Jones, head of the Wales Governance Centre at Cardiff University, said: ‘This is a world class political commentary: witty, wide ranging and broad its spirit. It stands as further proof that we have been extremely fortunate as a nation to have Vaughan Roderick guide us through all the twists and turns of two decades of devolution’.
Since the late 1970s, Vaughan has witnessed many of the events that have changed Wales - from the Cymdeithas yr Iaith protests, the miners’ strike, the fight for devolution up and the Brexit vote.
He did so on radio and television, and from 2004 by writing for the BBC online news service, initially through the O Vaughan i Fynwy column, and through his blog from 2007 onwards.
His editor, Ruth Thomas, says that Vaughan’s unique voice has defined ‘a generation’.
‘All that a journalist can do is report and measure the importance of a story as it appears at the time, through the glasses of our lives’ said Vaughan.
As a result of the his sharp analysis over the decades, Pen ar y Bloc is a comprehensive, vital and witty summary that anyone who has an interest in Welsh history and politics will enjoy.
Pen ar y Bloc will be launched at The Senedd at 6 o'clock on Tuesday, 19 September, with Vaughan Roderick, Ruth Thomas, Betsan Powys and Professor Richard Wyn Jones. It will include a panel discussion between Jane Hutt AM, David Melding AM, Helen Mary Jones and Kirsty Williams AM. The evening is organised by Y Lolfa and the National Assembly for Wales.
Pen ar y Bloc by Vaughan Roderick (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
The poems capture personally memorable moments while celebrating the beauty and historical resonance of the locations. They are in two sequences; historical and seasonal; with a short coda of poems of a more personal nature.
‘Some are snapshots of a particular event such as a fire on Pen Dinas, families on the prom after graduation or a big snowfall in the 1980s’ explained Caroline, ‘In others, such as Nant yr Arian Kites , I consider changing attitudes to death and in Ynyslas/Drowned Land , the mutability of our world’.
‘I have been writing poems over many years and these focus on the landscape rather than the people of the area whom I have known’ said Caroline, ‘They are about living out at the bright edge both in space and time’.
Born in Birmingham, Caroline Clark has lived in Aberystwyth for forty years. Since moving to Wales, she has been heavily involved in local community theatre, also organising festivals, adjudicating playwriting competitions for the Drama Association of Wales, and advising on Welsh Arts Council committees. Her poems and short stories have often appeared in anthologies, but this is her first solo collection.
The collection will be launched at Aberystwyth Arts Centre bookshop at 6.30pm Monday, 9th of October in the company of Caroline Clark.
Out at the Bright Edge by Caroline Clark (£6.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
A Life to Dai For published by Y Lolfa, will follow the twists and turns of Dai Jones’ career over the last two decades as a farmer, presenter, and one of Wales’ most popular broadcaster. The book was co-written with his close friend, Lyn Ebenezer.
‘We in the media have to be careful what we say. We can’t always express openly what we feel’ explained Dai, ‘But here I can be as blunt and honest as I like.’
Having already well surpassed God’s promised age, Dai is still farming, still entertaining the masses on both radio and television, but has recently given up his singing career. He is as popular as ever as a presenter who is our foremost guide to country life.
In A Life to Dai For he introduces us to more characters – individuals he has met throughout Wales and worldwide. He takes us to Patagonia and North America, Europe and Egypt. And he opens our eyes to some of the unsung glories of Wales. Dai believes in visiting faraway places so that he can return home to Wales. As he puts it, ‘ If you don’t go, you won’t come back!’
As a result of his huge contribution to agriculture and the media he has received numerous honours over the years, including a Wales BAFTA Fellowship and an honorary Masters of Arts by the University of Wales. But he regards his greatest honour as being made president of the ‘Cardi Show’, the 2010 Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells.
‘I’ve enjoyed almost every second of my life. But I am a farmer and I’m glad that I have a little more time these days to enjoy the things close to my heart,’ says Dai.
But despite all the fame and adoration, his feet rest firmly on the ground.
‘People are what’s always been important to me. I may have travelled the world but spiritually I never left my home’ says Dai, ‘Wherever I went and wherever I will go, I will always come back. This is where my heart is’.
Dai regards his latest book as a bonus, a verbal encore and another opportunity of saying ‘ Thank you’ .
‘I’m now 73 years old and still going’ says Dai, ‘God has been very kind to me! One, he gave me good health. I’m as healthy now as I have ever been’.
‘I believe that to be in good health in this world and have a chance to enjoy life is more important than being a millionaire’ says Dai, ‘Truly, if enjoyment was a form of money, I would be a millionaire myself’
A Life to Dai for by Dai Jones Llanilar with Lyn Ebenezer (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Finding Wales identifies in the Welsh a distinct personality, born of their humanity and natural friendliness, an image designed to counter the almost dismissive attitude towards Wales adopted by both the ‘British’ press and the UK government in Westminster.
As a Welsh exile in England, Llanelli-born Peter Daniels had a successful career in market research, but the strong ties he retained with his homeland through the London Welsh RFC and the London Welsh Association led to a fascination with national identity, especially amongst those living outside of Wales.
‘In my own case, it was the move to London which actually raised my consciousness both of my own Welshness and of the disregard for Wales held by British institutions’ said Peter.
In his first book, In Search of Welshness, which was published in 2011, Peter charted the ways in which exiles living in England preserved their Welsh identity. In this latest work he delves into the reasons many of them one day return.
‘Some are forced to return because of family responsibilities or economic necessity. Others speak of ‘the good life’ to be had against the scenic backdrop that is the hills and coastline of Wales’ explains Peter, ‘Many returning exiles also yearn for the friendlier community spirit they feel exists in Wales. And there are those with an even deeper hiraeth for either the Welsh language and culture, or for a more socialist, less class ridden, way of life.’
‘And finally there are those who want to more proactively contribute to the challenges facing Wales in the 21 st century, to the preservation of the language, the culture, and the economy’. Suggests Peter ‘Our returning exiles must play their part, however small. They must give something back’.
Whilst Peter admits that they are not all of the same political persuasion, he discovered that they mostly believe that Wales should have more of a say in its own destiny than has previously been the case.
But national politics, unless it directly affects their livelihood, or previously their faith, has never been that important to the Welsh. For them, living is about people and not politics. And in this regard, to quote one returning exile, ‘Wales: the best country in the world’.’
Finding Wales – Reflections of Returning Exiles by Peter Daniels (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
An Empty Chair by acclaimed author Haf Llewelyn follows young poet Ellis, and when the First World War arrives, he has to join up and go and be a soldier like dozens of other young men from rural Trawsfynydd. His teenage sister Anni longs to have him home again on their family farm, Yr Ysgwrn, especially after seeing the terrible effect of the war on her best friend Lora’s father.
Meanwhile Ellis is in the trenches in Belgium, hoping to make it home safely, and to win the Chair at the National Eisteddfod – the most important prize in Welsh poetry.
The novel is published as part of the centenary commemorations for World War I, and particularly to mark the centenary of the battle of Passchendaele in July 1917, and Hedd Wyn’s involvement in it.
The novel follows the huge impact of the war on village life through the eyes of Hedd Wyn’s 14-year-old sister Anni, bringing the incredibly moving events to life for teenagers through a vivid voice of their own age. At the centre of everything is Anni’s relationship with her best friend Lora, and the difficult decisions the two have to face concerning family, friendship, love and honesty, as well the effects of the war on their whole community.
The original Welsh-language version of the novel ( Diffodd y Sêr , Y Lolfa, 2013) is highly critically acclaimed and won the Tir na n-Og secondary fiction prize in 2014. Since 2015, it has been a set text on the Welsh Literature GCSE syllabus.
A farmer’s son from Trawsfynydd, Hedd Wyn – real name Ellis Humphrey Evans – fought in the trenches in the First World War as part of the 15th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and fought at Passchendaele in July 1917, one hundred years ago this month, and is famous for being awarded the Chair at the 1917 National Eisteddfod, held in Birkenhead shortly afterwards.
Haf Llewelyn comes from Ardudwy and was brought up very near Trawsfynydd and Yr Ysgwrn. She now lives in Llanuwchllyn and is a full-time author. After travelling to the small town of Ypres in Belgium, she was struck by the thousands of white gravestones in the World War I cemeteries there, and what the stories of those who fought at Passchendaele might be. Her inspiration to write this novel stemmed from that trip.
‘Seeing the names and ages of the young men carved on those white gravestones in Ypres made me realise the terrible price of war’ said Haf, ‘Sometimes it's difficult for us to connect with a time that has passed, but when visiting Yr Ysgwrn, the home of Hedd Wyn, time has somehow stood still.’
‘The scale of the loss is just incomprehensible when you see those thousands of gravestones, but when you bring it all down to one story about one actual person and the people at home who loved him, it somehow seems more real’ added Haf, ‘The terrible events of July 1917 continue to cast a shadow over the home of one of Wales's best-known poets.’
An Empty Chair by Haf Llewelyn (£5.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Galar a Fi (Grief and Me) contains the experiences of 14 people who have been through grief after losing a brother, sister, friend, son, daughter, father, mother or lover – and the way they coped with their grief and loss. The responses to grief vary from poems, letters, diaries, essays and short stories.
The volume was compiled and edited by Esyllt Maelor, who has experienced grief herself.
The book follows Gyrru drwy Storom (y Lolfa) which was published in 2015 – a book that presented moving accounts of living with mental health issues.
‘In her preface to that book, Alaw Griffiths noted that she could not find sufficient websites or books on mental health in Welsh. And there’s very little available in Welsh about grief too.’ explained Esyllt, ‘If reading is a form of counselling, then I wanted to read in Welsh.’
‘Like with mental health, there’s a taboo associated with grief too. So this book is an attempt to give a voice to the voiceless,’ said Esyllt.
The contributions are varied – with many young people in ther midst – Luned Rhys who wrote a poem about losing her father; Llio Maddocks who wrote a short story about losing her friend, Mared; Sara Maredudd Jones who notes how important it is to talk after losing a loved one; and Manon Gravell who wrote a diary of her last holiday with her father, Ray Gravell.
Branwen Haf Williams writes a letter to her father, Derek, the author Sharon Marie Jones talks to her son Ned, Nia Gwyndaf talks to her husbans, Eifion Gwynne, Mair Tomos Ifans sees grief as being ‘in a tunnel’ and Cris Dafis conveys his deep hiraeth and longing. The other contributors are Dafydd John Pritchard, Arthur Roberts, Iola Lloyd Owen, Manon Steffan Ros a Gareth Roberts.
‘I am forever grateful to the authors for their willingness to share and in doing to opening many doors for us, the reader. I hope this book will be of help to those who need it,’ added Esyllt, ‘Whenever you find yourself turning to it, I hope that one thing stays with you through the grief and pain of these pages. That thing is love. A deep, priceless love.’
Galar a Fi (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Traws-Olwg - Trawsfynydd a'r Ardal Fel y Bu is full of impressive photographs telling the dramatic story of Trawsfynydd. The memorable book was produced by the photographer Keith O’Brien and the community company Traws-Newid which was founded in 1998 with the aim of improving the economy, environment and social aspects of the area.
From opening the railway between Bala and Blaenau Ffestiniog to establishing a military training camp on the outskirts of the village, building a dam to create Trawsfynydd Lake and building the nuclear power station - the history of Trawsfynydd area is certainly interesting.
The book is published to commemorate the centenary of the death of Hedd Wyn and the Eisteddfod of the Black Chair in the summer of 2017 and contains a foreword by the writer Dewi Prysor who’s from the area himself.
‘Many volumes have already been published about Hedd Wyn this year, but we hope with this volume to show another side to Traws, her history, culture and industry from the beginning of the last century – something that will open the eyes of the reader to this close community that has seen remarkable changes to her landscape and society over the past years’ explained Keith O’Brien.
‘One of the most interesting stories that I came across was the history of the balloon that broke free from its moorings at the Camp and flew in the direction of Bala – and the people of Llŷn thought the Germans were attacking!’ said Keith.
Cyfeillion Yr Ysgwrn – the home of Hedd Wyn, have organised a number of events to remember Hedd Wyn’s death in 2017, and Traws-Newid agreed to publish the book as a contribution to support them.
‘Every picture tells a story, and we are all part of that story’ added Dewi Prysor.
Born in Trawsfynydd, mae Keith o’Brien is a Community and Sustainability Officer at Snowdonia National Park Authority and is the chair of Traws-Newid. He is married with two daughters.
The book will be launched at 7pm at the village hall in Trawsfynydd on Friday 21 st of July.
Traws-Olwg - Trawsfynydd a'r Ardal Fel y Bu (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Flame in the Mountains draws together Professor H. A. Hodges’ published work on Williams Pantycelyn, Ann Griffiths and the Welsh hymn, together with his notes on Ann’s hymns and letters, which are published here for the very first time. Placing these hymn-writers in both a Welsh and an international context, the volume will not only be an invaluable introduction to William Williams and Ann Griffiths for those unfamiliar with their work, but will also provide valuable new insights and will be an essential tool for anyone wishing to study their work further.
Also included is Hodges’ English translations of Ann Griffiths’ hymns and letters and his translation of the celebrated lecture on her by the prominent Welsh literary critic, Saunders Lewis, which enthralled the audience when he delivered it at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1965.
A. Hodges (1905–76), for many years Professor of Philosophy at the University of Reading, learned Welsh in order to study Welsh hymnody. He was described by his fellow-student of Welsh spirituality, Canon A. M. Allchin, as ‘one of the most distinguished lay theologians that the Church of England has known in the twentieth century’.
A. Hodges once described himself as a ‘fortunate foreigner’ who, in exploring Welsh literature, had found himself in a ‘new world’; and he became an enthusiastic ambassador for the riches of Welsh Christian literature in general and for Williams Pantycelyn and Ann Griffiths in particular. He was keen to promote them internationally and to place Welsh spirituality in an international context, and he succeeded in doing so sensitively, knowledgeably and perceptively.
According to H. A. Hodges, Ann Griffiths had a tremendous ‘spiritual vision of a distinctive quality’ and he could say of William Williams that through his hymns, ‘with their rich content of experience and their outstanding lyrical beauty, he has cast a spell over the mind of Welsh-speaking Wales which endures to this day’.
‘The hymn is one of the great highlights of Welsh literature, and the two most outstanding of all Welsh hymn-writers, William Williams (1717–91) of Pantycelyn and Ann Griffiths (1776–1805), are not only giants of the literary, cultural and religious life of Wales, but are also figures of international status and significance. Professor Hodges’ writings are an important contribution to our understanding of these exceptional authors’, said Professor E. Wyn James, editor of Flame in the Mountains .
Professor E. Wyn James is a leading authority on the Welsh hymn. He has added to the volume his own edited version of Ann Griffiths’ remarkable hymns in the original Welsh, which are placed side by side with Hodges’ metrical translations. Raised in the industrial valleys of south Wales he was, until his retirement, a Professor in the School of Welsh at Cardiff University and co-Director of the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies.
Flame in the Mountains: Williams Pantycelyn, Ann Griffiths and the Welsh Hymn by H. A. Hodges; edited by E. Wyn James (£12.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
In Undefeated - The Story of the 1974 Lions , Rhodri Davies not only brings the legendary 1971 tour to life, adding new perspective and insight, but he then proceeds to give the often unheralded 1974 Lions their historical due. With first hand contributions from Lions legends such as Willie John McBride, Fran Cotton, Gareth Edwards, JPR Williams, Phil Bennett, Andy Irvine and many more, the author captures the very essence of the greatest Lions of all time. The tour itself was brutal and scintillating in equal measure, but as well as contending with the fearsome on-field challenges the tourists also faced unprecedented political opposition both at home and abroad.
Should they have gone to apartheid South Africa at all? What exactly did they achieve by going? And how do they feel about it almost half a century later? Undefeated is a searingly honest reappraisal of the tour of '74 by the Lions legends who achieved the impossible. Their account is so compelling that 'Undefeated' was shortlisted for the British Rugby Book of the Year award on its first publication in 2014.
Here are "The Greatest Lions" - in their own words.
Undefeated - The Story of the 1974 Lions by Rhodri Davies is available now.
The company has since gone from strength to strength and has put the village of Tregroes on the map worldwide.
Kees began his musical career as a child in the Catholic church choir in the Netherlands and after moving to Wales he was encouraged to join the local choir, mainly as a way to learn Welsh. He developed a taste for competing at the Eisteddfod and in 2016 he won the Blue Ribbon in the national Eisteddfod in Abergavenny.
The experience of singing in the choir and having the opportunity to converse with the customers on his marketplace stall became a way for him to develop his use of the Welsh lanaguge. He is now fluent and uses the Welsh language naturally in his workplace and in the community.
After making a special effort to embrace all the customs and traditions that belonged to the local society, he appreciated the support he received from residents in the area when he faced a dark period in his life as told in his book.
‘In a way, this book has allowed me to give something back to the village and the society of Tregroes where I have now lived for over thirty years’ explained Kees.
As a result, any profits from the book will go directly towards the cost of refurbishing the old school to become a centre of the village and surrounding area.
Said activist and friend Emyr Llywelyn, ‘This book is the interesting and readable story of a very special man, Kees Huysmans. The strength of the book lies in the honesty and sincerity of the author and that is sure to touch all who will read it.’
‘It creates an unique picture of the virtues of a rural Welsh community through the eyes of an immigrant. I doubt anybody has managed to tell their life story in a way that is as memorable as this singer, businessman and adopted Cardi.’
The book will be launched at three events at St Ffraed church in Tregroes at am 7.30pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evening the 19 th , 20 th and 21 st of June.
‘Dechrau Canu, Dechrau Wafflo’ by Kees Huysmans (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Glyndŵr: To Arms! by the late Moelwyn Jones is an imaginary novel based on the real life and battles of Owain Glyndŵr. It follows the publishing of the bestselling Glyndŵr - Son of Prophecy last Christmas.
The trilogy was completed before the author’s death in 2015.
Glyndŵr: To Arms! Offers a portrayal of the life of Wales’ revolutionary hero Owain Glyndŵr, resident bard and Glyndŵr confidant Gruffudd ap Caradog tells of a time at the beginning of the 1400s when a new spirit of Welsh pride was born; when the Welsh nobility put aside their differences to unite under the banner of the Red Dragon to seek justice and self-determination.
In a vivid and vibrant account of the first two decades of the 1400s, we hear of the adventures of master bard and master lover Iolo Goch, the brutal realities of medieval warfare learned at the hands of champion axeman Einion Fwyall, and of Gruffudd's impossible love for the wife of a leader he reveres above all others.
The third and final installment will follow early next year.
Author Moelwyn Jones was raised in Bancffosfelen, Carmarthenshire, and had a career as a Welsh teacher in Cardiff before joining the BBC as an Information Officer. He then became Head of Public Relations for Wales and the Marches Postal Board and following his retirement worked in the Welsh Assembly.
‘Moelwyn had a great interest in the history of Owain Glyndŵr,’ says Delyth Jones, Moelwyn’s wife. ‘He conducted extended research into Owain’s story. He was quite the hero to Moelwyn’.
The cover art was illustrated by Machynlleth based artist Teresa Jenellen.
Glyndŵr: To Arms! by Moelwyn Jones (£7.99, Y Lolfa) is available now
Into the Wind: the life of Carwyn James by Alun Gibbard, is a thoroughly researched, comprehensive look at the life of a man who influenced rugby throughout the world. It contains new material relating to various aspects of his life, such as his time working for the Secret Services and his life in Italy. It also contains photographs and documents not seen before.
‘He was, say many, the greatest coach rugby has known. Not only did he mastermind the Lions first ever series victory on New Zealand soil, he then went on to coach his club side, Llanelli, to beat the All Blacks at Stradey Park Llanelli’ said biographer Alun Gibbard.
‘And, as this book confirms, he was also unofficially asked to prepare the Barbarians to face the All Blacks, as traditionally the Barbarians are not supposed to be coached. He therefore guided three teams to victory over the All Blacks’ added Alun.
The book has already recieved praise from the likes of Professor Dai Smith who praised it as being ‘Revelatory in its fresh information and sensitive in its interpretation, so that now, at last, we can see Carwyn whole. A triumph of a book.’
This book looks at the way his rugby acumen and insight developed from his wartime Primary School days, through Grammar and University education, National Service and teaching at Llandovery College, to the time he then became the coach of Llanelli, one of the first first class coaches in Wales. In doing so, it sheds light on rugby in three different decades in Wales and beyond, before we get to the decade the whole rugby world got to know of his genius, the Seventies.
But this biography argues that rugby was not the only drive in Carwyn’s life, in fact, Alun Gibbard argues that rugby wasn’t indeed the main love of his life.
‘He was, at heart, a man or literature with a poet’s spirit. He loved the literature of his native tongue, Welsh, but also the English classics’ explained Alun, ‘When he learned Russian in the Navy, he fell in love with Russian literature and when he coached Rovigo in Italy, he turned to the written word in that country’s language. He was also a prolific broadcaster from the late Fifties onwards and he stood as a Welsh nationalist candidate in a General Election.’
Into the Wind deals with the episode in his life when he was rejected as coach of Wales, making the point that he actually wasn’t rejected because he withdrew his own application. It then goes on to argue however that this does nor excuse the WRU for not utilising the rugby talent that Carwyn had more than others. It argues that he was let down by this Welsh organisation.
Into the Wind also argues that he was let down by another Welsh establishment, the BBC. This leading sporting figure and academic was employed to present sports bulletins are every hour of the day by the BBC, in a way that abused his obvious talents.
On a personal level, Into the Wind looks in depth at the popular, sometimes sensationalist claim that Carwyn James was gay. Alun Gibbard rejects any pressure to conclusively prove that he actually was gay, saying that it is not the biographers duty to come to a conclusion that the person himself had not come to.
Into the Wind doesn’t hold back however. It honestly analyses the battle with sexuality that raged inside Carwyn and which caused him such painful turmoil towards the end of his life. It states that Carwyn was facing a struggle to understand what he could feel happening to him, both rejecting and accepting sexual tensions that were raging inside. He never got to the point where he could resolve such tensions. His death in a bath in Amsterdam happened before he could reach such a resolution.
‘He was a genius but also a tortured soul’ added Alun, ‘Into the Wind brings Carwyn James to life once again, in all his genius and complexities.’
Alun Gibbard is a full time author from Llanelli who has published almost thirty non-fiction titles and one novel. He contributes weekly to the Welsh magazine Golwg. A broadcaster for over 25 years before he began his writing career, he still contributes to radio and television.
Into the Wind – The Life of Carwyn James by Alun Gibbard (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Inspired by political upheavals over the past year, author Ifan Morgan Jones asks what would happen in a Donald Trump or Nigel Farage-esque figure lead a populist government at the Welsh Assembly.
Dadeni by south Wales-based author Ifan Morgan Jones is published this week by Y Lolfa. This is his third novel.
‘I’m not sure Welsh literature has really responded to devolution,’ said Ifan, ‘I wanted o change that by writing a political thriller based around Cardiff Bay.’
The novel concerns an archeologist Bleddyn Cadwaladr, and his son Joni Teifi, who ar called in by the Welsh Government to investigate after a theft goes awry.
What they find at the scene of the crime propells them into a race against time to stop a political coup that could change the fate of the country.
Ifan Morgan Jones won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for his first novel, Igam Ogam , in 2008. He published his second novel, Yr Argraff Gyntaf , in 2010.
He said that Dadeni also draws upon his ten years working as a journalist covering Welsh Politics.
‘I originally wrote the novel in 2015, but so much happened politically over the last year or so that I felt that I had to re-write parts of it in order to take the new political climate into account,’ explained Ifan.
‘The novel asks where the boundary lies between the kind of nationalism that is acceptable to us in Wales and the nationalism espused by Nigel Farage and Donald Trump’ he said ‘Is it acceptable to use tactics that take advantage of the masses’ emotional, irrational nature in order to ensure constitutional change for utilitarian and rational reasons?’
Dadeni by Ifan Morgan Jones (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Now his newly published book, A Welsh Wander – An Epic Trek Right Around Wales , is his heart-warmingly open and honest story, bursting with facts about places along his route. With vivid descriptions and photos of stunning scenery on the Offa`s Dyke Path and Wales Coast Path, Tom describes magical wildlife encounters, bizarre anecdotes, random and life-reaffirming generosity from strangers, and even a few dark moments when he felt like he’d bitten off more than he could chew.
‘During my years of teaching, my maternal grandma developed Alzheimer’s and while in the middle stages of the disease, passed away very suddenly. Two years later, my maternal grandfather was diagnosed with vascular dementia,’ explained Tom, ‘Seeing two people who I love very dearly afflicted by such a personal and confusing illness inspired me to begin fundraising for Alzheimer’s Society.’
It was for this reason that Tom had the idea for his challenge – to circumnavigate his home country in one go, carrying everything he needed to survive in his loyal backpack, Wilson,. 1,100 miles, two months away from home, a £1,100 sponsorship target and a daily online blog called Tom’s Welsh Wander that would become far bigger than he ever dreamed possible.
‘Each night, I would sit in a quiet corner of a pub, or a bedroom, or my tent, and pour my heart into my blog,’ said Tom, ‘It became a friend in whom I could confide my every thought, feeling and emotion, and that is why I have decided to share it now.’
Tom’s blog hits eventually climbed to over a staggering 26,500 and his fundraising reached a total of £6,700 – well above his original £1100 target. His journey also drew the support of one famous follower, TV presenter and Welsh meterologist Derek Brockway.
‘I first heard about Tom and his Welsh Wander after his mum got in touch with me in August 2016. She told me all about her son’s challenge to walk the whole perimeter of Wales and raise money for charity’ said Derek Brockway. ‘My dad suffered from dementia, Tom’s grandmother died of Alzheimer’s and now his grandfather has developed the illness too. I decided to offer my support and join him on part of his trek of a lifetime, to help raise awareness of this terrible condition.’
‘Tom is a proud Welshman who loves his country and his love of the Welsh countryside, its beauty, history and magical wildlife really shine through in his writing,’ added Derek, ‘It has been a pleasure for me to get to know Tom and one day I hope to follow in his footsteps and complete my own Welsh Wander!’
‘My Welsh Wander has been the single greatest experience of my life. I’ve seen so many breathtaking sights, had some incredibly special moments and battled through some tough ones too,’ added Tom, ‘‘I hope it will inspire people to explore the countryside on foot and to learn new things about the area they live in as well as making want to visit other corners of the incredible country that is Wales!’
The book also includes practical tips and checklists for anyone thinking of taking up long-distance walking.
Offa’s Dyke National Trail Officer Rob Dingle said, ‘For anyone planning to walk around Wales, the Offa’s Dyke Path or who just wants a good read about one person’s walking adventure, I would highly recommend that you have a read of Tom’s A Welsh Wander. ’
Tom Davies grew up in a close farming family in Presteigne, developing a love for nature and the great outdoors. While at Bangor University studying Primary Education, he joined the Mountain Walking Club, becoming treasurer and a leader, and spent most weekends taking groups into Snowdonia. After graduating, he spent four years teaching. He is now combining his love for teaching and the great outdoors by working as an outdoor activities instructor.
The book will be launched in Presteigne in late June in the company of Tom Davies and Derek Brockway.
A Welsh Wander – An Epic Trek Right Around Wales by Tom Davies (£12.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
‘It was an exciting and hopeful period, but I was lucky too. Talybont turned out to be the perfect location - a friendly, cultured village right in the middle of Wales’ said Robat, ‘Ceredigion too has provided us with talented authors and staff, and we were lucky that the Welsh Books Council, who have been very supportive, were nearby as well.’
Now the publishing and print company is celebrating 50 years in the industry and is by now Wales’ most prolific mainstream publisher, producing over 80 titles a year. It has a turnover of more than £1m and employs 20 full-time staff. With more than 700 authors on its books, including broadcaster Huw Edwards and prominent sports personalities such as Nigel Owens, the range of books includes Welsh language tutors such as Welsh is Fun , which has sold over 250,000 copies, fiction and biography, books of Welsh interest for the tourist trade, and several series of original, children’s books by home-grown authors and artists.
‘We’ve always supported local authors, artist and designers because this is a way of supporting people’s livelihoods. Publishing is an industry and we are very proud that we’ve built up a sustainable, small business providing proper, professional jobs in a Welsh rural area.’ added Robat.
The company is now run by Robat’s two sons, Garmon who is Managing Director and Lefi as Director of Publishing. The company has been particularly successful with its Welsh language fiction list, having won Welsh Book of the Year three years in a row.
‘We’re well known as publishers but we’ve always printed our own books, enabling us to control both costs and quality. But this means we can also offer a competitive general print service. We now have a high-tech five-colour Komori B2 press, a perfecting (two-sided) press for bookwork, and a Xerox digital press for short runs’ said Garmon.
‘But machinery by itself is of no use without skilled staff to operate them. The main reason for our success over the last half century is the quality of our staff, and their skill and depth of experience both on the printing and publishing sides of the business.’ he added.
Print is run by production manager Paul Williams of Aberystwyth, ‘Being relatively small enables us to provide a really good, personal service and we pride ourselves that customers who come to us very rarely leave.’
Paul joined Lolfa from Cambrian Printers. Around half the company’s turnover comes from its printing side and it prides itself on its fast, friendly service.
A book festival, Bedwen Lyfrau, will be held between 10 and 4pm on Saturday the 20 th of May at Aberystwyth Arts Centre. Y Lolfa’s 50 th birthday party will be held at Marine hotel, Aberystwyth at 8pm.
INVITATION: Printers and publishers Y Lolfa celebrate 50 years in business Saturday, 20 May, at the Marine Hotel, Aberystwyth. Local Assembly Member and Presiding Officer, Elin Jones, will open the proceedings followed by live bands.
‘The party is going to be really huge as we’re inviting everybody. There’ll be plenty to enjoy, musically and otherwise.’ said Fflur Arwel, the company’s marketing manager.
‘We’ll be showing a new, anniversary ‘mural’ design by local artist, Ruth Jên, as well as our new, mobile friendly, website. Y Lolfa was the first Welsh-language publishing company to have a website and we want to stay in front of the queue technically and creatively’.
CONTACTS: Garmon Gruffudd, Paul Williams, Robat Gruffudd, Fflur Arwel all at 01970 832 304 or via their emails: garmon@ylolfa.com , paul@ylolfa.com , robat@ylolfa.com , fflur@ylolfa.com .
EDITOR’S NOTE: In a world dominated by large corporations and bureaucracies, Y Lolfa believes that ‘small is beautiful’ in publishing as in life. It was André Gide who said: ‘I like small nations. I like small numbers. The world will be saved by the few.’
In industrial Wales Hanbdball (or Pêl-law) was the predominant sport – drawing crowds of thousands to watch the game that could be described as similar to squash, but without the rackets. Courts were to be seen in many parts of the Welsh valleys and it was played in yards of pubs in front of betting spectators. The game was a national obsession, with people travelling from far and wide to watch thrilling matches between the sporting heroes of the day, and fortunes being won and lost through side stakes and gambling.
Today only one ball court survives, in the village of Nelson in the Caerphilly Borough.
In Handball - The Story of Wales' First National Sport , handball player and former miner Kevin Dicks’ meticulous research traces the long history of this folk sport played with any ball on any wall, from Welsh myth and folklore and the outlawed ‘devil’s game’ of the churchyard, through its glory years in the 18th and 19th centuries and strong links with the mining industry, to its decline in the 20th century as it failed to modernise, and its reboot in the present day. He questions the origins of the grammar school version of the game known as fives, a nd precisely dates the Nelson ball court – a date that has eluded historians for years.
The book also shatters a widespread modern myth regarding an Irish origin to the court and therefore to the sport in Wales.
‘This is untold story of Wales deserves a wider audience’ said Kevin Dicks, ‘Nothing has been written as in depth as this on any folk sport in the UK’.
‘After a while it dawned upon me that I’m the last miner to play handball in Wales, and it then became somewhat of duty continue the research and complete a work on the subject. It was as if the last man left in had to tell the tale’ added Kevin.
The cover of the book feature the classic 1906 handball at Nelson. Two players and two officials stand on the ball court with a crowd of 1,200 in attendance.
The author Kevin Dicks has been a Welsh handball player and official for nearly fifty years. He has written extensively on handball for various outlets including the BBC, the Daily Mail , the American Welsh paper Y Drych and the Caerphilly Campaign . He has also spoken on the subject abroad in Ireland, Canada and Italy and has contributed to the United States Handball magazine, and this book is the product of 22 years of trawling the archives. An ex-miner, he formerly worked as a Surveyor’s Assistant at Deep Navigation, Treharris. A part-time writer he now works for Admiral and currently lives in Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed.
A refreshing look at a sport devoid of modern commercialism, this is a lively story full of colourful characters, a revealing glimpse into social history, folk sport and the passions of the working man, and a fascinating insight into what can fairly be claimed as Wales’ first national sport.
Handball - The Story of Wales' First National Sport by Kevin Dicks (£14.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
A well known publishers in Wales are launching their advent calendar today which will encourage people to read over Christmas.
Publishers and printers Y Lolfa launch their advent calendar at 12pm today which will include recommendations of books to give as gifts or to read over the holidays and in the new year.
‘We are very proud to launch our Christmas campaign which will encourage people to give books as gifts and to read over the festivities and beyond’ said Fflur Arwel, Head of Marketing at Y Lolfa.
‘Reading can bring pleasure and escapism or can be a way to learn and understand the world’ says Fflur, ‘It can also be a way to relax and capture any imagination – let alone the contribution books do to the lively culture of our country’
The campaign follows the establishing of the ‘Welsh Bookshelf’ reading blog earlier this Autumn.
The publishers will also be marking an important milestone next year.
‘2017 will be a big year for Y Lolfa as we look to celebrate the company’s fifty year anniversary’ added Fflur, ‘Look out for announcements of one big party and other events in the new year!’
‘In the meantime we would like to thank our customers and everyone who has supported us this year and all years before. Onwards to the 50 th !’ she added.
Lolian is a collection of ‘eccentric and too honest’ diaries that Robat Gruffudd kept since the sixties. It contains a mixture of humours ancedotes, provoking comments and memories about the twists and turns working in the pubilshing industry and meetings with authors and beyond in Wales and in bars on the continent. As a language campaigner since his early years, Robat goes into detail about his work with Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Cymuned, Dyfodol i'r Iaith – and a campaign where he refused to speak English. Also discussed are the Trefechan bridge protest and the campaign to establish a daily Welsh newspaper, Y Byd .
The diaries include response to events and an ‘unofficial’ yet original portrait of life in Wales over the last fifty years.
His Jewish and German background is also illustrated – as well as the prosecution suffered by his family in Germany, which was the basis of the successful book written by his brother Heini, A Haven from Hitler, which won Book of the Year (as Yr Erlid ).
‘There are funny stories about plenty of people here and that’s what I’m afraid of! What will they say when they see their names in print? But the diary form asks for complete honesty,’ says Robat, ‘If you’re not honest then what’s the point? Although I may leave the country for a month or two after publication!’
But Robat Gruffudd says he never intended to publish the book originally.
‘These are personal diaries that I kept for my own amusement’ he explains, ‘I never intended for anyone else to see them. Unfortunatley, I gave in and this is the result’.
The diaries are published before the 50 th anniversary of Y Lolfa which will be celebrated next year. The book delves into the publishing world but Robat emphasises that this is not an autobiography nor the history of Y Lolfa per se.
‘We will be celebrating Y Lolfa’s birthday soon. Watch this space for news of a big party and a range of other events!’ says Robat.
The book is launched officially on Friday the 25 th of November at 8pm at the Llew Du (Black Lion) in Talybont. The academic Simon Brooks will be in conversation with the author followed by live music from Tecwyn Ifan.
‘I will be gone after the event!’ says Robat, ‘before people get a chance to read the book!’
Lolian by Robat Gruffudd (£9.99, Y Lolfa) is available now.
Back to Welsh Literature page >
(from left to right, Gwenllian Jones (Office Manager), Carolyn Hodges (English language editor), a Robat Trefor (Welsh language copy editor)
Lolfa publishers have welcomed three new staff members this month.
Gwenllian Jones has been appointed Office Manager, Carolyn Hodges as English language editor and Robat Trefor as Welsh language copy editor.
Gwenllian Jones, the new Office Manager, is from Aberaeron originally and graduated from Aberystwyth University. She previously worked with Avanti in Cardiff before moving back to Ceredigion.
‘I’m glad to be back in Ceredigion and look forward to working for such a busy and colourful company!’ said Gwenllian.
The new Welsh language copy editor is Robat Trefor from Anglesey who will also be working part time at Ysgol y Gymraeg in Bangor university.
‘Its quite a responsibility but I’m very happy to be joining the team and returning to the world of books!’ said Robat Trefor.
Carolyn Hodges will be stepping in to the role of English editor – which is a new job at Y Lolfa.
Carolyn comes from Buckingham in England originally and began her editing career at Oxford University press where she worked for 14 years.
‘I learnt Welsh myself by using Say Something in Welsh and had always dreamed of moving to Wales to live and to be able to speak the language everyday,’ said Carolyn, ‘so I feel very lucky to be given this opportunity.’
Said Y Lolfa’s managing director, Garmon Gruffudd,
‘It is with great pleasure that we welcome Gwenllian, Robat and Carolyn to our team at Y Lolfa. All three are very experienced and will be a great asset to the company as Y Lolfa continue to publish new and exciting publications in Welsh and English.’
Y Lolfa will be celebrating their 50 th anniversary next year.
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...
Remember to call in for a chat in the lounge in Steddfod stall Meifod. We have a raft of new books and numerous events. Something for everyone we hope.
Here is a list of events or click the link here to download the poster.
Saturday, August 1
12:30 Tent Lounge - Dona Direidi read the story!
Monday, August 3
11 o'clock, Tipi Lounge Literature - Llyr Gwyn Lewis discusses Flower Sex War.
12 o'clock, Tent Lounge - Launch Website No, Nell!
2.30pm, National Library Tent Patagonia 150.
3 o'clock, Children's Literature Festival Tent - Meleri Wyn James No, Nell!
Tuesday, August 4
11:30 o'clock, Tent Lounge - Dona Direidi read story!
2 O'Clock, Stall Launch National College Welsh Language Rights, a tribute volume Merêd.
4 o'clock, Children's Literature Festival Tent, More Jokes Lounge with Huw Aron.
Wednesday, August 5
12 o'clock, Children's Literature Festival Tent - with story Meleri Wyn James , Author series No, Nell!
2 o'clock, Tent Lounge - Geraint Evans signing his new novel, The Hidden Enemy.
Thursday, August 6
11:30 o'clock, Tent Lounge - Dona Direidi read story!
1:45 pm Tipi Lounge author David Guy Literature Estate.
3:00 pm Stand Lounge - Launch Drive By Storom accompanied by Melody Griffiths.
Friday, August 7
3 o'clock, Tent Lounge - Ken Lewis signing his autobiography Inspector Ken.
Saturday, August 8
1.30pm, The Literary Pavilion, Centennial Charles Williams and release the book Remembering Charles.
If you do not want to come you can buy the books at your local store or www.ylolfa.com . Photographs of the Eisteddfod on our facebook and stream twitter .
