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Featured
BUY 'IF GOD WILL SPARE MY LIFE....' HERE
Pembrokeshire, west Wales 1904: Apprentice solicitor Arthur Nicholas is seeking to trace one William Batine James, who stands to inherit an impressive farm near Fishguard.
Although Arthur knows James emigrated to Canada and then America in the early 1870s, nothing has been heard of him since.
What Arthur cannot know is that, following a series of adventures, James enlisted in the US Seventh Cavalry at Chicago in February 1872 and four years later fought at the Battle of the Little Bighorn; better known as Custer's Last Stand, when 210 soldiers were massacred by the largest force of Indians ever assembled on the Great Plains...
As the unsuspecting Seventh depart Fort Abraham Lincoln, bound for their Armageddon, James himself recounts the tortured odyssey he undertook from a tiny north Pembrokeshire village all the way to hostile Indian territory in Montana Territory.
These recollections are interspersed with Arthur's own dogged efforts in following his trail thirty years later. As his investigation unfolds Arthur's motivation to find the elusive James unexpectedly becomes more personal than professional.
James reveals a chain of personal tragedy plus a brutal schooling during the hated 'Welsh Not' era when children such as himself were caned and beaten for using their native tongue.
This has cost him his religious faith; inexplicably, he finds himself unable to recite The Lord's Prayer in Welsh.
While proving himself a proficient soldier, James grows increasingly uncomfortable at what he comes to regard as the US Government's persecution of the Indians; even drawing parallels with Welsh oppression.
On the fateful ride to Little Bighorn, James reflects on his troubled past and gradually comes to the realisation that he is as much a fugitive as the Indians he is pursuing.
But the one thing he has not taken into account is that a man can never escape from himself...
Based on true events, Mike Lewis's novel examines how horrific childhood experiences shape the adults we become.
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Author Interviews
REVIEW
Ever wondered how the town of Denbigh in north Wales got its name? Well, look no further than Jude Johnson's Nine Tales From Wales for the answer. The story of Siôn Bodiau and the Gwiber is one of the fables included in this superb collection.
Intended for children, this book would make an excellent Christmas stocking filler for any youngster who wants to be acquainted with the rich archive of traditional Welsh folk tales. Divided into three sections the book includes stories about dragons, mermaids and fairies ( three on each ). The titles are listed below. Whilst many of these tales will be familiar to people with a knowledge of Welsh mythology, they are all retold in Jude Johnson's inimitable style and humorous details and embellishments are inserted into the narrative here and there to make them more approachable and entertaining for a modern audience.
Some Welsh vocabulary is included ( although not enough to be off-putting) and there is a short glossary of relevant terms at the beginning of each story. As Jude explains:
"These stories were written and compiled mainly for an American reader who is unfamiliar with old Welsh folk tales. It was a deliberate decision to limit the amount of Welsh vocabulary used, but if you get anything out of this book, at least you can learn how to say, “Good Morning,” “Thank you,” and “Yes, certainly.”
There is also a short appendix which lists the three Welsh folk songs ( Calon Lan, Suo Gan and Ar Lan y Môr ) referred to in the tales, together with the lyrics in Welsh and English.
All in all we can unreservedly recommend this book for the younger members of your family who have not yet begun to explore their Welsh heritage. An introduction to the folk tales, language and traditional songs of Wales is not a bad start and all are featured in this delightful volume in such a way as to promote and encourage further exploration.
Dreigiau [Dragons]
Sian Bodiau & the Gwiber
Llyn Ar Afanc
The Dragons of Dinas EmrysMôr-forynion [Mermaids]
Pergrin's Catch
Llyn y Fan Fach
Nefyn the MermaidY Tylwyth Teg [Faeries]
The Faerie Bride
The House With the Front Door at the Back
Dewi Dal
INTERVIEW
AmeriCymru: Hi Jude and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. Care to introduce your new book, Nine Tales From Wales for our readers?
Jude: S'mae, Ceri, and thanks so much for this opportunity to talk about my book, "Nine Tales From Wales: Dreigiau, Môr-forynion, & Y Tylwyth Teg [Dragons, Mermaids, & Faeries]". (We'll just call it "Nine Tales" for short.) It's a collection of stories primarily for American readers, or those who maybe aren't all that familiar with Welsh folklore. My main thought was to provide something for parents to read aloud before bedtime, short and fun. And what's better for a bedtime story than something with magical creatures?I also wrote it for children to read to themselves as they feel more confident in their reading skills. I don't think there is a particular age group per se as reading level. My personal feeling is that books are doorways to adventure, and if a child feels ready to learn new words they should go for it and not be limited to their age group. Read to them every night and let them learn to love books and reading. I am absolutely gutted when I hear a someone say they hate reading or that reading is stupid. I can guarantee this: that is a person no one ever read aloud to as a child, and their life is so much poorer for it. Studies have shown that children who are encouraged to read - and especially to read fiction - are more empathetic and compassionate adults.
There are Welsh words in every story, which I list at the beginning with a rudimentary pronunciation guide for someone to sound them out. I deliberately limited the amount of Cymraeg I used so children - or adults for that matter - wouldn't be intimidated by all those consonants and mutations. As much as I love the language, you have to admit it's difficult. At the very least, someone will learn how to say, "Y Ddraig Goch" and "Bore da".
AmeriCymru: There are nine tales in this book - "three of Dragons, three of Mermaids, and three of Faeries" . Care to tell us which Dragon tales are featured?
Jude: I start with Siôn Bodiau and the Gwiber - or the story of how Dinbych / Denbigh got its name. Storyteller's license here: I made it a bit less bloodthirsty than the traditional version and tried to throw in more humor. Kids love fart jokes.Llyn Ar Afanc has always stuck me as a weird story - I mean, Afanc does mean Beaver but the Monster in all the versions I've read is large and fierce and scary, much more like a water dragon or Nessie. I've never been scared of a beaver, no matter how big it might be. So in my telling, the Afanc is a combination - dragon in the front, Nessie in the back. Like a Ford assembled on the Monday after the Superbowl. Plus introducing Hu Gadarn and Yr Ychen Bannog might remind Americans of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox just a little bit. (If they still tell that one in elementary schools. I know Disney did a version long long ago but I haven't seen it in years.)
Of course I had to include The Dragons of Dinas Emrys - most children have heard of Merlin the Magician but most American children have no clue he was Welsh. (Yes, he was - and I'll not hear a word of argument about it from the Cornish contingent, thank you very much. With a name like Myrddin Emrys? C'mon now.) Most American children have never seen the Welsh flag, so my hope is that once they read the story, they'll go looking it up just to see if it really does feature a dragon. And maybe keep looking up other things about a country with a flag that features a mythical beast.
AmeriCymru: What governed your selection process? Of the many folk tales from Wales, why these 9?
Jude: I wanted to attract American kids and their parents. Most of them know about dragons, Ariel the Mermaid, and Tinkerbell. Though I make it plain on the back cover and in the book description that these are not Disney creatures. They bite. They are tricksy. They might even be real if you know where to look and how to treat them with respect. So it was a choice of ready-made familiarity with fantastic creatures.
I also wanted to choose stories that weren't as well known to the majority of Americans. Some might have heard something about dragons and the Saxons but they probably couldn't tell you the particulars. Most people only know one mermaid story, and most of them don't know how it actually ended before Disney got hold of it. And generally, American children think fairies are happy and harmless.
So my selection process was it couldn't be so gory or heavy that I couldn't tell it differently. For instance, kidnapping a female to make her your wife is ever so 5th century, you know? But I stayed true to the gist and morals of the tales.
I didn't want to redo the most familiar tales in The Mabinogion, though I love them. There is a plethora to choose from there, and again, I was aiming for instant familiarity with the creatures I chose. The hope is that people will go looking for more. The folklore of Wales is rich and fascinating and has an undertone of great tragedy about it. Then again, reading the original Grimms' tales or knowing what is coming at the end of Camelot is a rather dark ride as well. But that's reality, isn't it? That's what these stories were told for from the start: how to deal with life, its twists, and the inevitable end.
AmeriCymru: What inspired this collection?
Jude: Despair. Seriously, I despair talking to people who seem so very proud of NOT READING. If I can get a few children and/or parents, aunts, uncles, etc. interested in these stories, maybe they will search for more. Maybe a spark will be struck and a fire of wanting to read more will catch.It doesn't have to be paperback. Ebooks are fine, too. Whatever captures your fancy and takes you into another experience for a few moments or hours is what the joy of reading is all about.
These tales have been told and retold for centuries now, maybe even a millennium. But they are new to someone in every generation, and if that encourages some to keep reading keep going, keep learning, and keep retelling how a dragon still sleeps beneath Dinas Emrys, or mermaids warn of storms, or ticked off faeries can make your life miserable, then that's a golden ticket.
Plus to be honest, I hadn't felt the muse urging me to write since my last publication in 2016. I had just finished re-reading a collection of legends of North Wales and the idea clicked that I maybe could retell some of the lesser known tales in my own voice, and if I limited the number of stories and didn't get too carried away, I might be able to cobble a little book together that I could have ready in a month or two for the Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games [http://tucsoncelticfestival.org]. Then I learned the Welsh League of Arizona was not planning to be there; our ranks have been decimated over the past two years and no one seemed to have the opportunity to man the booth outdoors. Myn bran i, I couldn't let that happen. You can't have a gathering of Celts without Cymry! So long story short, it may just be me and one or two more, but we'll be there with Y Ddraig Goch flying high. And my books, wrth gwrs.
AmeriCymru: Where can readers buy this book online?
Jude: Right now, it is available online through Amazon - .com, UK, DE, FR, ES, IT, CA, and AU - in both paperback and ebook. You can find all of my books (fiction and nonfiction) on my Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Jude-Johnson which should also be available on the other country sites listed.Wrth gwrs, if you're in Tucson, Arizona November 6 & 7, I'll be at the Celtic Festival with paperbacks ready to autograph.
Jude: I should be able to mail signed/personalized copies in the continental US for the holidays; sorry I can't do overseas at this time, the postage is ridiculous. You can find me on Facebook and message me here: https://www.facebook.com/JudeJohnsonAZ Or contact me through my website: http://jude-johnson.com
I'll check with the USPS on what postage and time allotments we'll be dealing with and have that information ready by November 10th for special orders; probably want to order to ship before December 5, I'm thinking. Everything is moving more slowly these days...
AmeriCymru: Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?
Jude: Diolch yn fawr iawn for keeping a warm welcome in the community for me. And for all the wonderful stories and legends you all have shared with me through the years. I hope I did you proud with "Nine Tales From Wales".Pob hwyl!
Posted in: Author Interviews | 0 commentsThe Bloodmoon Prohecy - A Novel of the Silures - Interview With Author Bee Richards
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-06-03AmeriCymru: Hi Beryl and many thanks for agreeing to this interview. How would you describe your new novel The Bloodmoon Prophecy ?
Beryl: Thank you very much Ceri for interviewing me.
AmeriCymru: How would you describe The Bloodmoon Prophecy?
Beryl: The novel was inspired by the hills around Port Talbot. From where I live I can see two burial mounds outlined against the sky. Port Talbot is heavily industrialised and I had an epiphany moment when I realised that the romans had been here in their struggle to subdue the local tribe the Siliurians. I started researching and found traces of many prehistoric tracks and dwellings, burials and a late roman gravestone. There are circles and other sites that have not been excavated but go way back. Some of the Welsh placenames are said to have commemorated battles between the local tribes and the Romans.
It is with this in mind that I undertook to write The Bloodmoon Prophecy, using the historical locations as my muse. Gradually a story of Celtic magic, aggression, conflict and honour let itself be known to me. The two women involved in telling the story live 2,000 years apart. I still don’t know if it is magic or real. I leave you, the reader to decide.
AmeriCymru: What can you tell us about the ancient Welsh Tribe, the Silures?
Beryl: Wales has an ancient history and culture which will compares more than favourably with world culture. It took the Romans 25 years to finally subdue the Silurians who occupied mountainous territories in the Southwest of Wales They were considered as the most hostile and brave tribe, They were fearless in battle, but did not have the discipline, training or equipment of the Romans which was their ultimate downfall. The Silurian launch of Guerilla tactics confused the Romans, which was a qiick onslaught and an even quicker disappearance into the hills, initially confused them. Ultimately, they were outnumbered and when Caractacus was captured their resistance broke down. They inhabited the hilltops and farmed, raised cattle and made weapons out of a new metal called iron. The Silurians were not just an isolated confederation of tribes. The lived in a complex, highly organised and sophisticated society. Women had substantial rights. If they got divorced they took whatever dowry they brought to a marriage plus the profit it had earned. There was a complex religious system headed by the Druids, who were responsible for negotiating between fights between the clans (there were a few), law making, bardic traditions and healing. They were volatile, intelligent and creative, and on occasions violent. The ultimate discipline and tactics and superior numbers of the Romans defeated them. Certain elements of the Celtic tribes were Romanised but the larger and remote populations hardly ever altered their lifestyle. Trade with the Romans and the taxes which they extracted did not subdue their identity and culture.
AmeriCymru: Care to tell us a little aboiut your previous novel - Golconda?
Beryl: Golconda one of my previous novels was a story of Welsh Copper and the world wide trade which it stimulated. Wicca and the plight of the Indentured Servants which were used before slavery is highlighted. Port Talbot is known for its heavy industry, steel, formerly coal and its huge deep water harbour. The Silurians seem to have occupied the flat tops and the hilltops. The coastal plain was heavily forested. The Romans seemed initially to have arrived from the East. They built a fort at Caerleon and subsequently went inland with forts established at strategic points. Scapula invaded at various points through what is now the Welsh Borders and the Marches finally subduing the Welsh. The river Neath was used to establish a fort named Nidum, the estuary being tidal was ideal for landing supplies etc.,
AmeriCymru: You write historical fantasy fiction. What inspired your interest in history? Would you agree with R.S. Thomas that it is not possible to ".... live in the present, at least not in Wales?"
Beryl: It is the unlikely background to my upbringing in the industrial town of Port Talbot. My father introduced me to my love of history, taking me around the Abbey here, telling me tales of Margam Castle and the early Christian stones found in the tiny museum at Margam. At nine years old I was hooked! I owe him a debt which I could never repay.
I have always been interested in writing and coupled with my historical research it seemed to be natural to combine both in a novel. BLOODMOON is the first of a trilogy. I am busy beavering away on the second in the Series THE CARACTACUS CODE. As usual I am planning the book, but sometimes the characters do something totally unexpected, and the plot takes another twist. Typical of my screwy imagination!
R.S Thomas said “it is not possible to live in the present. At least not in Wales.” This is a statement to which I am in total agreement. We are surround by castles, hillforts and legends stretching back into the mists of time. Coupled with my fascination for locked boxes, enigmas and my Welsh cultural heritage it is sheer pleasure for me to write about such things. There is not a lot known about the early Silurian/Romano period. The mountains to the east of Port Talbot have been well excavated by the Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Trust, but not the area around Port Talbot. There was an attempt in the thirties. For me the landscape tells its own story, which of course if a figment of my imagination.so fascinate me. I consulted old maps and any books which I could find on the subject, which led me down a magical personal path of fascination which has stimulated my writing juices and have introduced me to the works of Wilson and Blackett, a controversial pair who have discovered a rich source of the legends and forgotten sources of old Welsh history, which academics seem to refute. This is not an argument I want to enter into, but this is a fascinating source of material and legends and is followed by a lot of colourful people, which as you know Ceri, also fascinate me. My head is full of the mysticism and legends of these people.
AmeriCymru: Where can our readers purchase 'The Bloodmoon Prophecy' online?
Beryl: The Bloodmoon Prophecy can be purchased on Amazon.
AmeriCymru: What's next for Bee Richards? Any new titles in the works?
Beryl: Currently I am working on the sequel to Bloodmoon with the working title of The Caractacus Code which I hope to bring out later this year. Ceri I thank you for your time and interest. Speak to you soon.
Posted in: Author Interviews | 0 comments -
Reviews
Read our interview with Matthew G. Rees here
Not to be confused with the recent, wildly acclaimed Welsh language horror movie of the same name ( Y Gwledd ), this is Matthew G. Rees' third published anthology of short stories. You will find reviews of his other works here The Keyhole and here Smoke House & Other Stories
We have expressed the opinion that Matthew G. Rees is a major new talent elsewhere and this new collection confirms our estimation. The Feast is a deliciously dark and frequently amusing collection that leaves one in no doubt that Rees is a writer at the top of his game and destined for popularity and acclaim.
In so far as this collection has a theme, the author outlines it in his brief introductory note:-
" This collection of stories created itself over the course of two years in which I found that I seemed to be writing short fiction that possessed a connective tissue ."
The nature of this 'connective tissue' becomes clearer when we consider the accompanying quotation from Shakespeare:-
" Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour. " William Shakespeare Richard II
Indeed there is an element of - be careful what you wish for - in most of these tales. In 'The Twilight Maiden' we are introduced to Guiseppe Dellucci, an Italian restaurateur in search of a delicious legendary variety of tomato which only grows in the vicinity of the remote village of Collina Rossa. The atmosphere of suspense and thinly veiled threat are skilfully crafted until Guiseppe is finally inducted into the mystery of the fabled tomato plant.
These stories are set in a variety of locations and in 'Stone Cold' we meet Candice Canyons, an exotic dancer at The Southern Peaches Go-Go Club, somewhere in the American south. She dreams of a better life and opportunity presents itself in the form of Seymour Thrayle, an aged wealthy landowner who frequents the Club. His obsession with, and desire for, peach tarts leads to a grim and humorous denouement.
In 'Fungal' the protagonist is distracted by a store front sign which reads:-
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Enquire within
Having nearly exhausted a fortune he had inherited from his family he decided that there would be no harm in inquiring. Needless to say his life is changed forever in the most unexpected of ways.
If you are not acquainted with the work of Matthew G' Rees this collection provides an excellent introduction. His tales have the capacity to simultaneously delight and disturb and always stay in your thoughts for some time after reading. The Feast by Matthew G' Rees is AmeriCymru's selection for Book of the Month January 2022.
Posted in: Book Reviews | 0 comments
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In this collection of bizarre tales from the Welsh master of the absurd we are introduced to a Professor with a small class and an unusual subject matter. Rhys explains thusly:
There are few students in my class. When one considers what the subject is, this isn’t surprising. I teach myself.
In other words, I impart to my students facts and fancies based on my life and ideas. It’s the least popular class in the university and I doubt it will be funded for another term.
As a homework assignment the students are asked to write an essay in which they must try and imagine how the Professor spends his spare time. Needless to say he has told them nothing of his personal life.
The eighteen essays which follow offer an extraordinary and hilarious variety of imaginings, some of which are, worryingly, partially accurate. Is the Professor being spied upon? Who is the woman waving from the street below, and which of his students is prowling around on the roof presumably watching him? Of course you will have to read the book to a conclusion for answers to the above questions.
Meanwhile the 'homework assignments' on offer here will delight Rhys Hughes fans. There is the strange case of Professor Spark who we meet walking the corridors of the university thinking about the meaning of life. His musings are of little interest because:
It could be the case he was about to make a major discovery in his field, to prove that viruses have knees or that aardvarks are descended from dragons, who knows? I didn’t care much.
The situation quickly deteriorates, however, when Prof Spark returns from a local bookshop with a copy of 'The Pop-Up Book of Fire'. The consequences of his purchase are at once, tragic, absurd and hilarious.
Then there is the tale of Miss Diane Ra who loves labyrinths. The problem is that clothes have a habit of unravelling whenever she is accompanied on a walk through town. And who is the madman who prowls the city streets with the strongest lamp he can find looking for darkness?
Towards the end of the book the Professor is advised by one of his students:
You have taught yourself. Now teach others.
Is this further foreshadowing of Rhys Hughes forthcoming emphasis on non-fiction and essay writing?Readers may remember the following announcement in Weirdly Out West :
I will switch to non-fiction and start writing essays and articles. In fact I began last year to take my non-fiction much more seriously and I am hoping that my first book of essays will be out in the next year or two.
Whatever the truth of that, 'Students of Myself' is another triumph from the pen of Rhys Hughes and will delight both fans and new readers alike. If you are not familiar with Rhys's work this would be as good a place to start as any. If you are, you will need no further recommendation or encouragement.
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New Titles
Back in 2014 many were shocked when it was reported that the priceless religious artefact known as the Nanteos Cup had been stolen from its owner’s home in Herefordshire.
The Nanteos Cup is an ancient wooden bowl which for many years was kept at the Mid Wales mansion called Nanteos, whence the vessel derived its name. It is believed to have originated from the medieval Cistercian abbey of Strata Florida.
In 2015 the Cup was recovered by police and in 2016 it was given a new home in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth where it remains on permanent display.
Many traditions and legends grew around the Cup including the belief that it had healing powers and was made from the wood of the True Cross or may even have been the Holy Grail used by Christ at the Last Supper and may have come from Glastonbury.
Now three authors have written the first dedicated, in-depth history of the Nanteos Cup, chronicling its history from medieval times to the present day. A treasure trove of previously unknown information has been uncovered which goes a long way to identifying, for the first time, the origins and history of the relic. The book examines the way in which the stories and practices around the Cup have evolved over the years and introduces the many colourful characters who have been drawn to the vessel.
The Nanteos Grail is written by John Matthews, Ian Pegler and Fred Stedman-Jones. John Matthews has been a writer for more than 40 years on myth, folklore and ancient traditions. He was awarded a BAFTA for his work as an historical advisor on the movie King Arthur (2004) and his book Pirates (Carlton/Athenaeum) was a number one New York Times bestseller for 22 weeks in 2005. Ian Pegler is a regular reader at the National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth and has researched Welsh history and legends for many years. Fred Stedman-Jones was chairman of the Pendragon Society and an acknowledged expert on the Nanteos Cup; he was the consultant behind the scenes for a number of documentaries on the Holy Grail which he researched for over 30 years.
The Nanteos Grail was published in March 2022 by Amberley and is widely available from online sellers.
The Nanteos Grail on Wikipedia
Posted in: New Titles | 0 commentsDdydd Sadwrn yma bydd y cofiant cyntaf llawn i Dic Penderyn yn cael ei lansio. Gellir prynu Dic Penderyn: The Man and the Martyr gan Sally Roberts Jones yn www.ylolfa.com ac mewn siopau llyfrau am £9.99. Dilynwch y ddolen yma am wybodaeth lawn.
This Saturday the first full biography of Dic Penderyn will be launched. Dic Penderyn: The Man and the Martyr, by Sally Roberts Jones is available in bookshops and www.ylolfa.com for £9.99. Follow this link for more details.
Dic Penderyn: The Man and the Martyr will be launched at 10:30am on Saturday, 30 th July at Aberafan Library (1 st Floor, Aberafan Shopping Centre, Port Talbot, SA13 1PB). The event is free but spaces are limited, so booking is required. Please contact the Library (01639 763490).
The free concert will be held at the Grand Hotel, Port Talbot, starting at 7pm on Saturday, 30 th July. Excerpts from Iniquity / Camwedd and a performance by singer-songwriter Martyn Joseph. There will also be a book signing with Sally Roberts Jones. To ensure a seat, contact Eirwen Hopkins: eirwenhopkins@aol.com / 07873 985527.
Posted in: New Titles | 0 comments
Chapel and Rugby. The lodestars of Welsh cultural life in the twentieth century. One proclaiming peace and love and the promise of everlasting paradise. The other a brutal release of pent-up aggression.
What happens when the two come into conflict?
Last Match by debut novelist Martin Rhys answers that question in what early reviews label ‘an authentic and compelling story’.
Colin Lewis looks set to become Wales’s next rugby superstar. International fame can only be a matter of time. But the time is 1939, and off the field, Colin is a different person. For a start, he is a pacifist, and World War 2 looms large.
When he declares himself a conscientious objector, Colin plummets from local hero to social pariah. A conchie who needs to be punished for his cowardice. His girlfriend, Martha, understands the bravery it takes to stand up against the herd for something you believe in. A warrior to the core, she won’t stand by and watch her man be persecuted by the bullies. Even when the biggest bully is her own father.
But as the war runs on, and the casualties mount up, can even Martha withstand the pressure? When the war ends, Colin yearns to get back to the rugby field, the only place he feels comfortable. But although the war has ended, cruelty and persecution have not. How much punishment and humiliation can a proud man take?
Because a pacifist cannot fight back. Can he?
Available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com .
Posted in: New Titles | 0 commentsMae'r Lolfa newydd ryddhau argraffiad newydd clawr meddal o Hands off Wales gan Dr Wyn Thomas. Mae'r gyfrol 450 tudalen ar werth mewn siopau llyfrau a www.ylolfa.com am £19.99 (yn cynnwys cludiant)
Y Lolfa have released a new paperback edition of Hands of Wales by Dr Wyn Thomas. The 450pp book is avialable in bookshops and www.ylolfa.com for £19.99 (p&p inc).
Destined to be the definitive historical analysis of the events leading up to Welsh devolution - John JenkinsAn important book on an important topic in both Welsh and British history - Dr Martin Johnes
The established history of the Tryweryn and Anti-Investiture Campaigns - Dr John Davie
Posted in: New Titles | 0 comments -
Book News
Wales is known for its stunning scenery and beautiful coastline. Created from several existing coastal paths – such as the Pembrokeshire Coast Path National Trail – the Wales Coast Path has attracted thousands of tourists and walkers since its official launch in May 2012. This week sees the publication of Weatherman Walking – The Welsh Coast , the book accompanying BBC Wales’ beloved weatherman Derek Brockway’s twelfth series of the popular BBC programme. Originally broadcast on BBC Wales, all eight episodes of the series are now being shown on the BBC and are available on BBC iPlayer.
Wales is the first country in the world to have a continuous footpath stretching along its entire coastline – 870 miles or 1,400 km long. Weatherman Walking: The Welsh Coast contains 15 guided walks along the Wales Coast Path, each between 4 and 8 miles. They cover a good geographical spread of the coastal path around Wales, with walks in Pembrokeshire, the Llŷn Peninsula, Anglesey, Gower, Glamorgan Heritage Coast, Denbighshire and Ceredigion. [Full list of walks to be found below].
“I am so lucky to present a programme like Weatherman Walking . Not only do I visit many beautiful places but I also get to meet and work with lots of wonderful and talented people! Wales is such as beautiful country and each area has something unique to offer – from the light of Anglesey to the spectacular Pembrokeshire coastline, each section is full of history, myths and the wildlife. I hope you enjoy the book and the walks featured!” said Derek Brockway.
“This is the first time I have worked with ‘Derek the Weather’ and it’s been an absolute joy. His passion for Wales and walking has been infectious, and it’s been wonderful to see the great affection the Welsh public has for him,” says Julia Foot, the Series Producer of Weatherman Walking: The Welsh Coast for BBC Wales. “I have personally walked every one of the walks in this book, often with locals or path rangers who have given me a real understanding of the particular identity of that section of Coast Path, including the wildlife, history and secrets they hold. These people have helped bring the various coastal stretches to life, so they are no longer just 2D sections of an OS maps.”
Each walk has its own chapter and includes an OS route map and essential information for walkers as well as directions. Most walks can be paired, meaning that they can either be done separately or as one long continuous hike. Each chapter presents lots of interesting information about the landmarks that can be seen on each walk, as well as about unusual local activities or people that Derek came across in the related episode.
Derek BrockwayDerek Brockway was born in Barry, South Wales and has been passionately interested in the weather ever since he was a young boy. A qualified meteorologist, he was employed by the Met Office for 20 years and became the main weather forecaster for BBC Wales in 1997. He now presents a number of radio and television programmes, including Derek's Welsh Weather and Weatherman Walking . His leisure activities include walking, squash, skiing and leaning Welsh.
Julia Foot
Julia Foot has worked for the BBC for over 20 years as a researcher, Assistant Producer, Director and now Series Producer, and on a whole range of programmes, including with Ray Mears, DIY SOS , and for Comic Relief. In 2018 Julia was nominated for a BAFTA for an Antiques Roadshow special that she produced about the Holocaust.
List of walks
Where the walks are paired, they can be done together as one longer walk if preferred.
Abereiddy to Whitesands (Pembrokeshire)
Abersoch to Llanbedrog (Llŷn Peninsula)
Llanbedrog to Pwllheli (Llŷn Peninsula)
Beaumaris to Trwyn Du (Anglesey)
Trwyn Du to Red Wharf Bay (Anglesey)
Fall Bay to Port Eynon (Gower)
Port Eynon to Oxwich Bay (Gower)
Porthcawl to Merthyr Mawr (Glamorgan Heritage Coast)
Merthyr Mawr to Southerndown (Glamorgan Heritage Coast)
Saundersfoot to Amroth (Pembrokeshire)
Amroth to Pendine Sands (Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire)
Talacre to Prestatyn (Flintshire/Denbighshire)
Prestatyn to Rhyl (Denbighshire)
Ynyslas to Borth (Ceredigion)
Borth to Aberystwyth (Ceredigion)
Posted in: Book News | 0 commentsAN “EXCITING BLUEPRINT FOR BUILDING A BETTER SOCIETY” – UTOPIAN VISION FOR A NEW INDEPENDENT WALES
By Ceri Shaw, 2021-02-24“I don’t expect everyone to agree with everything in the book – it will be too radical for some, and for others it won’t be radical enough,” says author Llywelyn ap Gwilym about his new bilingual book, Llyfr Du Cymru Fydd / The Black Book of the New Wales (Y Lolfa), which is published this week.
The organiser of the AUOB Cymru rallies which attracted thousands to pro-independence marches in Cardiff, Caernarfon and Merthyr pre Covid-19 has written his vision of an independent Wales. Llywelyn ap Gwilym, who is also on the Central Committee of YesCymru, said:
“I’ve supported Welsh independence since I can remember, but without questioning why. Since the birth of my children and moving back to Wales, I’ve thought more deeply about the politics, economics and sociology behind it: I’ve thought more about the ‘why’. Whilst writing The Black Book of the New Wales, I started to think that perhaps I could encourage the discourse to develop.”
The book is an exploration of what a future independent Wales could look like. It is written in the spirit of utopian thinking: its purpose is to question what is, and to envision what could be. Some of the ideas presented are a radical departure from the status quo, while others are becoming part of orthodox leftist thinking. Similarly, there are some precedents in terms of current or former organisations and institutions, others have only been trialled, while some have not yet existed.
The book has been described as “an exciting blueprint for building a better society” by Dan Evans of Desolation Radio and Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru has said, “For the Indy curious, this is a must-read.”
The percentage of people in Wales supporting independence has almost tripled over the last six years from 12% in 2014 to 35% in 2020. The Welsh Independence movement is gathering momentum, with membership of YesCymru growing from 2,500 to 17,000 during 2020, and now gets regular attention in the UK media as well as further afield.
“I hope that the book will help expand further discussions so that more people start sharing ideas on what our values are, what kind of society we want to live in, and how independence for Wales is the most realistic path in order to achieve these changes. It would be tragic to lose the chance to ensure a better future for all who call Wales home and, on winning independence, just to recreate the inequality and unjustness that’s rife in the UK. The Black Book of New Wales is my contribution to ensuring a better future.”
The Black Book of the New Wales by Llywelyn ap Gwilym (£4.99, Y Lolfa) will be available by 1 st March.
Praise for The Black Book of the New Wales
“Concise, challenging, doable! There are radical ideas for the kind of Wales we can be, but we need independence, and independence of mind, to unlock that potential. It can’t come from Westminster. Better a Good Wales than a ‘Great’ Britain.”
Siôn T. Jobbins, YesCymru Chair
“… a cracking piece of work. Very clear thinking. Good, sound values base. I love the references you draw on – some of my favourites – Raymond Williams, Gramsci, Bookchin, Bell Hook, Malcolm X, Maya Angelou, the Preston stuff and Mondragon. And the way you bring all the thinking together… Your book outlines why it is not tenable for people in Wales to carry on as we are and offers an inclusive vision of real independence. For the Indy curious, this is a must-read.”
Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru
“A small book with big ideas! A welcome addition to the independence debate.”
Cian Ciarán, musician (Super Furry Animals), composer and YesCymru Vice-Chair
“Llywelyn ap Gwilym’s The Black Book of the New Wales doesn’t claim to have all the answers, it weaves together an empowering series of concepts and initiatives that are ready and willing to form new institutions and structures.”
Ben Gwalchmai, Founder of Labour for an Independent Wales
“An exciting blueprint for building a better society.”
Dan Evans, Desolation Radio
“Llywelyn ap Gwilym’s Llyfr Du is an essential contribution to the vision that will liberate Wales from the decaying British state.”
Sam Coates, Undod
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Guest Articles
Potential Welsh writers: Some dismal observations and some encouragement - Ambrose Conway / David Hughes
By AmeriCymru, 2018-09-05
...I have often been exasperated by the way booksellers classify my books. They tend to work to set parameters and the Reso can easily fit into several categories, so in some book listings it appears as fiction, young adult, in others as general fiction. I've even seen it in a section on social issues, young people!
In truth, all of these are technically correct. Others would be equally appropriate such as : fiction: Wales, fiction: historical (it is disconcerting to realise that what appears to you as your short life to date, is now generally considered as an historical timespan!) fiction:the sixties.
Unfortunately the way a book is classified can also have an impact on sales because readers tend to concentrate on the sections they know and will never find books in other sections, unless by recommendations. This is what makes recommendations so powerful and valuable. Thank you so much to all those people who took the trouble to write something on a website about how they enjoyed the books, it is biggest compliment you can pay to an author and keeps me positive and writing.
A back handed compliment which really frustrates me is the reader who tells me that they enjoyed the book immensely, and that they have passed it round the family and everyone enjoyed it immensely as well! I'm not looking to make my fortune from writing, so few people do, but I would like some recompense for the hundreds of hours spent researching, writing, re-drafting and publishing the books. If you love a book, any book, try and encourage the author a little more by buying a couple of copies for birthday or Christmas presents.
Regarding making my fortune from writing, a few statistics will soon disabuse that notion. If you take all the fiction books published in the UK in a single year it amounts to almost a million. The average number of copies sold per book is 18! That means from JK Rowling, who sells millions, down to me who sells a few less, 18 is the number of copies that the average book sells.
There are few fortunes to be made in publishing your writing - so it is best to write because you enjoy doing so or because you think you have something important to say about humanity. I am in the first camp.
The top selling books tend to come from established writers with agents, big publishing houses and massive marketing budgets. There are also the best sellers from 'celebrities' ghost written for them to give them another income stream and promoted shamelessly on television chat shows. Not that I'm bitter!
For the rest of us, it is rather like the lottery... you have to be in it to win it, but the chance of making a living, let alone a fortune from writing, is very remote indeed. I console myself with the thought that when I die, something will live on beyond me and will consistently fail to provide an income stream for the beneficiaries of my Will.
Having originally gone through a publisher to have a professional endorsement of my writing, I made the decision to self-publish through a company called Lightning Source, part of the Ingram Group. This allowed me to cut costs and to take out the publisher from the trough. Even so, I receive about 1.40 in pounds sterling for every book I sell, the rest is accounted for from set up and production costs.
There is a line of reasoning that suggests you should set the book cost level as low as possible so as to maximise sales. 5 pounds is often seen as a critical price point for fiction books, which is why so many retail at 4.99. However, this assumes that you have a budget to promote your book so that it can compete in the crowded 4.99 market. I don't have a marketing budget. I am in the Catch 22 situation of knowing that to maximise book sales I need to market the book but I can't market the book until I have generated enough sales to justify a marketing budget, which I can't do until... round and round it goes!
That leaves this blog and sites such as Linked In on which to promote the books. The secret here is to segment the market by exploiting the different categories a book will appear in. My books are timebound to the sixties, the seventies and the eighties respectively so I would do well to find niche markets for such writing. Similarly my books have a Welsh setting and there are active Welsh communities overseas to which my writing is recounting their youth, or making a wider cultural connection.
In this context, no-one has been more helpful than Ceri Shaw and the team at Americymru and Eto magazine for bringing my work to a large expatriate community in the United States and Canada. The Welsh appear to be great networkers so that the Americymru connection has led to Australian, New Zealand and South African sales - just leaving the Patagonian market to crack!
There is support for Welsh writers in the form of bursaries and writing camps under the auspices of Literature Wales, but these, quite rightly, focus on writers writing in Wales and debut authors. I wish I had known that when starting out on my debut book!
For the most part this has been a dismal article of trials and tribulations, so I feel I muse end on a positive note. Nothing quite prepares you to have people share their memories with you and tell you that you brought back to life things half-remembered or forgotten.
My favourite reader comment was from a Principal of a Welsh primary school. He could not have pleased me more when he said, 'I see a lot of young Dylan Thomas in your writing.' I assumed he was referring to stylistic qualities and not plagiarism!
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Hi all, Beryl Richards here.. As you know I live in South Wales, in the heavily industrialised town of Port Talbot. I have long been interested in Welsh history, but the early Bronze and Iron age, I sort of dismissed as being a 'long way off' and probably not relevant to me or where I live. I had seen pictures of iron a forts or enclosures but in no way were they associated in my mind with smokey ol' Port Talbot. Which in a roundabout way brings me to the subject of my new novel which has a working title of 'The Mountain', and the thought process which led to writing it.
I picked up in a second hand bookstall a copy of a slim volume entitled “Antiquities of Margam Mountain” which immediately aroused my attention. It is written by a gentleman called Bill Howells and sponsored by the Llynfi Valley Historial Society. It is a very interesting book illustrated with some airial photos of the mountain and some taken by the author. There are illustrations of prehistoric tracks burial mounds ancient farms and forts all over the mountain. The realisation suddenly dawned on me that outside my own front door were the vestiges of an advanced urban society. Further research led me to another book written in the thirties by Cyril and Ailen Fox entitled “Forts and Farms of Margam Mountain' documenting the same information that Bill Howells so graphically highlighted with new technology.
A frail little book called Tir Iarll (The Earls Land) which I again found in a thrift store seems to have been published as a child's textbook on local customs also gave some account of the site of Margam Mountain, I wrote to the Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Trust on various statements in this book but some of it was discredited as Iolo Morgannwg's (a self styled Bard of Glamorgan) rantings. Apart from the old Ordnance Survey maps which confirm a lot of the evidence I have found for Iron age inhabitation on Margam, this is about the only written evidence I have been able to find on this subject. But the actual site speaks for itself.
There is no direct evidence of the Roman influence on Margam Mountain. The Glamorgan and Gwent Archaeological Society give no credence to this. As the site has not been excavated there is according to them no direct evidence that the Romans trod Margam Mountain. However other sources state that the Romans had a presence there and some indications of this can be found in the old place names such as Mynydd Ty Talwyn, and further west at Rhyd Blaen y Cwm. One of the locations is named Cwm Lladfa, Valley of the Slaughter where it is claimed that the last battle between the Romans and the Silurians was fought locally.
There is physical evidence of a Roman Fort at Neath (Nidum) and remnants of what is known as marching camps is strewn across the uplands. The Old Ordnance Survey Maps indicate some of these geographical features as scenes of battle fought between the local tribesmen and the Romans. As there is not yet archaeological evidence of any of this we can only wait until the whole mountain is excavated properly. Its all shrouded in Celtic mist!!!!
The Silurian tribes or familial groupings range from Eastern Wales down as far as Loughor in the West. A well organised rural/urban system stretched across these hills. It was thought by many early historians, that the iron age celts did not have the ability to build such a complex system of roads/tracks settlements on the mountain tops and the thinking was that they were Roman. But archaeological excavation has proven that these were Bronze/iron age sites built and engineered by the indigenous population, who also had codes of religion law making and customs particularly their own. The term 'forts' is a label for the many enclosures found scattered across the West Walian hills and also throughout the British Isles. Many of these enclosures were of obvious strategic importance and could also have been used as enclosures for cattle and people in times of strife.
Much emphasis was placed on the oral memory of history and of healing techniques by the Druids, who had a great influence over Celtic Society. They were priests, law givers, healers and were often used to negotiate in times of war between two or more rival clans. The Celts loved to fight and argue, today this takes place on the Rugby field. Celtic myth propagated by the Victorians portrays them as blood thirsty human sacrifice fiends. Human sacrifice,was practiced but to a much lesser degree than the popular celtic hocus pocus will have us believe. Although they used the innards sometimes of animals for divination (ugh!!!)
Celtic dress was flamboyant and colourful. Men would wear homespun trousers, a simple tunic and sometimes a cloak held by an ornamental pin, the more decorative indicated a higher social status. Women wore a long robe which was also homespun and dresses were secured with a sort of a celtic safety pin, very often beautifully decorated. They loved jewellery and ornaments. The ruling classes often wore huge intricately decorated gold torques and arm rings. They loved colour, bangles rings and much of what has been internationally excavated such as the golden cauldrons found at various locations place them in the realms of high art, and not the ignorant savage portrayed by the Romans. (Early racism??). Tribal chieftains and kings were often elected by the clan. Often there was a familial line from which they were elected.
There were many festivals held at the quarters of the year, which also acted as an agricultural calender were used to foretell the advent of winter, summer, autumn. Festivals such as midscummer and the advent of winter played a huge part not only in the gathering of crops but fertility rites, the drinking of wine of which they were very fond and the really spooky time when it was said that the veil between the dead and the living was the tiniest, today celebrated as Halloween.
The Silures were a tribe which lived in familial and village groupings in South Wales and fought off Roman occupation for some 25 years longer than in other parts of Britain. The Romans recognised them as worthy opponents. Their method of guerilla warfare locally continued until early medeavil times as was documented in the annals of Kenfig Castle, now covered by sand, but thats another story!
I am trying to answer the question of the underestimation of the Silurians. They seems to have had a quite sophisticated urban society with laws and customs which did not die easily with the onslaught of roman occupation. The remains on Margam Mountain which as I have mentioned contained the traditional enclosures or hill forts at strategic points along the hilltops, have not been archaeologically excavated but further east there are many sites which have yielded a definite identity, which did not seem to have been undermined by Romanisation. The end seems to have come unfortunately with the advent of Christianity when the Celtic identity was melded into what we now recognise as the Celtic Church with numerous monasteries, and hermitages being established along the South Wales coast and also inland.
I like to think that the spirit of the Celts remains in the gritty character of Port Talbot as it exists today. The realisation that such a society existed here has prompted me to write another novel which is a work in progress.
Every so often I get fascinated by something I read, or an aspect of local history of which I was not aware (which are many) prompted me to write a novel entitled 'Golconda' which is in part based on the facts about the early copper industry based in Castell Nedd (Neath) West Glamorgan. The story concerns a young American woman named Holly Darby who attempts to find her Welsh roots. I created a real stinker of a villain named Edward Hawksworth who seduced, cheated and plotted his way to achieve wealth. Holly and her friend (with benefits) trace the story from Castell to the states of her Welsh heritage. I have endeavoured to draw on a number of historical facts and blend them in to this story, in order for Holly to find closure in what can sometimes be quite a fast paced but rather sad story.
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Book of the Month
Book of the Month for January 2022 is The Feast by Matthew G. Rees
Read our interview with Matthew G. Rees here
Not to be confused with the recent, wildly acclaimed Welsh language horror movie of the same name ( Y Gwledd ), this is Matthew G. Rees' third published anthology of short stories. You will find reviews of his other works here The Keyhole and here Smoke House & Other Stories
We have expressed the opinion that Matthew G. Rees is a major new talent elsewhere and this new collection confirms our estimation. The Feast is a deliciously dark and frequently amusing collection that leaves one in no doubt that Rees is a writer at the top of his game and destined for popularity and acclaim.
In so far as this collection has a theme, the author outlines it in his brief introductory note:-
" This collection of stories created itself over the course of two years in which I found that I seemed to be writing short fiction that possessed a connective tissue ."
The nature of this 'connective tissue' becomes clearer when we consider the accompanying quotation from Shakespeare:-
" Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour. " William Shakespeare Richard II
Indeed there is an element of - be careful what you wish for - in most of these tales. In 'The Twilight Maiden' we are introduced to Guiseppe Dellucci, an Italian restaurateur in search of a delicious legendary variety of tomato which only grows in the vicinity of the remote village of Collina Rossa. The atmosphere of suspense and thinly veiled threat are skilfully crafted until Guiseppe is finally inducted into the mystery of the fabled tomato plant.
These stories are set in a variety of locations and in 'Stone Cold' we meet Candice Canyons, an exotic dancer at The Southern Peaches Go-Go Club, somewhere in the American south. She dreams of a better life and opportunity presents itself in the form of Seymour Thrayle, an aged wealthy landowner who frequents the Club. His obsession with, and desire for, peach tarts leads to a grim and humorous denouement.
In 'Fungal' the protagonist is distracted by a store front sign which reads:-
SELF-SUFFICIENCY
Enquire within
Having nearly exhausted a fortune he had inherited from his family he decided that there would be no harm in inquiring. Needless to say his life is changed forever in the most unexpected of ways.
If you are not acquainted with the work of Matthew G' Rees this collection provides an excellent introduction. His tales have the capacity to simultaneously delight and disturb and always stay in your thoughts for some time after reading. The Feast by Matthew G' Rees is AmeriCymru's selection for Book of the Month January 2022.
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