New Welsh Reader: Summer 2020

by Robert Minhinnick, Hall Llywelyn Dan (Illustrator), Loy Nichols Jeb

Overview

Anthology of creative work from Wales and beyond, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, essays, photography and artwork. This edition's theme is 'contrary', and features the poetry of the prizewinning Robert Minhinnick and a linocut by the renowned artist Dan Llywelyn Hall, as well as a feature on dentistry and concepts of 'welfare' through history; a philosophical spotlight by musician Jeb Loy Nichols on a 'contrary' project of passion, Westwood recordings Country and Western label of 70s and 80s mid Wales; an essay on the concept of radio community portraiture in relation to Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood, in addition to stories of environmental revenge by Jem Poster, of middle-aged Spanish dropouts by Dan Anthony, and of successful conception, with the aid of witchcraft, by Wales Book of the Year nominee Mari Ellis Dunning.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781916150164
Publisher:	New Welsh Review
Publication date:	05/25/2020
Series:	New Welsh Review , #123
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	80
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Robert Minhinnick was born in 1952 in Neath, South Wales. He grew up near Bridgend and studied at the universities of Aberystwyth and Cardiff, then after working in an environmental field, co-founded Friends of the Earth (Cymru) and became the organisation's joint co-ordinator for some years. He is advisor to the charity, 'Sustainable Wales' and has edited the international quarterly, Poetry Wales. As well as being an active environmental campaigner, he is an essayist and poet, having published two collections of essays: Watching the Fire Eater (1992), winner of the 1993 Arts Council of Wales Book of the Year Award; and Badlands (1996), essays about post-communist Albania, California and the state of Wales and England. He has also edited Green Agenda: essays on the environment of Wales (1994). His book, To Babel and Back, was published in 2005 and won the 2006 Wales Book of the Year Award. His poetry collections include A Thread in the Maze (1978); Native Ground (1979); Life Sentences (1983); The Dinosaur Park (1985); The Looters (1989); and Hey Fatman (1994). A Selected Poems was published by Carcanet in 1999, followed by After the Hurricane (2002) and King Driftwood (2008). In 2003, the same publisher issued his translations from the Welsh, The Adulterer's Tongue: An Anthology of Welsh Poetry in Translation. Robert Minhinnick lives in Porthcawl, South Wales. His debut novel, Sea Holly, was published in 2007, and shortlisted for the 2008 Ondaatje Prize. His latest books of poetry include The Keys of Babylon (2011), shortlisted for the 2012 Wales Book of the Year Award, his New Selected Poems (2012), and Diary of the Last Man (2017), which was shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize.
Dan Llywelyn Hall was born in Cardiff in 1980 and grew up in south Wales. He moved to London to study at the University of Westminster, graduating in 2003. After studying he was awarded the Sunday Times/Singer Friedlander Young Artist of the Year for his painting 'Ship Hotel and Splash'. A succession of group and solo exhibitions established Dan as a painter working directly from the landscape. Increasingly, Dan became interested in portraiture and after a commission to paint the Victoria Cross recipient, Sir Tasker Watkins, he continued on the theme of veterans focusing on the last survivors of the first World War. In 2009 the then, last surviving veteran of the trenches, Harry Patch sat for his portrait, entitled 'The Last Tommy', which was selected for the BP Portrait Award and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery where it was used as the face of the marketing campaign throughout London. Following this, Henry Allingham, then the world's oldest man aged 113 sat for his portrait entitled 'The Last Volunteer'. Recent portrait commissions include Her Majesty the Queen, in 2013, when Dan became the youngest artist to portray the monarch, shortly followed by The Duke of Cambridge. Other notable portraits include Amy Winehouse. Dan's work has been exhibited extensively throughout the UK in both solo and group exhibitions in venues such as the Saatchi Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, National Museum of Wales, Windsor Castle, MoMA Wales and others. In 2014, Dan curated 'Deaths and Entrances' exhibition in Bloomsbury, London, celebrating the 100th birthday of the poet Dylan Thomas. A series of paintings responding to Dylan's short stories accompanied with a literary programme, became one of the highlights of the centenary year. In 2015, Dan was appointed the first ever artist-in-residence for the 68th Cannes Film Festival, where actors sat for portraits and the sights and scenes of the area were depicted. This collection of work formed 'Beyond the Red Carpet' and exhibited in London. ​ In 2018 Dan worked on a portrait project Dambusters Reunited - inspired by the 133 men who participated in the Dams Raid of 1943 after having a sitting with the last British Dambuster, George 'Johnny' Johnson. The 133 portraits were unveiled by Dambusters' family members from all over the world. ​ Dan is currently working with Amnesty International on an extensive portraiture project. He lives and works between London and Wales.
Jeb Loy Nichols was born in the American Midwest where he grew up surrounded by folk art, folk music, and folk tales. these three things shaped his life. he has, since 1990, released thirteen records, had three novels (including The Untogether, Alcemi, 2008) and one book of artwork published, as well as having exhibited his prints around the world. His latest album is Country Hustle. Jeb lives in mid Wales.

Table of Contents

EDITORIAL: Gwen Davies

POETRY AND ARTWORK

'The Great Spring of Glamorgan' & 'Schwyll: The Great Spring of Glamorgan': Robert Minhinnick and Dan Llywelyn Hall (respectively)

NONFICTION

'Westwood': Jeb Loy Nichols on the contrary passion of Seventies grassroots Country label, Westwood Recordings of mid Wales

'Perfect Smiles': Liz Jones on what our teeth tell us about society and welfare

'Under Milk Wood: A Play for Ears': David N Thomas reflects on the radio concept of community portraiture and the influence of Philip Burton and T Rowland Hughes on Dylan Thomas’ classic script

FICTION

'El Cuento Robado': Dan Anthony

'How to Conceive a Crow': Mari Ellis Dunning

'Puppets': Jem Poster