Welsh Wednesdays Review: “Cawl” by Siôn Tomos Owen

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Art, books, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Carmarthenshire Event, Cawdor Hotel, cawl, craft, discussion, exhibition, Humour, hwyl, Lit Fest Star, literature, literature festival, Literature set in Wales, litfest, llandeilo, Llandeilo Book Fair, Llandeilo Event, poetry, Quilts, Rhondda, Saturday, short stories, South Wales, talk, Wales, Welsh Books, Welsh Fiction, Welsh language, Welsh literature, Welsh writers

I won’t lie to you. When I was summoned for a field trip to search for poets for the Llandeilo Lit Fest, I wasn’t too keen to visit an open mic night in Carmarthen. I’m not great with poetry and I was tired and not in the mood.

To my surprise, this evening turned into one of the best nights out I’ve had in a long time, thanks to organiser Dominic Williams and poet Siôn Tomos Owen.

How better to describe Siôn’s collecion CAWL than this:
‘Good, honest, mean-minded, violent, foul-mouthed stuff’
(Martin Rowson).

Well, maybe not so mean-minded, just a very apt reflection on life in Rhondda, a county that has suffered from the end of coal mining and often feels like a forgotten piece of the country. Siôn Tomos Owen bemoans the harsh living coniditions, the political situation, ignorance of people about Wales, the depressive economic situation and many other things. He does so, however, with a lot of good humour and in shape of satire, comics and appealing poetry, in both Welsh and English.

While there is anger, there is also love and warmth as well as personal sharing of his perspective on life as a father. It is much more rounded than taglines about the collection may suggest. It is also very entertaining.

Poignant, witty and reflective, this truly is a Cawl, a mixture of a lot of things that come together nicely and portray Rhondda with honesty, love and realism.

Meet charismatic Siôn and enjoy a reading from his work at the Llandeilo Lit Fest on April 29th
at 4pm at the Horeb Chapel, Cawdor Inn. 

Cawl is Siôn Tomos Owen’s debut full-length collection. Consisting of short stories, poems, essays and cartoons and comics, Cawl is an anthology of one multi-prize winning, funny, angry young man’s creative endeavours and social and political frustrations, by the presenter and cartoonist of S4C’s documentary series Pobl Y Rhondda.

Multi talented Siôn has appeared at the Hay and Laugharne Festivals, BBC Radio 5 Live Poetry Slam and his work been published in several magazines. The publication of Cawl was successfully crowdfunded by publishers Parthian Books with Sion.

‘Siôn Tomos Owen is a down ‘n’ dirty Welsh Robert Crumb, as exhilarating and slightly terrifying as a Saturday night in the rougher parts of Swansea’ ( Martin Rowson, Guardian cartoonist)

Digwyddiad Dwyieithog

Sion Tomos Owen yn darllen ei waith difyr am gymeriadau Cwm Rhondda, Cawl

Dydd Sadwrn 29 Ebrill am 4 o’r gloch yng nghapel Horeb,  y Cawdor

Dewch i gwrdd â Siôn y cartwnydd a’r cyflwynydd carismataidd sydd wedi ein cyflwyno i gymeriadau y Rhondda yn ei gyfres gwych am y cwm ar S4C. Bydd yn darllen  ei gasgliad cyntaf o straeon byrion, cerddi, traethodau a chartwnau.

Mae yr aml-dalentog Siôn wedi ymddangos ynn Ngŵyl y Gelli, Gŵyl Talacharn  ac ar Slam Barddoniaeth Byw BBC Radio 5  ac wedi cyhoeddi mewn nifer o gylchgronau. Llwyddodd I gyhoeddi y gyfrol drwy gymorth crowdfunding a  Parthian Books.

https://twitter.com/sionmun?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Hwyl Llandeilo Lit Fest

April 27 – 30 2017

https://www.gofundme.com/hwyl-llandeilo-litfest

Website: https://llandeilolitfest.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LlandeiloLitFest/

E-mail:    LlandeiloLitfest@mail.com
Twitter:   @LlandeiloLitfest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llandeilolitfest/

Tocynnau ar gael o ganol Chwefror.
Tudalen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LlandeiloLitFest/

Gwefan: https://llandeilolitfest.org/

Twitter: @LlandeiloLitFest

 

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Review: “Inshallah” by Alys Einion #LlandeiloLitFest

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books, Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, Carmarthenshire Event, Cawdor Hotel, creative writing, hwyl, Lit Fest Star, literature, literature festival, litfest, llandeilo, Llandeilo Book Fair, Llandeilo Event, Saturday, short stories, South Wales, talk, Wales, Welsh Books, Welsh Fiction, Welsh literature, Welsh writers, workshop, writing tips

One of the perks of organising a literature festival is to read books by potential participants. One of those books was “Inshallah” by Alys Einion, who will be running a workshop at the Llandeilo Lit Fest, Sunday April 30th at 4pm, entitled:

“Improving your writing skills” with Alys Einion

 

Alys at the Llandeilo Book Fair 2016

I was hesitant about the book because of the wide-spread islamophobia in recent times, and only by getting to know Alys closer did I feel re-assured enough that this would not be offensive. And indeed it was far from it.

The story is told by a Welsh woman from the valleys who marries a man from Saudi Arabia and moves there with him. Her naivity about what to expect is soon replaced by the slow realisation that this is going to take some acclimatisation. The differences in culture and gender roles are overwhelming. In her case the husband also turns violent and her only friends are other women, who lead a variety of different lives. Einion brings in enough decent characters to ensure that we see the wife-beater for what he is and religious and gender oppression as not the only thing worth mentioning about life in Saudi Arabia.
There is a huge amount of details about local customs that made this novel interesting on many levels. All fears about the use of negative stereotypes proved unnecessary. Some uncomfortable truths about the experience of Saudi Arabia from a Western perspective cannot be helped, but at its heart the book is really also the coming of age of a woman who develops coping mechanisms and a will to survive. Warmth, friendship and personal reflection distinguish the book from more exploitative adventure novels of similar premises and lift it into the heartland of character development and literary fiction.
Despite some tough going and uncomfortable parts there is much to enjoy.

Alys Einion is an Associate Professor in Midwifery with a PGCE, two Masters degrees, and a PhD in Creative Writing focusing on women’s life writing and the intersection between fact and fiction.

At the Llandeilo Lit Fest Alys will offer tips on how to improve your writing skills, and how to take an idea from initial draft to final manuscript. She will also talk about her experience with creative writing courses and give advice on researching and choosing the right writing course for you.

The PhD in creative writing is her crowning achievement, as it led to the publication of her first novel, the Kindle bestseller Inshallah published by Honno Press (www.honno.co.uk). The book takes an intimate and uncompromising stance on women and domestic violence, exploring one woman’s experience of family life in a Muslim culture, where her faith, and the women around her, are her saving graces.

She currently teaches on the Bachelor of Midwifery programme, contributes to the Nursing programmes, and contributes to postgraduate programmes in Health and Education. She is the programme leader for the HE Certificate in Maternity Care, and she is an active blogger and writer.  She is proud to be the co-author of a midwifery textbook, and a chapter contributor to other books (including four new books due out in the next year).
She supports colleagues and friends in developing their writing skills and also acts as a Mentor for the Women in Universities Mentoring Scheme. She is co-Chair of the staff LGBT+ network at Swansea University.

In the past she has been a Creative Writing Tutor and also worked for Velvet magazine for five years as marketing officer (unpaid). She worked for 10 years as a freelance copy writer, editor and transcriptionist and is now a member of the Editorial Board of the Practising Midwife Journal and regularly contributes to the journal.

 

Gwella eich sigliau ‘sgwennu gyda Alys Einion

Dydd Sul, Ebrill 30 am 4 o’r gloch yn yr Angel

Mae Alys Einion yn fydwraig gyda doethuriaeth mewn ysgrifennu Creadigol.

Bydd Alys yn cynnig canllawiau defnyddiol ar sut i wella eich ysgrifennu creadigol  o’r drafft cyntaf i’r profeln terfynol. Mae ei nofel gyntaf, Inshalla (Gwasg Honno) am fenywod, trais yn y cartref a’r diwylliant Mwslemaidd.

Hwyl Llandeilo Lit Fest

April 27 – 30 2017

https://www.gofundme.com/hwyl-llandeilo-litfest

Website: https://llandeilolitfest.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LlandeiloLitFest/

E-mail:    LlandeiloLitfest@mail.com
Twitter:   @LlandeiloLitfest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llandeilolitfest/

Tocynnau ar gael o ganol Chwefror.
Tudalen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LlandeiloLitFest/

Gwefan: https://llandeilolitfest.org/

Twitter: @LlandeiloLitFest

NEW RELEASE: “A MENU OF DEATH” BY LUCY PIREEL

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author, Book review, Lucy Pireel, short stories

“A Menu of Death” by Lucy Pireel is a selection of very strong short stories, all written with a raw, edgy and bloody pen. Ranging from harsh reality to fantasy territory they provoke, open your mind, change your perspective, entertain and take you to the edge of your seat. They can be gory and violent yet also thoughtful and insightful; they are most certainly unpredictable and therefore a truly compelling read. Excellently written, tightly edited and brilliantly compiled into a varied yet homogenous collection the pages just flick through your fingers.
I’d find it hard to choose a favourite story or tell you much about the stories without giving vital clues away. I loved however one story about Karma, one about an abusive husband and one about a brutal killer, all of which turned out completely different from what I expected them to become and were extremely rewarding and a pleasure to read. There is a bite to these stories and a sharp mind behind them.
I came across the author via a tweet about her previous book, “Red Gone Bad” which was also an excellent reading experience and I am pleased that this new book is in no way second. Pireel is a fascinating emerging talent, an uncompromising wordsmith with plots that stimulate your adrenaline and your brain.

Here is a link to an interview with Lucy earlier this year:

https://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/red-gone-bad-by-lucy-pireel/

Andy Szpuk: ‘Poetry and Fate’ and “Stories for Homes”

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Andy Szpuk, homes, poems, poetry, Shelter, short stories, writer

I AM MOVING FROM THIS WEBSITE TO A NEW BLOG. CHRISTOPHFISCHERBOOKS.COM

PLEASE FIND AND FOLLOW ME THERE. HERE IS THE LINK TO TODAY’S FEATURE ON ANDY SZPUK, POETRY AND A CHARITABLE SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY “STORIES FOR HOMES”

http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/andy-szpuk-poetry-and-fate-and-stories-for-homes/

Today I welcome back Andy Szpuk, novelist and poet, with an article about his poetry and “Stories for Homes”, a charitable anthology of short stories and poems he has contributed to.

Poetry and Fate

My interest in poetry blossomed when I was working on a historical memoir of my father’s life, Sliding on the Snow Stone (That Right Publishing 2011). The story opens in Ukraine in 1932 and is one man’s journey through famine, Soviet terrors, Nazi occupation during World War Two and subsequent eviction from his beloved homeland. It’s one man’s quest to get back home, and for personal and cultural freedom.

for more of the interview follow this link

FATE

Those poor, starving
 wretches, my brothers and sisters,
All over Ukraine, eked out an existence,
Without mercy, you
 crushed them under your boot,
But, as a young boy, you led me to school,
You guided me well, and
 I quenched my thirst,
For knowledge and
 learning, wisdom and verse.
‘One day, we’ll be
 something, so learn well, my love’,
Your words drove me 
on, they were enough,
To make sure I listened
 and learned so much more,
But your words were
 deception, for still I am poor.
My eyes on a road
 that turned onto nowhere,
I followed you 
blindly, I followed you square.
But my heart is still 
open and so is my hand,
And we still walk
 together all over this land.
We journey to glory, we
 wander so far,
And my legacy rests in the depths of my heart.
Those poor, starving 
wretches, my brothers and sisters,
All over Ukraine, eked out an existence,
Without mercy, you
 crushed them under your boot,
But, as a young boy, you led me to school,
You guided me well, and
I quenched my thirst,
For knowledge and
 learning, wisdom and verse.
‘One day, we’ll be
 something, so learn well, my love’,
Your words drove me
on, they were enough,
To make sure I listened 
and learned so much more,
But your words were 
deception, for still I am poor.
My eyes on a road
 that turned onto nowhere,
I followed you 
blindly, I followed you square.
But my heart is still 
open and so is my hand,
And we still walk
 together all over this land.
We journey to glory, we
 wander so far,
And my legacy rests in the depths of my heart.

This poem sees Shevchenko reflecting on the fortunate circumstances that enabled him to get an education, but his affinity with the common man is evident.
‘Fate and Circumstance’ is multi-themed, with three interwoven storylines. I hope to get it finished soon.

STOP PRESS!!

I was lounging on social media one day when a post caught my eye – it was a request for submissions to a short stories anthology called ‘Stories for Homes’. I took a look at the WordPress blog and then emailed the editor Sally Swingewood to ask whether she would consider poetry. She said to send some over, so I did, and then received an email a few weeks ago informing me my poems were to be included. It’s now available on Amazon Kindle! The proceeds from ‘Stories for Homes’ go to the housing organization, Shelter. It’s a worthy cause, and by way of a preview here’s one of my poems from the collection:

 
The Sign Said For Sale

The sign said for sale

And when the people moved out

Removal men came

To heave away the piano

Along with the beds and everything else

Until the house was empty

And standing forlorn

Like a dog without a tail
The letterbox flapped

And deliveries of junk mail

Landed in a pile

Gathering layers of dust

On a worn out, left behind, welcome mat

The doorbell didn’t ring

And no footsteps

Ran down the hall to answer it
The doors were all locked and bolted

Lamps left on timer switches

The seashells in the bathroom

Long gone with the goldfish

Now and then, people arrived

To poke around and peek in corners

Until, one day, a ray of sunshine came

And took the for sale sign down
Once again, the house could breathe

The world was returning

It might be two-year old terrors

Making mucky marks on the landing walls

Or people with a taste

For Sky dishes and wallpaper paste

The house opened its doors

And let them in

Here’s a link to ‘Stories for Homes’ (link)

on Goodreads

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

More Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Sliding-On-The-Snow-Stone/dp/1466305681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365580081&sr=8-1&keywords=szpuk

http://andyszpuk.wordpress.com

http://andyszpuk.wordpress.com

© Andy Szpuk 2013

“A World of Possibility” A Short Story Anthology by ASMSG

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antholgy, ASMSG, authors, literature, short stories, writing

A truly eclectic offering of short stories ranging from humorous and inspirational to dark and frightening, A World of Possibility presents the work of many authors in the group ASMSG, or Authors’ Social Media Support Group, and each author’s link is provided for your further review of their other work. We hope you enjoy the diversity, laugh, cry, shiver, or look behind you once or twice as you read.

The Authors’ Social Media Support Group (ASMSG) is proud to present the 1st Authors of ASMSG Short Story Anthology under the title A World of Possibility. ASMSG represents a membership of authors throughout the globe, so we found the title of the book and it’s cover appropriate. Inside, you’ll find twenty-six stories of pain, pleasure, anger, despair, fear, love, hatred, passion, and hope. Stories of historic inspiration to the edge of current affairs. Stories that will occupy your thoughts when you turn the lights out, or dance on your mind as you arise with the sun. We hope you will enjoy them

A WORLD OF POSSIBILITY is PERMANENTLY FREE on SMASHWORDS AND KOBO

Reviews:

“A World of Possibility” is a wonderful selection of short stories of a remarkably consistent high quality of writing throughout the entire book.
Always unsure what you get from an anthology that includes unknown writers I was glad to be captivated by the opening piece, “The Jumper”, and the mystery what said jumper represented in the story.
The book takes us through worlds past and present, into the minds of a killer, victims of abuse, to a possibly haunted Inn, into the past of shipping at Cap Cod in the 1869 or to Germany after WWII.
Not one of the stories failed to grab my attention, something that I find rare in anthologies and which I accredit to good editing and selection processes.
The situations described are inspired, captivating and provide amazing entertainment as well as food for thought.
I have noted down several of the names in the hope to find more of their work in novel form, my personally preferred genre.
This is an excellent showcase of writing talent and I wish all contributors the very best for their promising futures.
Highly recommended.
*****
What a wonderful collection of stories, showcasing the talents of many new authors. The stories range, as do the emotions and visuals they invoke. This is the perfect book to read when you only have a few moments… that five minutes waiting for the bus, ten minutes waiting to pick someone up… the perfect collection for everyone.
*****
“A World of Possibility,” an anthology of short fiction by ASMSG Goodreads authors compiled by Christopher Shields, is a heterogeneous blend of vibrant writers. We find stories of all genres ranging from Kirstin Pulioff’s tale of a young boy and girl unearthing a deadly buried treasure, to Yelle Hughes’ detailed account of a journalist’s sexual experience while interviewing a porn star. Alan Hardy’s sad depiction of a marriage gone stale also deals with sexual frustration.
Criminal acts, both present and past, abound: Iain Parke’s Lala Salaama is masterful with its gruesome depiction of the methodical butchering of a human body.
Ghosts, spirits and vampires make an appearance in quite a few stories. Susan Hawthorne’s description of how the spirit of a long-dead boyfriend takes over the body of a younger man in order to entertain his now elderly lover is captivating.
Each story had the power to transport the reader to another reality and to leave strong imprints of each character. Well done ASMSG authors! I bow to the talent in all of you.
*****
I was knocked out by the sheer aptitude displayed in this collection of stories. It is a truly inspired piece of work from all concerned. The variety of tales alone is something fresh and engaging and the scope is breathtaking, from including porn stars to a modern day vampire. Hats off to ASMSG, a group of writers of much talent and promise. Everyone should read these tales.

For more on the book on Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144783-a-world-of-possibility

Download it now on Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/335901

Also on Kobo:

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/Books/a-world-of-possibility

For more on the Author Alliance:

http://asmsg.weebly.com/

Editor Christopher Shields

Alliance Founder R. Grey Hoover

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