I can’t recommend this beautifully-written novel highly enough. Francesca Rhydderch barely puts a foot wrong as she tells an extraordinary story. That story is compelling in itself concerned as it is with the experiences of Elsa, a Welsh woman living in wartime Hong Kong when the Japanese invade. It plays out the life-changing effects of interment, … More ‘The Rice Paper Diaries’ by Francesca Rhydderch
My review of Griff Rhys Jones’ new(ish) book, ‘Insufficiently Welsh’ is over on Wales Arts Review. Follow this link and while you’re there enjoy another selection of top notch writing and reviews.
My review of Peter Hain’s book ‘Ad and Wal’ is in the latest edition of Wales Arts Review. You can read it here and my interview with the author here. While you’re there have a look at the rest of the goodies on offer; there are plenty of them.
If you’ve ever read the Mid Wife Crisis blog you’ll know what to expect from this book because it’s based on that blog although it’s much more than a collection of unconnected posts. One of the things the blog did well was present this story as if it were happening in real time. Events were … More ‘Diary of an Unsmug Married’ by Polly James
This evocative photograph gives you a good idea of what ‘Do Miners Read Dickens?’ by Hywel Francis and Siân Williams is all about. It’s a celebratory coffee-table volume to mark the 40th anniversary of the South Wales Miners’ Library which is part of Swansea University. But in doing that it also tells the story of … More ‘Do Miners Read Dickens?’ by Hywel Francis and Siân Williams
This post isn’t a full review of this book because I’ll be reviewing it for a forthcoming edition of Wales Arts Review. For now, all I’ll say is that its subject matter is a remarkable story of two remarkable people. Actually they think they’re utterly unremarkable which is why what they did raises so many … More ‘Ad and Wal’ by Peter Hain
To read this novel is to experience something remarkable and rare although profoundly discomfiting and emotionally draining. ‘Experienced’ is the apt word because Eimear McBride’s stated intention was to try to immerse the reader in the mind and emotions of her central character, a disturbed young woman whose life is dominated by the effects of … More ‘A Girl Is A Half-formed Thing’ by Eimear McBride
