New Welsh Review 53, Summer 2001

Editorial:

A Difficult Time (Tony Brown)

Regular readers of New Welsh Review will be surprised to see an editorial that does not appear over the initials “R.R.”, the initials of Robin Reeves who has been our editor for the last ten years. The news of Robin’s serious illness, revealed following tests at the end of April, has been a dreadful blow to those of us who have worked with him on NWR over the years and our thoughts have been with Robin and his family over the weeks as he has been undergoing further tests and, now, treatment.
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Features

• A class of her own by Barbara Prys-Williams
  Barbara Prys-Williams meditates on the work of Stevie Davies and her return to Swansea.
  
  
• Philip Pullman and the Republic of Heaven by Richard Poole
  Richard Poole examines Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy.
  
  
• This is not contentment by Ted Parry
  Ted Parry analyses the voters' verdict and finds a mix of fear and anger at the re-election fo Tony Blair.
  
  
• My Father, the Sun by John Harrison
  John Harrison tells of his travels in Bolivia.
  
  
• Interesting, but rather safe by Paul Frame
  Paul Frame gives his reactions to 'Cambria's Curse - Images of the Bard 1750-1850' at the National Museum of Wales.
  
  
• Word music by Rian Evans
  Rian Evans examines the outcome and events of the Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
  
  
• Five old men on a Beach by Tony Curtis
  Tony Curtis looks at recent exhibitions of the works of artists; Will Roberts John Selway Terry Setch Nicholas Evans and Gwilym Pritchard.
  
  
• Chapter and Verse by
  A collection of short news items including: Two Views of Hay, Summer Reading, R. S. Thomas research material on the net, Rogers and Hart, mappingwales.ac.uk, gwales.com, James Hanley: A Symposium, Honno: Sex Appeal, New Welsh Review Authors Republished.
  
  
• Books I Remember by Peter Finch
  Peter Finch looks back at books which have been important in his life.
  
  
• By THe Forelock by Gwyn Jones
  Gwyn Jones on 'Wales, The Divided Country' from 'The Welsh Review', March 1944.
  
  

Fiction

• A Short and Troubled History of One's Life and Times by Alun Richards
  
• The Elephant at Tregaron by Mary-Ann Constantine
  
• Touch and Go by Gwyneth Hughes
  
• What are dunes for? by Ann Oosthuizen
  

Poems

Poems by :
Merryn Williams,
Richard George,
Stephanie Halse,
Patrick Gilmore,
Liz Atkin,
Pat Hollingberry,
Patricia M. Virgin,
Sue Moules,
Teleri Williams,
Ruth Bidgood,
John Powell Ward,
Kenneth C. Steven,
John Barnie,
Paul Groves
Paul Henry

Reviews

The majority of books reviewed in New Welsh Review can be bought online from gwales.com, the Welsh Books Council's online bookshop, by simply clicking on the 'buy now' icon. For any that are unavailable, please contact the publishers or ask in your local bookshop. All details were correct at the time of publication.

• Cusan Dyn Dall / Blind Man's Kiss by Menna Elfyn
  Published by Bloodaxe
  ISBN   128pp £7.95
  Reviewed by M. Wynn Thomas
  
  
• The Element of Water by Stevie Davies
  Published by The Women's Press
  ISBN   248pp £9.99
  Reviewed by Stevie Krayer
  
  
• Collected Short Stories by Roland Mathias
  Published by University of Wales Press
  ISBN   198pp £9.99
  Reviewed by Jon Gower
  
  
• Imagining Wales: A View of Modern Welsh Writing in English by Jeremy Hooker
  Published by University of Wales Press
  ISBN   234pp £25 hdbk / £12.99 pbk
  Reviewed by John Powell Ward
  
  
• 'Lets Do Our Best for the Ancient Tongue': The Welsh Language in the Twentieth Century by Geraint H. Jenkins and Maria A. Williams (eds.)
  Published by University of Wales Press
  ISBN   716pp £25
  Reviewed by Simon Brooks
  
  
• Language Revitalization: Policy and Planning in Wales by Colin H. Williams (ed.)
  Published by University of Wales Press
  ISBN   192pp £35
  Reviewed by Simon Brooks
  
  
• Collected Poems by Vernon Watkins
  Published by Golgonooza Press
  ISBN   495pp £16.95
  Reviewed by Victor Golightly
  
  
• The Pier Glass by Nia Williams
  Published by Honno Modern Fiction
  ISBN   271pp £7.99
  Reviewed by Stevie Davies
  
  
• The Tower by Sheila McDermid
  Published by Gwasg Pantycelyn
  ISBN   144pp £6
  Reviewed by Stevie Davies
  
  
• The Male Image: Representations of Masculinity in Postwar Poetry by Ian Gregson
  Published by Palgrave Books
  ISBN   216pp £45
  Reviewed by Jim Perrin
  
  
• Dylan Thomas: An Original Language by Barbara Hardy
  Published by University of Georgia Press
  ISBN   184pp £22.95
  Reviewed by Katie Gramich
  
  
• Aneurin, Cyfres Celf 2000 by Ed. Emyr Llewelyn
  Published by Y Lolfa
  ISBN   104pp £19.95
  Reviewed by Linda Adams
  
  
• Magpie: New Writing by
  Published by CCPA
  ISBN   432pp £5.99
  Reviewed by Catherine Merriman
  
  
• Nine Green Gardens by Gillian Clarke
  Published by Gomer
  ISBN   32pp £4.95
  Reviewed by Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
  
  
• The Welsh Book of the Dead by Douglas Houston
  Published by Seren
  ISBN   64pp £6.95
  Reviewed by Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
  
  
• Bastard Englyns by Greg Hill
  Published by Nant Publications
  ISBN   35pp £2
  Reviewed by Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
  
  
• Multiverse by Don Rodgers
  Published by Seren
  ISBN   64pp £6.95
  Reviewed by Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
  
  
• Dandelion Time by Jeff Rees, Illustr. Rachel Verity
  Published by Stonebridge
  ISBN   63pp £5.95
  Reviewed by Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
  
  
• Swansea Poems by Lloyd Rees
  Published by Christopher Davies
  ISBN   63pp £6.50
  Reviewed by Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
  
  
• Encounters by Dannie Abse
  Published by Hearing Eye
  ISBN   21pp £6
  Reviewed by Nathalie Wourm
  
  
• Collected Poems by Brian Morris
  Published by Rare Books and Berry
  ISBN   255pp £20
  Reviewed by Nathalie Wourm
  
  
• Wild Blue by Frances Williams
  Published by Seren
  ISBN   64pp £6.95
  Reviewed by Nathalie Wourm
  
  
• Secret Villages by Rennie Parker
  Published by Flambard Poetry
  ISBN   48pp £6
  Reviewed by Nathalie Wourm
  
  
• A Ram in the Well by June Knox-Mawer
  Published by John Murray
  ISBN   223pp £16.99
  Reviewed by Dewi Roberts
  
  
• In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl by Rachel Trezise
  Published by Parthian
  ISBN   136pp £5.99
  Reviewed by Kirsti Bohata
  
  

Letters

• Dylan Thomas and Laugharne - John Idris Jones
• In Memoriam: Geoff Gillham - Jeni Williams