Contemporary Authors at the School of Welsh
On Wednesday, January 25, 2012 two contemporary authors - one from Wales, the other from Slovenia, came to discuss their work with students at the School of Welsh.
As part of the undergraduate module, 鈥楲lenyddiaeth Gyfoes鈥� (Contemporary Literature), the Welsh author, Lloyd Jones, came to talk about his novel, Y Dwr (鈥楾he Water鈥�). This is one of the most striking novels to be written in Welsh in recent years, and confirms Lloyd Jones鈥� standing as a pre-eminent writer in Wales today, both in Welsh and in English.
In the course of his talk, Lloyd discussed his experience of walking across Wales numerous times, and the importance of the natural world in his work. Though he had written mainly in English as a journalist, he was persuaded to write a Welsh-language novel by Alun Jones, editor at Y Lolfa press.
Since last year, Lloyd Jones has published his second novel in Welsh, entitled Y Daith (鈥楾he Journey鈥�, 2011), also published by Y Lolfa. Lloyd Jones鈥� second English-language novel, Mr Cassini, won the Wales Book of the Year Prize in 2006.
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Later that afternoon, as part of the Creative Writing Postgraduate Seminars at the School of Welsh, the eminent Slovenian author, Marusa Krese, came to give a reading of her work and to discuss the various linguistic, literary and political contexts of her work. She is currently writer in residence at the Ty Newydd National Writing Centre, under the auspices of Translators鈥� House Wales.
Now living in Berlin, Marusa discussed the difficult war years in the countries of former Yugoslavia, and of her work with victims of the war at Sarajevo. As a journalist for major German newspapers she has also travelled to areas of crisis in Pakistan and India, and much of this material can be seen in her literary work. At the moment, Marusa is completing a novel on the Slovenian experience before and after the Second World War, focusing on the complex experiences of her own parents鈥� generation.
Marusa Krese can be seen in the photo with Sally Baker, Director of Ty Newydd.
Publication date: 13 August 2012