Thursday, April 19, 2007

BayLit Festival in Cardiff: 17th - 21st April 2007

Thursday 19 April 2007:

* Taliesin Launch - Welsh Language Event
Glanfa, Wales Millennium Centre – 7.30 pm
Free entry

Come and hear the best of Welsh language literature: poetry, prose, essays and a wide range of reviews. The launch of issue 130 of Taliesin, the Welsh language literature magazine promises to be a feast for the ears.

Editors Christine James, Crowned poet and Creative Wales Award winner Manon Rhys host a night featuring many of the issue’s contributors.


Friday 20 April 2007:

* Gwyn Thomas and Andrew Motion in Conversation
Function Room 1, Wales Millennium Centre - 7.30 pm
£6 / £4.50

Gwyn Thomas the National Poet for Wales and Andrew Motion Poet Laureate meet on stage for the first time to debate what it is to be an official bard and how national identity plays its part in that role. This lively and never before witnessed discussion will be chaired by a poet who knows the subject only too well, the first National Poet of Wales, Gwyneth Lewis. Wales versus England. National Poet versus Poet Laureate. Neighbours from hell or perfect fellow travellers? This is a meeting of two incredible poetic minds that is not to be missed.

Gwyn Thomas. Born in Tanygrisiau and raised in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwyn Thomas was educated at Ysgol Sir Ffestiniog, University of Wales, Bangor where he is Professor Emeritus and Jesus College, Oxford. Publishing 16 volumes of poetry over 5 decades– his first, Chwerwder yn y Ffynhonnau (Bitterness in the Fountains, Gwasg Gee) in 1962 and the latest Apocalups Yfory (Apocalypse Tomorrow, Barddas) in 2005 along with translating perhaps the finest English language version of the Mabinogion. On accepting the appointment of National Poet of Wales in 2006 Gwyn said modestly that he hoped to “draw attention to the poets of Wales and their work”. He has certainly done that.

Andrew Motion. Andrew Motion was appointed Poet Laureate in May 1999. After reading English at University College, Oxford and teaching at the University of Hull Andrew went on to edit the Poetry Review, become Editorial Director and Poetry Editor at Chatto & Windus and has recently been appointed Professor of Creative Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. His most recent collection of poetry is Public Property (Faber, 2002). His autobiography In the Blood: A Memoir of My Childhood (Faber) was published in 2006.



Saturday 21 April 2007

* Lost in Translation? Welsh and Catalan Translation Workshop
Glyn Jones Centre, Wales Millennium Centre – 9.30 am
£4 / £3

Five poets, three hours and two poems to translate: Welsh to Catalan, Catalan to Welsh. Will they succeed? Aspiring and experienced literary translators are welcome to join in this cultural exchange and contribute to poetry in the making. In association with Welsh Literature Abroad and Institut Ramon Llull.

* Parallel Voices / Veus Paral-leles
Glanfa, Wales Millennium Centre - 2.30 pm
Free Entry

Following the success enjoyed by Welsh poets visiting Barcelona in 2005, we bring you the second stage of this project in association with Institut Ramon Llull. Witness a feast of Catalan and Welsh language poetry celebrating the national saint day of Catalonia, La Diada de Sant Jordi or is that St. George’s Day?

Representing Catalonia are poets Albert Mestres, Francesc Parcerisas and Julia Zabala and for Wales Alan Llwyd, Mererid Puw Davies and John Fitzgerald.

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