A Review of Jon Gower's 'Uncharted'

This book surprised and delighted me in equal measure. At one point author Jon Gower observes that:-"The world of coincidence is uncharted mystery". This might be understood as the books theme as it charts coincidental occurrences in Buenos Aries, Oakland Bay and Cardiff bound together, albeit tentatively, by the onward progress of a paper boat. The boat, made of newspaper, is home to the mortal remains of Flavia, a former resident of Buenos Aries whose 'undead' body travels the globe inspiring scientific speculation and religious devotion in its wake.


In a recent interview with AmeriCymru Jon described the book in these terms:- "A friend said that it "mythologizes an Argentine woman's journey around the world" and that pretty much sums it up. The woman, Flavia, is in a sort of purgatory, neither alive nor dead. Her story becomes a myth which becomes a religion, a case of global Chinese whispers." Her condition is in some way a consequence of and a testament to the undying love between her and her former, still earthbound, husband Horacio with whom she used to dance the tango in the back streets of Buenos Aries.

In the course of her journey she touches a great many lives and creates a profound impression but it should not be thought that the book is without humour. In fact the final section, set in Cardiff is suffused with surreal humour and bizarre incident. If you'll forgive a rather long quote, here is Jon's description of the passing of 'Bloomers' , a famous incident in the history of Caroline Street:-

"Half way along Caroline there used to be a famous club called Bloomers but someone attacked it with a petrol bomb, burned it to the ground. In the Echo the day after the conflagration the stalwart cartoonist, Gren, had captured the moment in an exquisite image. Caroline Street with a gaping hole like a tooth extraction: above it, dwarfing all the buildings, is an atomic mushroom cloud and there are two men flying through the air above the caption 'Now that's what I call a curry.' There is much more in this vein as the seemier side of Cardiff's nightlife and it's culture of heavy drinking and toxic takeaways are mercilessly ( and humorously ) exposed.

If you were planning to give someone a book for Christmas and were looking for something 'different', then look no further. 'Uncharted' has everything:- pathos, humour and a pace that makes it 'unputdownable'. The book is , unfortunately, ineligible for a Wales Book of the Year Award in 2011 because Jon is on the judges panel. It surely would have been a strong contender for first place.

An Interview with Welsh Author - Jon Gower

From the Gomer Press site:- "Jon Gower is one of Wales’s brightest literary talents. He grew up in Llanelli, graduated in English from Cambridge University, and now lives in Cardiff. A former BBC Wales arts and media correspondent, he has published ten books, including An Island Called Smith, winner of the John Morgan Travel Award. Uncharted is the author’s own adaptation of his acclaimed Welsh-language novel Dala’r Llanw (Gomer, 2009)."

AmeriCymru: Your latest novel - Uncharted has been described as:- "a tale of Tango, unfathomable mysteries, and two ancient lovers who will not be parted". How would you describe it for an intending reader.

Jon: A friend said that it "mythologizes an Argentine woman's journey around the world" and that pretty much sums it up. The woman, Flavia, is in a sort of purgatory, neither alive nor dead. Her story becomes a myth which becomes a religion, a case of global Chinese whispers. I tried to write about a character much as Dickens' writes about Little Nell, and wanted people to be moved by her death. To make me care a lot about her I modelled the central character, Flavia on my wife Sarah but when I came to killing her off I couldn't because it seemed too much like wishing my wife harm, so I kept her alive. Or seemingly alive!

AmeriCymru: The story is set partly in Buenos Aries, partly in Oakland and partly in Cardiff ( including a wonderful description of Caroline St, the hub of Cardiff's sophisticated nightlife ). What made you choose these locations?

Jon: I've been lucky enough to travel a lot in Latin America but hadn't visited Buenos Aires. When I did I fell completely in love with the place and came back to Wales on fire with a need to write about it. The competition for the prose medal at the Eisteddfod the following year required an urban theme, so I found myself writing about B.A and after some 10,000 words thought where else can I go? I decided to write about other ports I knew well, so plumped for Oakland, California, my wife's home town and as the Eisteddfod was in Cardiff I thought I'd write a judge-pleasing ending and set it in my own home. So it's a tale of three cities.

AmeriCymru: The book is adapted from Dala’r Llanw ( Catching The Tide ) which is the first book you have written in the Welsh language. Is writing in a second language ( or perhaps i should say first ) a problematic or an enriching experience?

Jon: I usually try to write prose that has a melody and found writing the English translation difficult at first as I was trying to impose the Welsh "music" on the English version, that is until I decided to go with the English music. Adapting the book also gave me a chance to winnow out some weaknesses, and to alter the ending. The current archdruid James Jones said he didn't like the ending of Dala'r Llanw and I agreed with him, so I tacked on a new conclusion, which is less Hollywood ending and much more lyrical.

AmeriCymru: This is not the first time that your writing has featured an American location. In An Island Called Smith you presented an account of your stay on Smith Island in Chesapeake Bay. Care to tell us a little more about that experience and about the book?

Jon: I was intrigued to read a tiny little newspaper article about the Welsh and Cornish settlers of Smith Island and kept the piece of paper. Years later I was lucky enough to win the John Morgan travel writing prize which funded two trips to Smith Island, a disappearing island because of sea level rise. Here crab fishing is the mainstay of the economy and it was a rare opportunity for me, as a naturalist, to spend time with people who understand the richness and complexity of the natural world in an instinctive way. It's also a Methodist island, and gave me a glimpse of what parts of Wales were like when it was one of the most religious countries on earth.

AmeriCymru: You have also written short stories, some of which are anthologised in a collection titled Big Fish Care to tell us more about this volume?

Jon: I see myself as a short story writer above all else, although it's a form that doesn't sell. I still find this surprising when you consider reduced attention span, the pace of life, etc: it should be conducive to people's lives nowadays. 'Big Fish' mashes up Welsh themes with my take on American style, reflecting the fact I've always read a lot of American fiction, especially John Updike, Annie Proulx and Alice Hoffman. People found the stories zany, and I like that.

AmeriCymru: What is your working routine?

Jon: I have two daughters, Onwy who is twenty months old and Elena, who is five and a half years old I have to write around them, so it's a case of trying to get up before them to write, or doing so after they've gone to bed. Luckily, owing to years of news journalism I can write quickly in the time available. Though they often hear me getting up early and see it as a cue to get up themselves. Anyway 1000 words a day assuages enough guilt to allow me to enjoy the rest of life, and them. They're great kids.

AmeriCymru: Where do you get your ideas?

Jon: If I'm really stuck I deal a card from the Oblique Strategies website. The musician and record producer Brian Eno used to write post it notes in the studio with tips he and his engineer Peter Schmidt culled from their working day. They turned into a physical pack of cards and now you can generate one at random on the website. Even though they're about music they can usually get you out of a corner, or spark something off.

AmeriCymru: How did you become a writer?

Jon: I've always enjoyed writing, but writing books is an offshoot of earning a living as a journalist and trading words in that way. Gradually I've moved away from non fiction to fiction and like the freedoms of lyricism and imaginative flight.

AmeriCymru: Which of your own books do you like the best?

Jon: I'm genuinely proud of 'Uncharted' and like the fact that many people who've read it have enjoyed doing so. Not that it'll be everyone's cup of tea, of course.

AmeriCymru: Where can people order copies of 'Uncharted' and your other works online?

Jon: In the U.S you can get it through the Big Beast, Amazon.com. You have to hunt for some of the others, but Powells is a good place to start.

AmeriCymru: What's next for Jon Gower?

Jon: There's a new Welsh language novel out next year, when I finish it! It draws heavily on my own life and I spend a lot of time trying to protect the innocent! That will be followed by collections of stories in both Welsh and English ('Too Cold for Snow') in 2012 and then, in 2013 or 2014, I'm hoping that my "deep map" of Y Wladfa, the Welsh settlement in Patagonia will see the light of day, ahead of the 150th anniversary of its establishment in 2015. It's inspired by William Least Heat-Moon's wonderful book about Chase County in Kansas.

AmeriCymru: Any final message for the members and readers of AmeriCymru?

Jon: Do check out the books on the long list for next year's Wales Book of the Year, due out in March. I'm one of the judges and even though we've yet to reach year's end it strikes me that there will be some wonderful books on the list, a very strong year seemingly and hopefully a good snapshot of the variety and confidence of Welsh writing at the moment.

Jon Gower on Amazon

Uncharted by Jon Gower	Big Fish by Jon Gower	An Island Called Smith by Jon Gower

Interview by Ceri Shaw Email

Welsh Composer - Karl Jenkins To Play New York!!!

Karl Jenkins on Wikipedia


Karl Jenkins Website


Karl Jenkins on YouTube



Karl Jenkins: The United Kingdom's Most Popular Living Composer To Have Three Premieres At Avery Fiher Hall On Monday, January 19, 2009, 8 PM

Concert to be Presented by Distinguished Concerts International New York - Purchase tickets HERE

(DCINY) Will Feature World Premiere Performance of Jenkins’ Violin Concerto, Sarikiz; US Premieres of His Te Deum and Stabat Mater; Jonathan Griffith and Karl Jenkins, Conductors

Karl Jenkins was voted the United Kingdom’s most popular living composer for the past five years by listeners on BBC Classical Radio One, and entered Classic FM’s “Hall of Fame” at number eight, the highest position ever for a living composer. Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY) is proud to present two US premiere performances of new works by Mr. Jenkins, as well as the world premiere performance of his violin concerto, Sarikiz. This evening of choral and orchestral works will take place on January 19, 2009, 8 PM, at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall, and will feature the Distinguished Concerts Orchestra International and the Distinguished Concerts Singers International.

Sarikiz will showcase the talent of the Kazakh violinist for whom the piece was written, Marat Bisengaliev. Mr. Bisengaliev has performed in over thirty-five countries, and was the winner of the Royal Philharmonic Society’s “Instrumentalist of the Year” award in 2007. Featured in the US premiere performance of Stabat Mater will be mezzo-soprano Charlotte Daw Paulsen, whose recent appearance in Rossini’s Petite Messe Solenelle was called “dramatic in the best sense and utterly gripping” by the New York Times. Ms. Paulsen’s Western classical singing will be juxtaposed with the Middle Eastern-based vocals of Belinda Sykes, who will also demonstrate her virtuosity on the “mey”, an indigenous Middle Eastern reed instrument. Mr. Jenkins himself will be conducting, marking his Lincoln Center debut.

The opening piece of the evening, and the first of the US debuts, will be Te Deum, commissioned by Liverpool’s Welsh Choral. The text is based on an early Christian hymn of praise and thanksgiving. Jenkins’ setting of Te Deum was reviewed as “a joyous, theatrical piece of music…which alternates between dynamic, brassy flourishes and the lush rise and fall of massed voices” by the Liverpool Echo in 2008. At the baton will be DCINY Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Jonathan Griffith.

Sarikiz was commissioned by Kazakh philanthropist Sapar Iskakov. It is dedicated to his ancestor, Tlep Aspantaiuly, composer and master of the kobyz, a Middle Eastern relative of the violin. Throughout, Jenkins makes references to native folk themes, and employs two traditional percussion instruments, the dabel [hand drum] and the kepshek [tambourine].

The second half of the evening will consist of Stabat Mater. The 13th-century poem, a meditation on the sorrows of Jesus’ mother Mary during his crucifixion, has been used as a theme by composers from Vivaldi to Verdi. Mr. Jenkins’ 21st-century interpretation of the verse includes six texts not from the original poem, including a section of the Epic of Gilgamesh as well as a poem by 13th-century mystic poet Jalal al-Din Rumi.

In Jenkins’ words, “The Epic of Gilgamesh…is the world’s oldest written story. It is from the ancient Babylonian civilization, which means, of course, that it comes from what is now Iraq, so it has real resonance for our current time. Rumi…had an intense relationship with a spiritual mentor called Shams al-Din Tabrizi, whose apparent murder turned [him] into a poet and mystic who sought consolation in the Divine.”

Karl Jenkins has received numerous critical accolades and extensive academic honors, and has achieved wide-scale popular appeal as well.

He is a recipient of the Order of the British Empire for his “services to music”, and his innovative work with the jazz ensemble Nucleus won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1970. The album on which he initially appeared as part of the seminal progressive rock group Soft Machine, entitled Six, won the Melody Maker “British Jazz Album of the Year” award. He has twice won industry prizes in the advertising field, and his work Palladio has become iconic for the De Beers diamond company. He is both a Fellow and an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music, where a room has been named in his honor. Additionally, he has been bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate in music from the University of Leicester, and a Chancellor’s Medal from the University of Glamorgan.

Date & Concert Programme

Karl Jenkins at Avery Fisher Hall
Monday, January 19, 2009, 8:00 PM

Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
Te Deum (US premiere performance)

Sarikiz, violin concerto (world premiere performance)

Stabat Mater (US premiere performance)

Karl Jenkins Conducts "Palladio"