'Close Encounters of The Welsh Kind'

AmeriCymru spoke to Darren Bowker Powis and Richard W. Finlan about their new book 'Waliens' and their publishing venture Daric Books. Based just outside Pontypool they plan to champion sci-fi, fantasy and horror fiction with Welsh themes and settings. We will be offering a copy of 'Waliens' in a forthcoming competition on the site. Meanwhile read on....

1. What is Daric Books mission statement? Why did you set up the company?

DBP: "Daric Books, has been set up to primarily champion sci-fi, fantasy and horror fiction with a Welsh themes and settings. In time we want to eventually offer opportunities for new writers and other creative people involved with book production, such as illustrators, photographers, graphic designers, editors, etc. We also have plans to offer book design and editorial services."

RWF: "Our aim is to make Daric Books a community project and get new local writers published. Initially we will concentrate on writers of sci-fi/fantasy/horror with a Welsh flavour, but hope to expand into other genres like crime thrillers, romance and comedy."

2. How long has Daric been publishing. Care to tell us a little about your history?

DBP: "Richard and myself are both former journalists. We first worked together on the Pontypool Free Press and have been friends ever since. Our first book together, Weird Tales from Weird Wales, was a collection of spoof newspaper stories from a paper in a fictional Welsh town. We later expanded on the idea by writing a novel set in the same fictional Welsh town.

The idea for Waliens has been buzzing around my head for over twenty years, but I struggled for a long while to get in down on paper. I talked about it with Richard and with the addition of his ideas and suggestions, everything just clicked into place. We decided to write it jointly and drew on well documented Welsh UFO cases such as The Dyfed Triangle and The Berwyn Mountains incident, along with some less well known ones closer to home, in Cwmbran, Varteg and Trevethin. The panic and paranoia depicted about alien invaders in the story is something of comment about the prejudices and fears some people have about immigration, but overall, Waliens is meant to be an entertaining read and not a soap-box lecture.

It’s a sort of Welsh X Files, but with a sense of humour. I love the fictional concept of strange things happening in everyday places like the ones I grew up in.

The story and characters in the book are 100% fiction, but the settings for the story were very much influenced by - and indeed are a homage to - Gwent valley towns like Pontypool, Cwmbran, Newbridge, Ebbw Vale, Llanhilleth and Abertillery.

I'm not actually a believer in UFOs and little green men, but find the subject interesting. There's no conclusive evidence for their existence, but if there was I’d be delighted and thrilled. Like Special Agent Fox Mulder, I want to believe..."

RWF: "It is basically a satire on current trends within the newspaper publishing industry and the running down of Welsh industry. There are a number of social issues which we address such as the paranoia of an alien race taking over. But it is intended to be a fun and light read."

Promotional video for Waliens produced by Rebelhed Productions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G946y2v5EIM

4. You recently published 'Return of The Kin'. Who are the Kin?

RWF: "The Kin is a collective of weapons and artifacts that are joined by a family tie. They are made manifest in human form by The Girl On The Green Horse and the Silver Knight. They were created 500 years ago to combat the evil of Corrus Agrippa. Their origins will be revealed in Vol. 5"



5. Would you say that Wales has a rich tradition of horror/fantasy or imaginative fiction? If so who would you recommend to our readers?

DBP: "Very much so. We have a story telling traditions going back to the bards, through myths and legends, and coming right up to date with best selling authors taking all three genres in new directions."

RWF: "There are many great writers in Welsh fantasy and we can recommend Arthur Machen, Kenneth Morris, Alistair Reynolds, and Tim Lebbon."

6. Are you currently looking for manuscripts or will you be in the near future?

DBP: "Not at the moment, as we have enough projects to keep us going until well into next year. We have to build up the company first in terms of it’s scale of operation and resources."

7. Who are you reading at the moment?

DBP: "Some non-fiction, Parallel Worlds by Fred Alan Wolf, which looks at quantum physics and discusses ideas such as time travel and alternative universes, etc. It’s an interesting subject for me and also ideal for research.

When I read fiction, I enjoy the work of Stephen King, Terry Pratchett and Robin Rankin. My favourite writer, however, is the late Douglas Adams, who’s wonderful, imaginative and inspirational work made we want to become a writer. I’d like to raise a glass and a towel in his memory."

RWF: "Terry Pratchett and H.P. Lovecraft"



8. Where can our readers go to get Daric titles?

RWF: "They can be obtained direct from our website. www.daricbooks.com."

9. Any final message for the readers and members of AmeriCymru?

DBP: "It’s great to know there’s an active Welsh community in the US, and being married to a New Yorker, I know there’s no better combination than Welsh/American!"

RWF: "It’s very nice to link up with our American friends and I can say that on both my visits to your great country have been wonderful and I’m hoping to return soon. If you do buy our books we hope you’ll enjoy them and continue to patronize our site."

Darren Bowker Powis and Richard W Finlan of Welsh horror publishing house Daric Books

Maw – The Ginger Cat from Upper Corris Set to Conquer Wales

This week the first book in a new series of picture and story books for infants following the antics of a ginger cat from the slate town of Upper Corris in North Wales will be launched. Y Lolfa publishers of the book hope that the Maw the cat will eventually become the most famous cat in Wales.The book has been written and drawn by Richard Llwyd Edwards and describing his new creation he said, “Maw enjoys climbing, saying his name, playing, eating and sleeping and sleeping and sleeping… He supports Celtic and his favourite colours are green and white and ginger like his hair of course.” Meinir Edwards on behalf of Y Lolfa added, “I’m sure Maw will strike a chord with children. It is impossible not to like him. I’m hoping that before long he will be as well know as Garfiled, Felix and Tom from Tom and Jerry. Although the book is published in Welsh, an English translation of the text is printed on every page so that non Welsh speaking parents can read and understand the book while reading it to their children.” Richard Llwyd Edwards is the head of Art at Penglais school in Aberystwyth. He lives in Upper Corris with his six cats. Maw! is available in Welsh bookshops and www.ylolfa.com for £2.95. Richard Llwyd Edwards with Maw

‘Best television material lies forgotten in dusty vaults’, says top TV producer

Television producer and director Richard Lewis, whose autobiography Out of the Valley is published by Y Lolfa this week, cares little for the seamingly endless reality TV and soap opera offerings laid before television audiences these days. This self-proclaimed ‘media man’ indeed watches very little television and his written reminiscences of a ‘golden age’ in broadcasting give us clues as to why. With the Welsh television industry lurching from one crisis cut-back to another, Richard Lewis’ recollections are a timely reminder of an era long since gone, when the pioneering spirit spawned initiative, idealism and enterprise, with results which were obvious in the quality of programming on our television screens. But this is a man who is now rather disillusioned with the television industry. He says, ‘I occasionally watch television, carefully pre-selected and, preferably, pre-recorded. I have come to the conclusion that television is very much a creature of its time and even the best archives tend to lie forgotten in dusty vaults.’ Richard Lewis, who was born in Ton Pentre, Rhondda trained with the BBC and in his book, he takes us on his and the BBC’s journey of discovery in Wales during the 1960s and beyond, and through to the day in November 1988 when he walked out of the BBC as its Head of General Programmes after nearly 30 years of service. Amongst his many achievements at the Beeb were UK Network productions such as Dylan, Nye, The Extremist, Babylon Bypassed and The Fasting Girl. After then joining an independent television company, he oversaw the production of classic drama series such as Y Palmant Aur, Halen yn y Gwaed and the BAFTA award winning Nel on S4C. Now retired, Richard Lewis shares his time between Llandaff and the South of France. His autobiography Out of the Valley will be published on the 11th of March 2010 by Y Lolfa, priced at £8.95.

A Must Read for all Football and Rugby Fans in Wales

A new guide, The Football and Rugby Playing Fields of Wales by Richard E Huws is about to be published. A life-long passion for sport led Huws to undertake a decade of research into the history of around 600 grounds throughout Wales. The result is this informative and comprehensive volume packed with fascinating facts and stats. The entries detail the teams that have played on each pitch and some famous matches that have taken place. The author explains further: “I have endeavoured to record the playing fields used by all current senior football and rugby teams in Wales. Fields used by some defunct teams have also been included if they can be clearly identified. I have also attempted to record some special events which have been held on certain fields. These range from agricultural shows to national eisteddfodau, and to other sporting events and unique occasions such as papal visits.” The book will appeal to sports fans and those with an interest in local and family history. Huws is surprised at the lack of information about sport in general local history books. He says, “I very much hope that this work will inspire local historians to delve deeper into the history of sport in their area and to record in greater detail this somewhat neglected aspect of community activity. I feel that this is especially important as an alarming number of traditional playing fields are falling victim to commercial, housing or transport developments.” Born in Carmarthen, the author has spent most of his adult life in Ceredigion. He worked at the National Library of Wales for almost 40 years, and recently retired from the post of Head of Reader Services. He has published widely on the history of printing, local history, family history and sport. He lives in Bont-goch, near Aberystwyth, and is a keen follower of most sports, and especially of his beloved Swansea City.

Drinking for Wales! New Book Charts Antics of Legendary Welsh Tipplers

Wales is renowned for its sheep, male voice choirs and rugby players. In a new book published this week Aubrey Malone makes a case for the legendary status of Welsh drinkers. In the introduction to Welsh Drinkers he mentions the boozing antics of amongst others Rhys Ifans, Charlotte Church, Dai Llewellyn, Tommy Cooper and Hugh Griffiths, however the bulk of the book is dedicated to four world famous Welsh celebrities whose lives fell apart due to their addiction to alcohol.

Welsh Drinkers examines how Richard Burton, Dylan Thomas, Rachel Roberts and Anthony Hopkins coped with celebrity as their lives became ruled by the demon drink, with Anthony Hopkins being the only one to recover. Author Aubrey Malone said,

“Their stories are presented neither to entertain or frighten; merely to state how it was for them on the greasy pole of celebrity before and after their lives become ruled by the substance they once imagined would save them from themselves.”

Aubrey Malone, a proud Irishman, sees many similarities between the Welsh and the Irish’s relationship with drink.

“I see a great affinity between Ireland and Wales in the sense of two small nations who were colonised by England and perhaps as a result of this developed a rebellious defiant streak, which led to colourful personalities who were sometimes unbalanced and sought either escapism through drink to make their poor circumstances bearable or dutch courage to try and do something about them. For every Dylan Thomas there's a Brendan Behan, for every Richard Burton a Richard Harris and for every Anthony Hopkins a Peter O'Toole.”

Welsh Drinkers (£4.94 / $7.50 approx ) is published by Y Lolfa and is available on www.ylolfa.com and in Welsh bookshops.