Llandeilo Lit Fest: The Book Hunt

On Saturday 29th of April Llandeilo will be the scene of a town wide book / treasure hunt.

A map with all the festival locations will include markations for participating businesses and notable town locations.

Books and / or clues for the hunt will be left in those businesses and locations all over Llandeilo for you to find literary treasures and some other surprises.

More details will be released nearer the time via the Facebook page of the Llandeilo Book Fairy. https://www.facebook.com/Llandeilo-Book-Fairy-328261400907790/

The hunt will be a collaboration with the Llandeilo Book Fairy who recently brought the fabulous idea of the Kidwelly Book Hunters to town.

Here is an article about the idea

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-38295191

What's new with the Llandeilo Book Fair 2017 #LlandeiloBookFair #LlandeiloLitFest

As previously stated, this year the Llandeilo Book Fair will be running for two entire days (April 29 and 30) and be part of the Llandeilo LitFest.

This means the Civic Hall will be hosting 30 authors and publishers a day, some familiar faces and some will be joining us for the very first time, making sure that there is something for everyone. We'll be introducing the authors on this blog in the run up to the event.

On the Saturday, April 29th,  the focus of the festival and therefor of the book fair will be on children's books, family entertainment and poetry (although this is not binding and you should be able to find good books of all genres on both days).

The authors present on Saturday are:

Angela Fish, Wendy White, Colin Parsons, Kate Murray,  Will Macmillan Jones, Dafydd Wynn, Ant Lavisher, Jean Gill, Graham Watkins,

Penny Luker, Carol Lovekin, Jan Newton, Thorne Moore, Sue Moules, Kathy Miles, Sally Spedding, Alys Einion, Carole Ann Smith, Sion Tomos Owen, Lisa Shambrook, Phil Carradice, Sarah Jane Butfield, Mary Powles, Haydn Corper, Julian Dutton, Sarada and John Thompson, Christoph Fischer and Kate Glanville.

On top of this, we have tables from Honno Press, Accent Press, Cyfoes, The Library of Wales, Seren, Iconau books and Three Throated Press.

On Sunday the festival and book fair focus is on writing as a craft, historical and literary fiction.

Additional authors are Charles Griffin, Cheryl Rees-Price, Dave Lewis, Alan Goodwin, J A Corrigan
Josephine Hammond, Nicola Beechsquirrel, Greg Howes, Judith Arnopp, David Evans and Richard Foreman.

Also present will be: ThunderPoint Publishing, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Siop Y Cennen

Opening hours are 11am to 4pm. The address is   Crescent Rd, Llandeilo SA19 6HW
http://www.carmarthenshirehalls.org.uk/hall.php?hall_id=8

Directions

Approaching Llandeilo from the bridge end proceed through the town to the C.K.'s cross roads and turn right – the hall is about 200 yards down on the left hand side.

From the A40 roundabout end, proceed through the town to the C.K's crossroads and turn left, the hall is 200 yards down on the left.

Meet the participants of the #LlandeiloBookFair / Hwyl Llandeilo LitFest: Julian Dutton

Like the pervious two interviewees in this series, Julian's appearance at the Book Fair in Llandeilo will be his first.
However, after the event I doubt that he'll be a stranger to many of you. Besides his table at the Book Fair, Julian will be part of an expert panel on scriptwriting for TV and Film on Sunday, 30th April 3pm in the Angel Inn.

Welcome Julian. Please tell us about the books you’ll be bringing to the Book Fair.

KEEPING QUIET: VISUAL COMEDY IN THE AGE OF SOUND.

Keeping Quiet is a love-letter to the modern sight-gag on film and television, tracing the history of physical clowning since the advent of sound. Taking up the story of visual humour where Paul Merton’s 'Silent Comedy' leaves off, it charts the lives and work of all the great comedians who chose to remain silent, from Charlie Chaplin – who was determined to resist the ‘talkies’ - right through to the slapstick of modern-day performers such as Rowan Atkinson, Matt Lucas and Harry Hill. Spanning nine decades, it shows how physical comedy, at first overshadowed by dialogue-films in the 1930s, reinvented itself and how this revival was spearheaded by a Frenchman: Jacques Tati. I draw on my own experience as a comedy writer and performer to give an analysis of the screen persona and the comedy style of dozens of the screen’s best-loved performers including Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harpo Marx, Norman Wisdom, Jerry Lewis, Benny Hill, Peter Sellers, Eric Sykes, Marty Feldman, Ronnie Barker and many more. This book is aimed both at the serious student of film, television and theatre - including those aspiring to write or perform comedy - and to the general reader and comedy fan.

Which genres do they belong to? 

NON-FICTION, HISTORY OF FILM,THEATRE & TV.

Tell us about your newest book.

My latest book is a novel for children, ‘The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys, aged ten and three quarters.’ It’s the fictional journal of the great diarist when he was a schoolboy, at the outbreak of the English Civil War.

Which of your books are you’re most proud of, and why?

I think I am most proud of my history of comedy, as it seemed to fill a gap in the market, as no other book had been written that traced the history of visual comedy after the advent of sound to the present day. It has bought by quite a few university libraries, which I’m proud of.  

What is the best thing that has been said about your books?

Harry Hill said my book is ‘A brilliant history of modern slapstick,’ which I count as something of an accolade, coming from one of the finest comedians in the country.

Why did you decide to come to the Llandeilo Book Fair?

I think this is a fantastic initiative that will boost the cultural life of the whole area and am delighted to be part of it.

Do you have a special connection to Wales?

Yes, my Grandparents were Welsh, and all my aunts and Uncles, and since childhood Carmarthenshire & Pembrokeshire has been my second home, in particular Llandovery. Now it’s my main home.

What is your personal background?

I have worked as an actor, comedian and comedy scriptwriter for TV, radio and film for thirty years.

Who are your favourite authors?

P.G. Wodehouse, Dickens, Chesterton, Jerome K. Jerome, Alison Uttley, William Sansom, Joseph Conrad, Graham Greene, John Le Carre.

Please share your social media links and buy links to your books.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keeping-Quiet-Julian-Dutton/dp/1909183776/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1425305781&sr=8-10&keywords=julian+dutton

http://www.chaplinbooks.co.uk/all_books.html

https://twitter.com/JulianDutton1

Meet the participants of the #LlandeiloBookFair / #LlandeiloLitFest : Chas Griffin

                Today's interview is with Chas Griffin, who makes his first appearance to a Llandeilo Book Fair this year. Welcome Chas. Please tell us about the books you’ll be bringing to the Book Fair.

    Please tell us about the books you’ll be bringing to the Book Fair.

                Scenes from a Smallholding

                More Scenes from a Smallholding

                Scenes from a Vegetable Plot

                Mr Grooby and Me.

                DarwinPlus! (CD)

Which genres do they belong to? I hate genres!

The three Scenes books are gardnening/smallholding/humour

Mr Grooby is a whodunit/humour

DarwinPlus! is reality studies/science/religion/philosophy/humour

What are the characters and plots like?

                The Scenes books are autobiographical. The author sees humour in most aspects of smallholding and gardening.

                In Mr Grooby the hero is a local Welsh countryman. The other characters are mainly Welsh and local.  Two others are English. One Polish.

                The plot is a fairly straightforward whodunit, but with humour, and most unexpected twist.

Tell us about your newest book.

                That would be Mr Grooby and Me. I ended up self-publishing it because my agent said that publishers wouldn’t want it because 'you can't have a humorous whodunit.' Waterstone's disagrees., it seems.  The Manageress of Carmarthen W's said some very nice things about Mr Grooby in the Carmarthen Journal, including that she 'would strongly recommend it'. The Regional Manager and the Regional Buyer of W's also seem to have no problem with a 'humorous whodunit'. Maybe I need a different agent?

Which of your books are you’re most proud of, and why?

                

DarwinPlus!.... It took over twenty years to research it and a further three to write. It started off trying to discover why Big Science refuses to seriously investigate the paranormal, and ended up discovering that Big Science holds as a Truth an irrational dogma which is holding back human progress not only in science, but in virtually every other aspect of life.

What is the best thing that has been said about your books?

               

 People have said a lot of kind things. My style has been compared to Terry Pratchett, M*A*S*H, Bill Bryson, and Evelyn Waugh. Other comments include 'a minor classic', 'by turns hilarious, touching, and challenging', 'highly informative', 'a new way of writing about science', 'the sort of book I would offer to my psychology students', 'a better read than the Bible', 'I would like to order a sixth copy, please', 'your masterpiece', 'It makes you think and think again', 'I was laughing so hard at the sheep story that I was crying and couldn't see', 'a better read than War and Peace'. Lots more…. Including “Incredibly witty ... filled with a passion”- Western Mail.

Why did you decide to come to the Llandeilo Book Fair?

               

It's extremely hard to meet readers and potential new readers. A Book Fair is an opportunity.

Do you have a special connection to Wales?

               I came here in 1982 to set up and run an organic smallholding from scratch and with no experience. I loved it. I still love it here. I would never want to go back to England.

What is your personal background?

    

            Brought up on Merseyside. Degree in Slavonic Studies. Taught French and Russian, then English, Communications, and EFL at a school then an FE College. Then to Wales….

Who are your favourite authors?

                

John Steinbeck. Bill Bryson, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Evelyn Waugh, Paul Brunton, Colin Wilson, Yogi Ramacharaka.

Please share your social media links and buy links to your books.

                I have a Facebook page called Chas Griffin Author which I occasionally add to. Rarely though, because I find FB totally baffling. (There is another FB page called just Chas Griffin… I don't understand that one either.)

                My website is at www.thirdleafbooks.co.uk

Everything you need to know about the #Llandeilo X-Mas Book Fair, this Saturday Dec 10th

The Book Fair will start at 9:45am with music by the Llandeilo Town Band and the official opening by the Mayor.  You can find the Civic Hall on Crescent Road, next to the main town car park.  There will be signs throughout town to guide you. The day will be filled with performances, readings and events for the entire family. PROGRAMME:   9:45 am: The Llandeilo Town Band will kickstart the day with festive music and the town Mayor will open the event officially. 10:00 am: Book Fair opens with Hayley Addis: “The Goblin Circus” (children & adults) reworking fairy-tales 10:45 am: Will MacMillan Jones presents his ‘Enchanted Darkness,’ a performance for children and adults. 11:15 am: Wendy White, ‘Tir-nan-Og’ winner, reads from her children's book 'Welsh Cakes and Custard.' 11:45 am: Hugh W. Roberts reads “What If Summer Never Arrives” from his brand new book “Glimpses” 12:15 am: Colin R. Parsons reads his Christmas Story “Norman's Christmas Spirit” 12:45 am: Short Story Competition Award Ceremony.  1:00 p.m. Sharon Tregenza reads from her Middle Grade/Mystery Adventure “Shiver Stone” 1:00 p.m. Carol Lovekin reads from her magical novel ‘Ghostbird.’ 1:30 pm: Rachel McGrath reads from her children’s book ‘Willow and Coco meet Santa.’ 2:00 pm: Poetry Readings. (Open Mic)  2:30pm:  Welsh Poem Recital Competition. 3:00 pm: Liz Riley-Jones reads from her Celtic fantasy novel ' Hiraeth a burden - baich' and talks about the significance of the Welsh Language in it. 3:30 pm: Graham Watkin reads from his best-selling mythology collection ‘Welsh Legends and Myths.’  4:00 pm: Kate Glanville reads from her novel ‘Stargazing.’ 4:30 pm: Christoph Fischer reads from his Carmarthenshire-set murder mystery ‘The Body In The Snow.’ 17:00: Book Fair closes with the announcement of Raffle Prize winners. Donations were received from many local businesses: Organica, Scorpio, Cuckoo's Nest, Heavenly Chocolate, Deb's Wool, Coffor Bach, Dragon's Garden, In Stitches, Eve's Toy Shop, The Little Welsh Dresser, Papillon, Crafts Alive. Catering by THE HANGOUT at the YARD Llandeilo (traditional, healthy and vegetarian options)   Gift Wrapping in aid of the Air Ambulance all day long