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 #LlandeiloLitFest: Nicola Beechsquirrel

Book Fair Interview with Llandeilo resident writer 

Nicola Beechsquirrel

I create non-fiction books using material from my family history archives. To written documents by various ancestors, I add historical background relevant to the subjects contained in each particular document, researched from sources such as libraries, the Internet, or my own collection of books. To accompany the text, I use photographs, postcards and drawings from albums belonging to the relevant ancestor. My aim is to piece together the story of specific periods of an ancestor's life, drawing together fragments of memorabilia that would otherwise remain mere disjointed objects in a box.

Memoirs of a Twentieth Century Homesteader is the first such book I have created. Around Lawrence Nowell's own account of his life as a homesteader farming the western Canadian prairies at the start of the twentieth century, I have woven a tapestry of historical background and remembered family anecdotes. This I have embellished with photographs from his album and line drawings made by his niece, Ivy Kent. Lawrence Nowell was my maternal grandfather. 

This book has been many years in the planning and making, so it is with a great sense of achievement that I bring it to Llandeilo Book Fair. A friend said to me, “ Enjoy the feeling of having completed your Grandfather's memoirs, - it means his legacy lives on and is preserved for the future.”

I have enjoyed visiting some of the previous Book Fairs at Llandeilo, my local town, and look forward to participating in the next one from the other side of the table!

I have lived in rural Wales for many years, since leaving London where I was brought up. The rugged and beautiful countryside is much more to my taste than city life. After my children grew up and left home, I studied at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter; and gained a B. A. in archaeology and anthropology. The computer skills I learned in the process have given me the confidence and ability to create the books I have been longing to write for years. The next one is still at the research stage, and concerns a journey to Kashmir made by my grandmother, Ivy Hindley, and three colleagues from the Wesleyan Methodist mission in south India where she worked from 1909-1915.

When not writing, I enjoy reading a variety of authors, including Terry Pratchett, Lindsey Davies, Carole Matthews and Laurie R. King; and also various non-fiction subjects that catch my eye. I am also enjoying the works of some local authors!

Memoirs of a Twentieth Century Homesteader may be obtained via the following links:

http://bit.ly/2jEhLnh

http://amzn.to/2kAoblg

Meet the participants of the #LlandeiloBookFair / #LlandeiloLitFest 2017: Anthony Lavisher

Anthony is also a fresh face as far as the Llandeilo Lit Fest is concerned. It will be Anthony's first appearance at the Book Fair. Here is a short interview with him.
Welcome Anthony. Please tell us about the books you’ll be bringing to the Book Fair.

I will be bringing my Storm Trilogy to the fair, including the newly released finale “Vengeance of a Storm.”

Which genres do they belong to?

Epic Fantasy, Historical Fantasy and in libraries, Sci-fi & Fantasy.

What are the characters and plots like?

A sprawling tale of adventure and intrigue across three books, the Storm Trilogy follows the lives of two individuals - an immigrant stonemason and a young noblewoman, unwittingly swept up in events that threaten to drag their homeland into civil and wider war.

For me, it is a tale about normal people, a believable, realistic adventure-filled journey of discovery, of those who refuse to submit to tyranny and their desire for survival, justice and peace.

Tell us about your newest book. 

Vengeance of a Storm is the thrilling finale to the trilogy, a fast-paced finale that draws the reader deep into the heart of the action and, hopefully, refuses to let go.

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

I am proud of all three of my books, but if I had to choose one, it would be Shadows of a Storm (Book 2 of the trilogy). After the amazing response to the first book, Whispers of a Storm, the second instalment was, for me, the most important - grasping the baton and the momentum of the first book, passing it on to the finale without dropping it. A lot of plot strands are stitched together in Book 2 and, even now, I look back and wonder how I managed to do it.

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

I have been blessed with so many wonderful comments about my work and it is hard to single out one review alone. I think this recent comment in a review for Shadows was very, very humbling.

“A faultless piece of prose that depicts an enticing and absorbing tale featuring a charming selection of characters and set in a prodigious world. This has undoubtedly become my new favourite fantasy series.”

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

I missed last year as I sadly had to pull out. There was no way I was going to miss out a second time, as I love Llandeilo.

Do you have a special connection to Wales?

Since moving to Wales I have found my own connection, a love for the country and its people. Working in the library service of Wales has only served to deepen that and my agent is a dear friend, who lives in Llandeilo.

And I love castles J

What is your personal background?

I grew up in Hungerford, Berkshire, working for two small electronics firms for twenty years, whilst nurturing my love of writing. I moved to Wales when my girlfriend Amy moved to the Vale of Glamorgan for work. I followed her across the bridge six months later and started working in Barry Library.

In 2014 Amy and I got married at Nash Point Lighthouse and we have been adventuring in Wales and further afield ever since.

Who are your favourite authors?

David Gemmell’s tales of heroic fantasy unlocked my passion for writing and it is because of him that I wanted to write tales of my own, tales that would one day, hopefully, fill readers with just as much pleasure.

I also love the works of J.R.R Tolkien, Bernard Cornwell and Robert Harris.

Author Bio

Born in Berkshire, England, Anthony has always loved writing stories. After many years of enjoying other authors works, he decided to try and give something back to the literary world. From an early age, since reading The Lord of the Rings, he has been inspired to write his own stories. He states that his favourite author is David Gemmell and that his style of writing has been inspired by the sadly missed author. 
Anthony lives in Wales with his wife Amy and Mertle the cat. He is about to start work on his next novel 'The Last Tiger.'

Connect with Anthony

 

Website: http://alavisher.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/alavisher

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anthony-Lavisher-Author/118025884963443
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4242577.Anthony_Lavisher
G+: https://plus.google.com/102712490566399197548/posts

Amazon:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anthony-Lavisher/e/B0079N6V68/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1485522874&sr=8-1

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

Meet the participants of the #LlandeiloBookFair / #LlandeiloLItFest 2017 : Kathy Miles

Welcome to this blog and to Llandeilo Kathy. We're very happy that you could join us this year. Please tell us about the books you'll be bringing to the book fair

I'll be bringing my two latest poetry collections The Shadow House and Gardening With Deer to the Llandeilo Book Fair. Gardening With Deer was published in 2016, and represents a considerable shift in style and subject-matter from my previous collections. Whilst I have a continuing interest in the landscape – both urban and rural – and in some senses would describe myself as a 'landscape poet',  since giving up my day job I have been able to develop my other passions for  archaeology, history, astronomy and science, all of which have fed into my poetry. I like to explore and write in 'other voices', whether it is from the perspective of an historical or literary character, an animal, or even a non-animate object. I love the intense research involved in this process, and the chance to broaden my knowledge and learn new things. My poem Re-Entry, for example, which is about the astronauts' return from the Apollo 11 Moon Mission, gave me the opportunity to read the NASA voice-transcripts from the mission, and opened up a whole new world of language and imagery. Of all my three poetry collections, I think I am the most proud of Gardening With Deer because I felt I had been able to marry these diverse interests together in a much better and more mature way than in my previous books.

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

Well, the obvious answer to this is to sell books! It is not easy for a poet to flog their wares on the open market. There are a lot of extremely good and prolific poets out there, all publishing amazing work, and the buying public would very much prefer to purchase a good novel than a book of poetry: in the main, poetry tends to be bought by other poets. Publishers also expect you to try and sell your books, and to be proactive in obtaining readings and other events where you can showcase your work. I had already attended both the Carmarthen and Tenby Book Fairs, and enjoyed them very much, but wanted to come to Llandeilo because I had heard great reports of the Christmas Book Fair which I had been unable to attend.

Do you have a special connection to Wales?

I have lived in Wales since 1972, but I would say I was a typical 'Liverpool Welsh', having been born in the city of mixed Irish/Welsh ancestry. Part of my decision to come to a Welsh university was because I felt a very strong connection to Wales and to its history and culture. I don't speak Welsh, but grew up among relatives who were Welsh speaking, and so I always felt an affinity with that side of my heritage.

What is your personal background?

I first came to Wales to do a BA in English Literature at Lampeter (now the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David), and then worked in the university library there for many years. I gave up my job in 2014 to do an MA in Creative Writing at the university, and now work as a full-time writer. Apart from writing, I am a keen gardener. My partner and I have a garden with a large pond, which attracts frogs, dragonflies, and a raft of wild mallards who fly up from Aberaeron to rampage round the flower beds. We also have visiting badgers, foxes, and hedgehogs. It's a perfect life for a poet!

Who are your favourite authors?

An impossible question to answer! My favourite writers are those that I happen to be reading at the time, whether it's Seamus Heaney, Garcia Lorca, Elizabeth Bishop or Mary Oliver. I read poetry all the time: current favourites are Jo Shapcott, Alice Oswald, Katrina Naomi and Paul Henry, simply because those are the ones I currently have open on my bedside table. I've just finished Cynan Jones' latest book Cove, which is simply stunning. I also love the work of James Rebanks and John Lewis-Stempel. I think, though, that in terms of the novel, Kazuo Ishiguro is the one that I go back to time and time again, for the sheer beauty of his language.

Links

http://www.cinnamonpress.com/index.php/products-listing/product/205-gardening-with-deer-kathy-miles

http://www.poetrypf.co.uk/kathymilespage.shtml

https://twitter.com/kathym974?lang=en

Meet the participants of the 2017 Book Fair / Hwyl Llandeilo LitFest : Kate Glanville

Today we're kick-starting a series of short interviews to introduce to you the authors participating at this year's book fair. Some are familiar faces, while others are going to showcase their work for the first time in Llandeilo.

Don't tell anyone, but today is Kate's birthday! 

Happy Birthday Kate! Please tell us about the books you’ll be bringing to the Book Fair.

I have written three novels A Perfect Home 2014) Heartstones (2014) and Stargazing (2016)

Which genres do they belong to?

They are contemporary romantic thrillers though Heartstones is partly historical - the story of a young girl in 1940’s Ireland is intertwined with that of her granddaughter in the present day.


What are the characters and plots like?

The books tend to have central femail leading characters. I try to create believable, feisty woman as the heroines with many flaws and weaknesses,  but though none of them are perfect I hope they are all likeable and that their journey is compelling!. The plots contain life's inevitable search for love but I try to incorporate mysteries that need to be solved and aspire to create page turning suspense. I try to incorporate humour but also cover topics such as domestic abuse, adultery, divorce, bereavement and it has been pointed out that cakes feature rather alot!

Tell us about your newest book. 

 Stargazing is about a marriage that collapses after forty years. It is told from the perspective of  three women - the wife, the daughter and the lover of the husband who leaves the beautiful home he and his wife have created to live with a younger woman with a mysterious past. His daughter is determined to get her parents back together again and find out the secrets of her father’s mistress. Her investigations put the whole family in a life threatening situation.

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

I am proud of them all - A Perfect Home because it was the first and I proved to myself that I could finish writing a novel! Heartstones because I created a village in the South West of Ireland that I would love to visit myself and it touched on stories from my own Anglo- Irish family. Stargazing because it tackled gritty issues around domestic abuse and adultery but still manages to be funny and uplifting! I also enjoyed the challenge of writing three different heroines and seeing situations from their alternate points of view.

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

I wrote A Perfect Home in longhand. No one even knew I was writing a book so it was with trepidation that I  gave it to someone in my village to type up - when she gave me back the manuscript she said ‘it’s better than the library book I’m reading at the moment.’ - I was thrilled!

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

Because it’s lovely to meet readers and other authors and Christoph is so fantastic at organising and getting everyone inspired!

Do you have a special connection to Wales?

I have lived in Wales for 25 years this year - longer than anywhere else Ive ever lived. I can honestly say that I hope I stay here for the rest of my life - beautiful countryside, coastline and people - why would I ever want to leave?

What is your personal background?

I was born in Sierra Leone to Irish parents and grew up mostly in Bristol. I did a degree in fashion design at St Martins College of Art in London and for 25 years have had a business painting pottery. I have always love writing and my head has always been full of stories but I was terrible at spelling and couldn’t type and the stories just seemed to get stuck in my head rather than on the page. When I became 40 I decided to try really hard and actually try to achieve my literary dreams - and now I am achieving them it’s wonderful.

Who are your favourite authors?

Ive always been a big fan of Maeve Binchy and Edna O’Brian. Ruth Rendell and PD James fuel my darker side and Isabel Allende always manages to touch my heart.

Please share your social media links 

https://www.facebook.com/kateglanvilleauthor/
https://twitter.com/kittyglanville

Kate will not only be part of the book fair both days, Sat and Sun April 29 and 30th in the Civic Hall, but she will also talk about her books with fellow author Brenda Squires on Thursday 27 April at the Angel Inn at 7pm

https://llandeilolitfest.org/2017/01/14/is-romance-dead-bringing-depth-to-romance-novels-a-discussion-with-kate-glanville-and-brenda-squires/

https://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/2017/02/05/is-romance-dead-bringing-depth-to-romance-novels-a-discussion-with-kate-glanville-and-brenda-squires/