The Platform Blog

The Dylan Thomas Centre

Saturday, 17 May at 7pm

The Dylan Thomas Centre hosts a Murder Mystery Evening with entertainment and buffet on Saturday, 17 May at 7pm.

As well as being the creator of from being the creator of Sherlock Holmes, the world`s greatest detective, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a great believer in spiritualism. Tonight you are invited to one of his séances. Also present will be some of Conan Doyle`s contemporaries. One of them is terrified of secrets that may be revealed in the séance and murder most foul is in the air!

Tickets are £16, including a buffet meal. Please contact the Dylan Thomas Centre on 01792 463980 for more information.

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Taken from the latest Academi newsletter:

Academi is currently updating its Writers of Wales pages online, which provide the most comprehensive database of all living writers currently residing or born in Wales. It is an extremely useful resource for all researchers of the literary community of Wales and Academi endeavours to include as much detail as possible.

If you are a writer living or born in Wales and are not already listed online, or would like to update, amend or elaborate on your existing entry, please email post@academi.org for a digital template and model entry. We welcome portrait photographs and pictures of book covers if emailed digitally. Please note, new writers must have individual book publications to their credit to be included. All correspondence must be with us by 23 May 2008.

For further information about the Writers of Wales pages, please visit www.academi.org
or contact Bronwen Price (for entries in English)
or Elin Williams (for entries in Welsh) on 029 2047 2266.

Taken from latest Academi newsletter:

The Guardian Hay Literature Festival runs from 22 May - 1 June this year.  There’s the expected roll call of literary greats, engaging outrider events, talks, walks, performances and celebrations. The world’s best, and it’s in Wales.

Among the highlights this year will be Ken Dodd on Happiness, Kathryn Jenkins talking to Nicola Haywood Thomas, Gore Vidal talking to Adam Boulton, Julian Barnes, Simon Armitage on Gig, National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke at the source, Salman Rushdie giving the Festival lecture, former US President Jimmy Carter, an A L Kennedy day, Boris Spassky talking to Ronan Bennett, soldier General Sir Mike Jackson, Roger McGough, Brian Patten, Jacqueline Wilson, Martin Amis, David Lodge, Les Murray, John Irving and an enormous amount more.

The Literature in Wales stand, a co-operation between the Welsh Assembly Government, the National Library, Arts Council of Wales, the Welsh Books Council and Academi will run its own programme of book launches, readings, presentations and events.  Highlights will include Stevie Davies, Niall Griffiths on the Ten Pound Pom, Mavis Nicholson, Robert Minhinnick, Menna Elfyn, a day for Poetry Wales and another for the Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales.

Welsh events cluster on Monday 26 May, here are a few to look out for:

LiW Stand = Literature in Wales Stand

More information and full downloadable Hay Programme at www.hayfestival.com

Academi is looking to appoint two new members of staff:

Swyddog Llenyddiaeth / Literature Officer

Swyddog Gweinyddol Rhan Amser / Part Time Administrative Officer

Excellent communication skills in Welsh and English are essential for both posts.

For further details, click here to visit the Welsh-language job information on the Academi website.

EXHIBITION: GARETH HUGH DAVIES: OLION

Talk

Illustrated: ROMANTIC LANDSCAPE & ROMANTIC PHILOSOPHY

Dr Robert Newell, Associate Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, Swansea Metropolitan University , will give an illustrated talk looking at the historic context of the Romantic outlook and sensibility and also making reference to the relationship between German and British Romanticism.

Where: Room 1 – ground floor Glynn Vivian Art Gallery , Swansea

When: This Friday, 2nd May 2008

Time: 1pm

Admission free

INFORMATION ON THE EXHIBITION

This is an exhibition of recent contemporary paintings by Carmarthenshire based Gareth Hugh Davies. In this series of paintings, entitled ‘Olion’ (Welsh for a trace, track or mark) events are described through the suggested absence of the human figure. Davies paints spaces in which tracks, traces and trails in the landscape imply an ongoing or disturbed narrative. These paintings express a tense anxiety and sense of loss, yet also seem to offer some comfort; in the darkening forest a glowing light illuminates the front porch of an isolated home. Davies implies a troubling ambiguity about whether these lights illuminate the unspeakable, or offer refuge from it.

An Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen touring exhibition

Best wishes,

Lynda Black

You and your guests are invited to the private view on Friday 2nd May 7 - 9pm.

Oriel Lliw Gallery, Pontardawe Arts Centre, Swansea

This exhibition is the first in an ongoing and evolving project that draws together young and emerging artists whose work in some way responds to the natural or built environment.

Curated by Tim Davies

There will be a bus leaving from outside Glynn Vivian, Swansea at 6.30pm to Pontardawe for the opening on
Friday. Please can you let Kathryn know if you require a seat - we will be asking for a £3 donation. Email:
ashill84@hotmail.com.

There will also be an after show party in Pontardawe - bus return time to be confirmed shortly.

hope you can make it.

The exhibition continues until 31st May.

The Dylan Thomas Centre

Wednesday, 30 April at 7.30pm

Swansea University’s Professor Graeme Hays gives this month’s free Science Café talk at the Dylan Thomas Centre on Wednesday, 30 April at 7.30pm.

Professor Hays’ talk is called ‘Leatherback turtles in northern European waters: current patterns and prospects with climate change’.

The Swansea Science Café offers opportunities for anyone to find out more about new, exciting and topical areas of science. Designed to be informal and entertaining, the café typically runs on the last Wednesday of every month at the Dylan Thomas Centre. Entry is free and talks start at 7:30pm.

For future events see http://www.sciencecafewales.org/

The Dylan Thomas Prize and Swansea Life are pleased to announce the first Swansea Life Young Writers’ Prize. The prize is £1,000 in cash to be given to the best young writer, under 21, of a single poem or short story. The shortlist will be announced at the Swansea Festival as part of its 60th Anniversary celebrations: there will be an opportunity to hear the finalists reading their work at an event on 8th October at the Grand Theatre. This will be followed by Independent Ballet Wales’ production of Under Milk Wood.

The winner will receive the £1000 Award at the Dylan Thomas Prize Ceremony on 10th  November as part of the evening’s events celebrating the next £60,000 winner of the International Prize.

Judges for this prize will be Dai Blatchford, Features Editor of Swansea Life, Peter Read, a well known poet who has performed his poetry throughout Britain and America and who works in schools helping children to write creatively, Peter Stead who broadcasts regularly for the BBC on cultural and political matters and is Honorary Chairman of the Dylan Thomas Prize, and Tim Prosser, Chief Executive of the Dylan Thomas Prize.

General Guidelines

1. Entries may be short stories or poems in any format and on any subject

2. Poems should be no more than 30 lines; short stories no more than 2,000 words

3. Each writer may submit only one piece of work

4. Writers must be under 21 on May 31

5. The decision of the judges is final

All entries should be sent to: The Features Editor, Swansea Life Magazine, Exchange Buildings, Adelaide Street, Swansea SA1 1SE. Please mark the envelope ‘Swansea Life Young Writing Category’.

For further information, please contact Dai Blatchford: daipennant@hotmail.com

For more information on the Dylan Thomas Prize, please see www.dylanthomasprize.com

MADE IN AMERICANA PRESENTS:

THE YOUNG REPUBLIC

Thursday 22nd May 2008, The Monkey Café, Castle Street, Swansea, SA1 1JF

£8 7pm

The Young Republic describe themselves as “an American band playing American music”. Inspired by rock ‘n’ roll, 50s and 60s pop, jazz, folk and country music, this is a band who, having just released their debut album, look set to do big things.

This 8-piece band include an exciting variety of instrumentation including pedal steel, mandolin, viola, flute, organ and accordion. And combining classically trained musicians with classic indie-pop songwriting, it looks like a major new talent has arrived.

Their debut album, 12 Tales From Winter Cities, which was released earlier this year was a collection of songs they’d written and sold on CDRs at gigs over the previous two years. Recorded in a variety of settings including classrooms and church halls, the band roped in their allies and friends and even a 20-piece choir at one point.

Of the album, Word magazine said “This debut achieves plenty, seamlessly skipping from folk introspection and lonesome country balladry to high voltage power-pop sparkiness with a glitteringly perfect cohesion”, Q Magazine said “the sense of potential is tantalising” and The Guardian urged you to “catch them while you can.” Take note. The Young Republic play Monkey Café in Swansea on 22nd May.

www.theyoungrepublic.net

Entry to all Made In Americana gigs is cheaper with Bald Eagle membership. For details, email dave@soundofmonkey.com

http://madeinamericana.wordpress.com

ends…

For press photos, please email paul@plugtwo.com

Tickets are available through Derricks Music (www.derricksmusic.co.uk & 01792 654226) and are £8.