Briffio Mis Mehefin // June 2024
Our monthly briefing, connecting communities across Cymru – news, stories and recommendations
Dear friends
Welcome to Briffio, our monthly newsletter bringing you details of events happening across Wales this month. Firstly, croeso mawr a diolch yn fawr iawn – huge thanks and welcome to the 87 new subscribers who’ve joined us during the month of May.
We had big spikes in our numbers after Peter Finch’s take on the relocation of the Vulcan and Tim Price’s view on the future of the arts, as well as James Bessant Davies’ despatch from among the homeless communities of Cardiff and Dallas, Texas and Martha O’Brien’s beautiful piece from suburban Llanishen. In some respects, these four articles, alongside our publication of Nick Treharne’s legendary image of Butetown saw Cwlwm finally arrive in the capital after four months journeying around the rest of Wales. If you’ve missed our previous work, do spend some time reading through our archive, where you’ll find brilliant writing from the valleys of the south to the northern coast, from Swansea to Llanwrtyd Wells, from Grangetown to Penygroes.
Mewn // In
Here at Cwlwm, we’re very much looking forward to the announcement of the winners of Wales Book of the Year at Galeri in Caernarfon on 4 July. Our own Dylan Moore was one of the judges for the English-language award and we therefore highly recommend you making your way through the shortlists ahead of prize night.
Outside of those lists, there are many other new books from Wales to enjoy this summer. Parthian’s republication of Welsh-language sci-fi classic Y Dydd Olaf is out. Its author Owain Owain (1929–1993) was a writer, physicist and language activist who founded Tafod Y Ddraig, the Welsh Language Society newspaper. Inspiring Gwenno’s 2014 album of the same name, it has been translated into Polish and Cornish, was republished in Welsh in 2021 with Gwasg y Bwthyn, and is now available in English as The Last Day.
Parthian are also publishing the summer issue of the relaunched New Welsh Reader, which contains among other things, ‘The Kinnock Factor: The Manics and Anti-Welshness’, an edited and abridged preview from International Velvet by Neil Collins, forthcoming from Calon, an exploration of ‘how the 1990s changed everything’ for Welsh music culture.
And if you want your June reading list to inspire you to get outside, look no further than Eryri / Snowdonia: 40 Favourite Walks by Tom Hutton.
O gwmpas // Around
Festival season is well and truly in full swing. In Wrexham, 1 June sees the conclusion of the Wal Goch festival with a pop-up football museum in Ty Pawb giving people the chance to have their say on the forthcoming ‘Museum of Two Halves’ following a session at the same venue’s performance space discussing writing on the beautiful game from around the world.
Westival in Manorbier, Pembrokeshire (6–10 June) promises ‘ambient chillout zones, boat parties around our idyllic coastline and even surfing and paddle board lessons’ while woodlands at the Carreglwyd Estate at Gottwood on Anglesey (13–16 June) host ‘a boutique electronic music festival’. Meanwhile, Ffiliffest is Menter Caerffili’s summer celebration of the Welsh language and local culture at the Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields on Crescent Road (8 June).
While Cardiff’s Principality Stadium might be hosting world-famous acts P!nk, Foo Fighters and the inescapable Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ tour this month, we recommend seeking out smaller events such as Behind the Scenes at Newport Castle or Llyr Williams’ summer concert at Gregynog in north Powys (both 8 June) or The Lemonade Press Photoplate Lithography Workshop at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff (9 June).
Monty Lit Fest in Montgomery features a particularly strong programme that day too with Chris Lloyd, Jon Gower and Myfanwy Alexander talking about place in writing; Book of the Year shortlisted Tom Bullough talking about Sarn Helen and Carwyn Graves discussing Tir: The Story of the Welsh Landscape.
Allan // Out
We wholeheartedly support the welcome of refugees to Wales and the theme for Refugee Week 2024 is ‘Our Home’. Novelist and historian Sharif Gemie will be discussing his new book The Displaced on 7 June at the Cwtsh Community & Arts Centre, Newport and a series of events will be happening in Brecon. From 14–30 June, an exhibition of entries in a Refugee Week competition goes on display at Theatr Brycheiniog, preceded by an awards evening at St Mary’s Church. On 23 June Brecon High School will host between 70 and 100 refugees and people seeking sanctuary in Wales for a day of food and fun, with craft activities, music, sports and games, to which all are welcome.
Meanwhile at Swansea’s National Waterfront Museum ‘a delicious seasonal feast’ is promised, prepared by Unified Flavours, mentored by The Shared Plate, using produce grown in the museum garden. This will coincide with the launch of the Community Flavours book, a fashion show and auction to help raise money for The Women’s Group.
And finally…
Thank you to everyone who has subscribed already and especially to those who have also pledged a paid subscription for the future. Please continue to share Cwlwm with your friends and people in your community by sending on this newsletter via email, or sharing your favourite stories so far on your social media.
And if you think there’s something happening near you that we should be talking about, please get in touch.
Cofion cynnes,
Dylan Moore – dylan@cwlwm.org | Merlin Gable – merlin@cwlwm.org