This October, we at Parthian are supporting a series of great literary events featuring our wonderful authors, both online and in-person. See our handy summary below!
Kicking off this month's events is the return of the Crickhowell Literary Festival, taking place between 13–17 October. After a two-year hiatus, this five-day literary festival is returning to give us over 50 in-person events, across seven different venues around the town of Crickhowell.
Among these engaging events, Parthian are proud to be supporting four panels, in which a few of our authors will be discussing their books and their inspiration behind them.
Starting on Saturday 16 October at 12pm, our first event, ‘Fact or Fiction’, will be hosted in Crickhowell Parish Hall. This talk will feature BBC Radio Wales presenter Gary Raymond as he talks about his latest comedic novel, Angels of Cairo. He will be live in conversation with the Senior Editor of Wales Arts Review, Dr Emma Schofield of Cardiff University, and together, they will discuss how to get the best of fact into fiction. Order tickets here.
This literature festival will also be hosting a fantastic ‘Miners Day: The Coal Culture’ panel at 4.30pm, which take place in Crickhowell Scout Hall. Isabel Alexander was commissioned to illustrate the work of B. L. Coombes, a working miner who wrote of the south Wales coalmining life in the thirties in his memoir Miner’s Day. With Parthian set to release a new edition of this book, which will include Alexander’s Rhondda images, writer and editor Peter Wakelin talks to Professor Dai Smith on how this is an exceptional contribution to Welsh culture. Order tickets here.
In the evening of 16 October, at 6pm, Patrick Jones and Susie Wild will be conversing in their panel ‘Fuse, Fracture and Windfalls’, held in The Festival Marquee. Patrick Jones has published Welsh poetry for twenty-five years and has recently published Fuse/Fracture, a 20th anniversary edition of his celebrated 2001 collection, and similarly, Susie Wild has recently published her second collection, Windfalls. Both poets engage with energetic and wild vibes that create distinctive narratives. Order tickets here.
On the final day of the festival, 17 October at 2pm, renowned art historian Peter Lord hosts ‘Looking Out: Welsh Painting Social Class and International Context’ in the Crickhowell Scout Hall. His collection of six sequential essays, entitled Look Out: Welsh Painting Social Class and International Context, provides original discussions on the concerns of Welsh painters, validating the relevance of art to other Western cultures, rather than the evolution of their own communities. Order tickets here.
If you can’t make it to the Crickhowell Festival, Parthian also have events at the Swansea Fringe festival. On Saturday 16 October, running from 12.30pm until 4.30pm, Natalie Ann Holborow (12.30pm), Susie Wild (1.30pm), Patrick Jones (2.30pm) and Tôpher Mills (4.30pm) will be gracing the Front Room Bistro, celebrating a 'Mumbles Day Out'. Admission is completely free and the event will take place in person, so if you fancy a quick lunch and some live entertainment, this will be the perfect event for you.
This will be followed later in the week by David Hughes and Emily Vanderploeg's appearance in the Poetry Showcase between 4–5.30pm on Sunday 24 October. Both poets will talk about their latest collections, which celebrate satire, politics, and identity. They will exhibit their work through poetry readings in the cosy, relaxed atmosphere of Cinema & Co.
We are also delighted to announce that on Thursday 21 October at 6.45pm, Geoff Andrews will be launching his new biography of editor, broadcaster and politician Cyril Lakin, Smooth Operator. Hosted by The Open University of Wales and joined in conversation with Dr Daryl Leeworthy of Swansea University, Geoff will be discussing the life and career of Lakin – a politician whose journey is set amid a time of momentous development during the 20th century. This online event is free, and if you are interested you can register for the event here.
Parthian are proud to be supporting so many October panels and we really hope that you enjoy the range of voices across these unmissable events.
