Ugly, Lovely: Dylan Thomas's Swansea and Carmarthenshire of the 1950s in pictures is a unique combination of literature and the visual arts. Fans of photography, of Dylan Thomas's writing, of the landscape of South Wales find this inspiring collection and a lovely Christmas gift here.
Ethel Ross, the sister in law of Alfred Janes, was the guardian of Dylan Thomas' legacy for decades. Shortly after his death in 1953, She compiled a photo memoir of his haunts in and around Swansea. Ugly, Lovely: Dylan Thomas’s Swansea and Carmarthenshire of the 1950s in pictures is a touching collection of Ethel's photos accompanied by quotes from Dylan Thomas' poetry and her own comments. Together they provide an unprecedented portrait of Swansea, Laugharne, and Llansteffan in the 1950s letting the reader see the Carmarthenshire landscape for the first time through the eyes of Wales' most celebrated poet.
The book includes the little-known play-let Lunch at Mussolini's which offers a vivid and whimsical insight into the early workings of Dylan's mind and a caustic satire of the dictator's life. Patiently preserved by Ethel, the sketch will be published for the first time in the UK alongside her photo memoir.
Ugly, Lovely: Dylan Thomas's Swansea and Carmarthenshire of the 1950s in pictures has provoked a creative response in the media, discussing the heritage that Ethel first and now Hilly have preserved as well as the politics of Dylan's writing. Articles on this project are featured on Discover Dylan Thomas, wand you can find a moving clip of Dylan's Wales through Ethel's eyes on the BBC's World Update in Pictures here.
