Tredegar-born author, Christopher Meredith, presented a copy of the new edition of his novel Shifts along with a framed print of the cover image to Ebbw Vale Works Museum on Wednesday 11th September. The cover image is taken from a painting in the possession of the Museum.
First published in 1988, Shifts, which has been called 'one of the greatest novels ever written about Wales' and 'one of the great working-class works of fiction of the 20th Century', is now republished in Parthian's classic Library of Wales imprint.
The novel is set against the background of the shut-down of a Welsh steel mill in the 1970s. Though it's entirely fictional, vivid details of the works and the run-down will be familiar to some. Chris was a labourer in the Hot Mill in Ebbw Vale at the time when it was closing. A number of his family worked in Ebbw too, including his father, Emrys, who worked first in the Hot Mill, then for many years on the Coke Ovens, and finally in tinplate.
Chris said, 'We were delighted to discover that Norman Hepple's painting of the Hot Mill from the early fifties is owned by the Works Museum. It's uncannily atmospheric and accurate, with hot steel going through the Roughing Mill, underlighting the cavernous roof. It's wonderful that this great community-based Museum have permitted us to use a detail for the new cover and I'm glad to be giving something back. My thanks to the museum volunteers who've been so welcoming: Paul Blanche, Malcolm Davies, Simon Gregory, Phil Holloway, Sue Powell, Mel Warrender - and to all the others I haven't yet met.'
During the presentation the museum screened archive footage of the Works, including a coke oven being pushed and hot ingots being craned from the soaking pits ready for the Slabbing Mill and Chris looked through a little of the museum's photo archive with Vic Blackmore, who worked on the Coke Ovens with Emrys Meredith in the 60s and 70s.
Prof. Diana Wallace of The University of South Wales, who wrote the introduction for the new edition, spoke about Chris's work and presented a copy of her book, Christopher Meredith (University of Wales Press) to the museum.
Chairman Simon Gregory, accepted the books and print on behalf of the Museum.
Shifts is published by Parthian in our Library of Wales series.
Ebbw Vale Works Museum is open Mon., Weds., Fri., 10.30 -15.30. Admission free but donations welcome: Ebbw Vale Works Museum (evwat.co.uk).
