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A great launch for Labour Country at Octavo's, Cardiff Bay last night. Thanks to all who came and had us running around for chairs, and the wonderful talk between Dai Smith and Daryl Leeworthy. £20 for a perfect hardback festive gift from our popular new Modern Wales series. If you missed them, get to the Redhouse, Methyr Tydfill for the second launch at 11am this Saturday 17 November. Thanks to the artist Kevin Sinnott for the cover artwork and to Peter Finch for the featured image of Daryl (left) and Dai (right) from the night. The Modern Wales series is...

I think it was about 9.30am when we arrived at The Football Factory, the venue where we’d be meeting up with fellow members of the NY Bluebirds, to watch the match, and then for me to do a little launch afterwards.

Bar manager Jack was a friendly guy and insisted on the first drinks being on him. I ordered some pancakes, and these arrived in time for the kick off of the Liverpool v Cardiff match and were quite tasty. Other members of the NY Bluebirds started arriving and Lloyd introduced me to them all. They were all much younger than I’d imagined. Don’t know why, but I think when Lloyd had told me in advance that most of them were married with kids, I’d pictured them being older.

We were also joined by a couple of Middlesbrough fans who’d watched the match that had been on before ours (God knows what time they’d have had to get up for their game). It wasn’t looking very likely that we were going to get much out of this game, especially after Mo Salah got the early opening goal. However, people mostly remained in good spirits, and at half time, I was introduced to a NY Bluebird ritual.

They have a copy of Craig Bellamy’s autobiography, which is signed by all kinds of people who have ever visited the bar, Cardiff fans, and I think, also some fans of other clubs. The ritual involves somebody, in this case, first of all, Luke, who was due to be moving back to the UK shortly, reading a paragraph from the book, while fellow fans kneel before the reader. The next thing, everyone launches into the following chant: “Bellamy! Bellamy! He plays for Cardiff City and he’s back in time for tea!” A bit bizarre, but enjoyable enough, and I was also encouraged to read a paragraph as a fledgling member of the group, to the same reception.

‘Morais is right; if we have lived in a place long enough, we all know a Kung Fu or two. We probably know a Pavement Poet as well – highly educated immigrants who have gone through hell to get here […], only to find themselves treated with contempt by the likes of the obnoxious Jolyon […] Less familiar to some, perhaps may be the other characters that people Morais’ acutely observed stories: drug-dealers, users, people who are in- or just out-of or just-about-to-go-into-jail, rogue families, scary hardmen and vile, predatory males who present themselves as Nice Guys. […]' 'This turning-around...

We've had some lovely features, reviews and feedback for our new batch of poetry titles. First up, New Welsh Reader featured 3 of the 4 titles in their new issue, and seemed to like them... 'Rhys Owain Williams’ That Lone Ship is part of a handsome quartet of new poetry published by Parthian Books this autumn. […] In this collection, Williams explores the ghostly ripples that are cast out by everyday happenings, reflecting on and weaving together the disparate strands of experience that make up life. The poet explores the profound and the ridiculous, the private and the public, as...