Some books, existing and forthcoming, by Glamorgan Masters graduates.
Trevor Byrne's novel of 21st-century Dublin, Ghosts and Lightning, comes out from Canongate in June 2009. As those who watched it being written on the MPhil know, it manages to be incredibly pacy and at the same time thoughtful and moving - not an easy trick. It's already been sold to the USA and Italy and comes with a cover endorsement from Roddy Doyle, no less.
Geraldine Paine's collection of poems The Go-Away-Bird was published by Lapwing, Belfast, in December 2008. Geraldine was the first ever MPhil (as opposed to MA) to graduate from the course.
Emma Darwin's novel A Secret Alchemy was published in November 2008 by Headline Review. See Emma's web site for more information. Emma's first novel The Mathematics of Love was published by Headline Review in July 2006 and in the USA, in 2007 by Morrow. Go here for more information.
Anthropology
By Dan Rhodes: the shortest of short stories, bittersweet prose haiku on love and obsession. From Fourth Estate, 6 Salem Road, London W2 4BU.
And also from Dan, Don't Tell Me The Truth About Love: full-length short stories with even more bitterness and humour than the ultra-short ones.
And the novel Timoleon Vieta Come Home, probably Dan's biggest success to date, published by Canongate and translated into umpteen languages. Love triangle, consisting of retired musician Cockroft, a mysterious someone known as the Bosnian and a dog with very pretty eyes.
Living Next to Leda
By Barbara Bentley: a well-reviewed poetry collection containing some competition prizewinners. From Seren, 1st & 2nd Floors, 38-40 Nolton Street, Bridgend CF31 3BN, or email.
Under Construction
By Pamela Johnson: a novel in which a woman has the builders in (an apt phrase, as things turn out) and finds her life as well as her house reconstructed. From Hodder & Stoughton, 338 Euston Road, London NW1 3BH
And Pam's second novel from Hodder is Deep Blue Silence
How to Disappear
By Amanda Dalton: a collection of poems which was shortlisted for the Forward First Collection Prize and which contains competition prizewinners plus the famed sequence "Room of Leaves". From Bloodaxe, PO Box 1SN, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 1SN, or email
Night Lines
By Julie Rainsbury, a collection of poems with a decidedly haunting, commemorative tinge. From Gomer Press, Llandysul, Ceredigion, or email. Julie also writes novels for children and has taught at Glamorgan.
Exiles
By Jacinta Bell, a novel about a love affair with political and geographical dimensions. From Parthian, 41 Skelmuir Road, Cardiff CF2 2PR, or email
Entertainment
From Richard Evans, Seren, a novel set in the Valleys with a delightfully stroppy, wheelchair-bound young hero who doesn't see why "disabled" should equal "saint".
From Maria McCann, HarperCollins Flamingo, As Meat Loves Salt, a novel set in the English Civil War, steaming with sex, violence, religion and iffy dentistry, well worth the pleasantly astronomical sum Harper paid for it. See more on the special page.
From Owen Gallagher, Peterloo Poets, Sat Guru Snowman: a collection of poems drawing partly on his Irish background and partly on his life as an inner-city teacher in London. Definitely a bit different. Owen was a prizewinner in the Bluenose competition. The ISBN No is 1-871471-95-8. It can be ordered directly from; Peterloo Poets, The Old Chapel, Sand Lane, Calstock, Cornwall, PL18 9QX, UK at �6.95 (post free)
Sarah Salway's first novel Something Beginning With (The Lexicon of Love, in the USA), an extremely funny and sad story of love, self-discovery and the alphabet, is published in 2004 by Bloomsbury in the UK and Ballantine in the US. Italian rights have been acquired by Bompiani.
And at eastoftheweb, you can buy her short story collection Painting the Family Pet as an e-book.
Ruth Joseph's collection of stories, Red Stilettos, has been named Welsh Book of the Month by the Welsh Books Council and is selling very nicely (at �7.99 from Accent Press, contact PO Box 50, Pembroke Dock, Pembs SA72 6WY
Tel: 01646 681073 or
email).