Roger
by one of those synchronous coincidences I was looking at a volume of Menna
Elfyn's, "Cusan Dyn Dall"/ "Blind Man's Kiss", as I opened your post. Yes,
she's well worth reading, and her work broaches that interesting subject of
bi-lingualism re English and the Celtic languages (to which could be added
Gujarati and other Asian tongues in post-war Britain). My understanding is
that she writes in Welsh only but has a dedicated team of poet translators,
all Welsh, who render the English versions. A few of the twentieth century
Scots Gaelic poets did write original work in both English and Gaelic, for
example Iain Crichton Smith, but I understand that most translated the
Gaelic.
For Barry, of historical interest in 20th Century Welsh poetry is the figure
of Idris Davies, a working-class writer who was much backed by Faber.
Best
Dave
David Bircumshaw
Leicester, England
Home Page
A Chide's Alphabet
Painting Without Numbers
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.bircumshaw/index.htm
----- Original Message -----
From: "Roger Collett" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 7:18 PM
Subject: Re: Sorting Out Welsh Poetry
Seriously Barry, have a look at Menna Elfyn she's good, also Gillian Clarke
and Sheenagh Pugh.
Best wishes,
Roger.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Barry Alpert" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>; "Roger Collett"
<[log in to unmask]>
Cc: "Barry Alpert" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 6:11 PM
Subject: Re: Sorting Out Welsh Poetry
> Roger Collett, Thanks for pointing out that R.S. Thomas, whom Donald
Davie
> used to recommend to me as well, is Welsh. -- Barry Alpert
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