Home | About Leighton | Rhondda map | Rhondda links | Advice surgeries | Get in touch | Cymraeg

Leighton's Updates

Leighton
    follow me on Twitter

    05 February, 2005

    Cemetery of Forgotten Books


    It would be a good title for a library of out-of-print Welsh novels in English. However, it is one of the features of Carlos Ruiz Zafon's novel The Shadow of the Wind, which I have just finished reading. Zafon, from Catalunya, wrote the book, his first novel, in Spanish. It is a literary mystery and love story set principally in Barcelona before, during and after the Spanish Civil War. Once you start on it you are hooked.

    I first found out about it from this Lewis Jones' review in the Telegraph, but I notice later it was shortlisted as a book of the year by Richard and Judy! To be fair, they are doing for reading in the UK what Oprah has done in the US, opening up a wider range of titles to a larger audience. At the same time, of course, reading groups are taking off all over the UK.

    As well as the Lewis Jones review, there's a good desciption here from the Independent. Neither of these gives the story away.

    Rhondda Cynon Taff Council's library service took my photo yesterday for a feature they are running in advance of World Book Day. The book I chose was Jack Jones' Rhondda Roundabout, set in the Rhondda of the 1930s, but out of print now for years, as I said in our Assembly debate on Welsh writing in English last year.

    No comments:

    Rhondda TV
    The Labour Party

    Recent comments

    Archives...

    Categories...

    Promoted by Leighton Andrews AM, National Assembly for Wales, Cardiff CF99 1NA.

    Author's editorial policy: This blog does not publish anonymous comments, unless they are really witty and I like them. If you have something to say, then have the courage of your convictions and use your name or an identifiable alias. Even then I reserve the right not to publish comments that are malicious, defamatory, stupid, pointlessly cynical or boring. Any of the statements or comments made above should be regarded as personal and not necessarily those of the National Assembly for Wales, any constituent part or connected body.