New volume and launch on 17th March in Goldstone Books Carmarthen 6-7:30pm

Republic

  Republic Nerys Williams   here  9781781726969 •  Poetry • Paperback • £9.99 “Republic is the explosive new poetry collection from Nerys Williams. In it she opens a window on life in rural west Wales during the 1980s and 90s when arts and culture boomed. English and Welsh-language post-punk bands, politics, feminism and family life are thrown together on the page as she questions what constitutes a republic?”   Praise for Republic “Nerys Williams has written a ‘gold rush’ of a book, at times explosive and at other times meditative and soulful. Her vignettes, richly poetic, zing and thrill, delight and haunt. You will want to slow down your reading… Read More →

Publication Day Blog- Listening to REPUBLIC (listen to the music)

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  • Categories: Essays, Events, News   •   
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  • by Nerys Williams

Listening to Republic Writing Republic I found that post punk music of the 80s and 90s became key in an attempt to articulate a relationship between community, language and culture. Given the current preponderance of School Disco compilations, initially it might seem that retreating to the music of the 80s and 90s is another variant in communal nostalgia. This is not the intention of Republic. I believe that music carries an energy for future action and desire for change. What you learn over the years changes how you listen to those important early albums. Context shifts meaning. Republic is an anti-memoir, it came from a need to transcribe the voices of a community… Read More →

Review of “Republic” BBC Radio Wales “The Review Show” 17th February

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BBC RADIO WALES: THE REVIEW SHOW 17TH FEBRUARY, 2022 Reviewing The Review Show: Delighted with the review on BBC Radio Wales – the reviewers engaged with Republic‘s key issues:  politics, music, subjectivity and the represenation of Welsh language. Many of the issues raised – where the book might fit in terms of it being an experiement in prose, how it might be seen as a cross genre work were particulalry thoughtful My aim in Republic  was to reach  a broader readership than my earlier work Sound Archive   to address the complexities of bilingualism and the thinking through of Welsh identity (without reverting to tropes). In the past I have… Read More →

Blackbox Manifold 25 – Experiments from Wales 2021

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Issue 25 Blackbox Manifold dedicated to Welsh Innovative Poetry  curated by John Goodby Goodby writes: “This is a selection of recent work by eighteen poets who were born and / or brought up in Wales, or who are from elsewhere but work and write in Wales, or who have other meaningful ties to the country. Most of it was written in the last twelve months or so and therefore dates from the fraught countdown to Brexit, and a good deal of it was written during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, directly or indirectly, it often reflects a strange and changeful period. Some of the poetry has been published before, but… Read More →

New Anthology of Surrealist Poems

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  • Categories: Events, Poetry   •   
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  • by Nerys Williams

New Anthology of Surrealist Poems Imagined Invited  (Hafan Books, 2020) edited by Peter Greenslade and original artwork by Mark Sanders Sometime last year  the kind David Greenslade sent our an invitation to some poets Surreal Poetry Game “This  Game has rules  (repeat . . . r.u.l.e.s.    draconian/brutal) You are invited to write a poem meditating on the parlour game of Imaginary Dinner Guests (this is the game where we ask, “Who would you invite if you could invite anyone from time and space?”)  The Rules  Please compose a poem mentioning: between three to five guests  (no more than five) at least one of the guests must have a connection with Wales at least… Read More →

Cardiff Poetry Experiment: 15th February 2020

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As part of the Cardiff Poetry Festival I’ll be reading at an event hosted by Cardiff Poetry Experiment Saturday February 15 2020 Temple of Peace 18:00 Ailbhe Darcy hosts The Cardiff Poetry Experiment: Irish Women Poets “Wales Book of the Year winner, poet Ailbhe  Darcy introduces this trio of performers who expand the limits of the Irish canon. Cherry Smyth will read from her extraordinary book on the Irish famine, Famished, accompanied by ‘Powerful, freewheeling’ jazz singer Lauren Kinsella. Multi-prizewinning poet Nerys Williams, originally from West Wales, now based in Dublin, reads from her thought-provoking collection, Cabaret, and new work”   See more here https://cardiffpoetryfestival.com/event-14/  

Poetry File on RTE Lyric FM: Broadcast Poem 18/5/19

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  RTE’s Lyric poetry slot in 2019 Each week on ‘Lyric Notes,’ Liz Nolan introduces a contemporary poem, read by the poet. My second poem ‘Performance’ (a poetic prose experiment) was broadcast on 18th May, 2019. As part of it I examined the process of writing the work. It can be listened to from here here

Poetry File on RTE Lyric FM: Broadcast Poem 6/4/19

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RTE’s Lyric poetry slot in 2019 Each week on ‘Lyric Notes,’ Liz Nolan introduces a contemporary poem, read by the poet. My poem ‘Grace Notes for Amelia’ (offering a narrative on Earhart’s mis-landing in West Wales- yes, a true story ) was broadcast on April 6th, 2019. As part of it I examined the process of writing the work. It can be listened to from here