The famous Clock Tower in Machynlleth. Machynlleth's literary festival, named Amdani, Fachynlleth!, will come to life once again in the ancient Mid Wales market town from March 31 to April 2. The idea for a festival was instigated by Charles Dark, owner of The Wynnstay Hotel, in 2020 and was inspired by the life of Jan Morris. Now, her description of Machynlleth, the place where journeys meet / lle mae llwybrau'n cyfarfod, is what the organisers continue to try to evoke. As Jan said: ‘It’s always a junction of powers and influences.’
Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones chairs a lively conversation between Simon Brooks, specialist in the history of ideas in Welsh-language culture and political philosopher, Huw L. Williams, columnist for O’r Pedwar Gwynt. They ask ‘What is Welsh Thought? Is there a risk in the age of global knowledge that a Welsh understanding of the world might be lost?’
Then relax for the evening with Mike Parker’s Quiz Night and a Penderyn Whisky Tasting at The Wynnstay Hotel. Making an early start on April 2, Julie Brominicks and Tom Bullough swap travel notes on their respective hikes around ‘The Edge of Cymru’ and ‘Sarn Helen’, their recently published books. Roaming across Wales, Scotland and California in Birdsplaining, Jasmine Donahaye discusses the uniqueness of women’s experience of nature with Charmian Savill. Author of The Lost Rainforests of Britain, Guy Shrubsole, presents an illustrated talk that takes us deep into ‘found’ British rainforests. Mererid Puw Davies recalls the 1933 novel Nansi Lovell: Autobiography of a Gypsy written by her grandmother Elena Puw Morgan. Popular in its day and recently in an edition published by Honno, Nansi Lovell traces the history of her life among her family of North Wales Romani. Imagine a pilgrimage walk accompanied by poets Sian Aled Owen and Sian Northey and guided by photographer Jean Napier, in an illustrated talk based around her book The Cadfan Way. Mike Parker, author of On the Red Hill, will be in conversation with Ffion Dafis, to launch his new book, All The Wide Border: Wales, England and the Places Between. As the weekend draws to a close, Barbara’s Border Crossings, hosted by ‘Mrs Barbara Nice’ aka Janice Connolly, provides a fun finale. Over the weekend, in the town library, children will enjoy helping Elin Vaughan Crowley reimagine her rainforest and listen to an elephant story. The weekend has the support of Literature Wales, Parthian, Y Lolfa, Seren, Harper Collins, Atebol, Granta, O’r Pedwar Gwynt, New Welsh Review and Culture Colony. Machynlleth Literature Festival and Friends has also had an initial boost with generous support from local people. Tickets are £5 per person, per event and can be purchased via Eventbrite - simply search for 2023 Amdani, Fachynlleth! - or they can be bought directly from Pen’rallt, Senedd-dy and Literary Cat Bookshops in Machynlleth. For more information please visit https://www.penralltgallerybookshop.co.uk/ and to purchase tickets please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/amdanifachynlleth-2023-1703929
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