FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27. 8pm
At The Green Room above SUSSED
HappenStance Press Comes to Porthcawl
Poet and editor of HappenStance press Nell Nelson travels from Fife to Porthcawl to launch two new books by Welsh poets.
'Unleaving' is the first collection of poems by Kristian Evans, a writer and artist, originally from Bridgend, who currently lives among the dunes at Kenfig on the south Wales coast with his wife, two sons and a border collie. A close observer of the expressions of the natural world, and its dialogue with poetic tradition, his work is nonetheless willing to take risks and test our conventions. Even in his prose, there’s poetry, the borderlines blurred and burnished. He is the author of the popular Kenfig Journal.
Stephen Payne’s day job is in academic cognitive science. He is currently Professor of Human-Centric Systems at the University of Bath. He’s always been fascinated by language and lyric, and here, in his first full length collection, 'Pattern Beyond Chance', scientist and poet meet and strike sparks. It’s no surprise to encounter poems that think, and think about thinking. They’re playful, provocative and lyrical, and the poet’s continuous pleasure in sound and pattern is curiously infectious.
Nell said, ""How lucky and lovely it is to have debut publications from twoexcellent Welsh poets at the same time! It's a delight to be launching HappenStance books in Wales -- for the first time, but definitely not the last."
Kristian will also be reading at Ty Carnegie, Bridgend's new art centre, with Clare Potter on the 15th of October and Stephen will be reading in Bath on the 30th of November.
For the Sustainable Wales, Robert Minhinnick said today:
“All Welsh literature lovers should welcome the first publication by Kenfig’s Kristian Evans.
“Here is a new toughly lyrical voice in Wales, aware of the past but sounding a warning about our uncertain future.
“ Kristian Evans uses his knowledge of Welsh and French literatures to create vivid poetry.”
Helena Nelson will speak about both publications, and the two writers give readings