Untitled - Literature Wales

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SomeDifficultiesPersistThe past year has not been one unalloyedstreak of light. Difficulties have persisted. Thetotal resource available for the payment ofauthors has remained largely uninflated.As Academi has noted on a number ofprevious occasions Welsh authors are alltoo often called upon to work for derisoryrates. To see the emergence of a strata ofprofessional writers in Wales requires thenation to make available to them work inappropriate quantity and to pay marketrates. Despite constant pressure 2008-2009has seen us move no nearer this target.The problem of author’s copyright in a digitalage continues, with writers divided as to howthey should proceed. Those who wish to seetheir work disseminated as widely as possibleand who seek little or no financial rewardare directly contrasted by the many whoseek to live by what they produce. Boundup as it is with the desire to see our culturemade available to all who seek engagement,resolution to the issue seems as far awayas ever.Success VastlyOutweighs Failure– Some HighlightsThe word ‘some’ is probably inadequatehere. 2008-2009 has been as busy a year asanyone on the Academi staff can remember.Schemes, projects and proposals put intrain in earlier years have come gloriouslyto fruition and in their wake a whole newraft of literature events and activities havecome on stream. The joint venture betweenAcademi and seven south Wales Valleyslocal authorities, backed by aid from the ACWLottery fund, has blossomed. Full details aregiven in the South Wales Valleys LiteratureDevelopment section further on in thisreport. Headline events have included twowell-attended conferences (one on sciencefiction and the other on engagement withwriting); five youth-orientated connectionsbetween sport, youth and authorship (SurfCult, All Skilled Up, Boxing Beats, the SportingAcademi, & Poetry for the Ashes Test Match);as well as events and masterclasses involvingeveryone from reluctant readers to railwaycommuters. At the Wales Millennium CentreAcademi presented more book launches,readings, masterclasses, workshops andwriting squad meetings than at any timesince the Centre first opened. Choman Hardiread Kurdish verse, superperformer MartinDaws recited Skin Tight The Sidewalk, andformer Wales Book of the Year winner CarylLewis revealed the mechanics of the novel.There were co-operative ventures with theUrdd, Diversions Dance, WNO, Tŷ Cerdd andwith the Centre itself.Academi ran two members’ conferences – onthe work of sixties poet John Tripp and onwriting and the supernatural. Meic Stephensturned 70 with a celebratory evening at StFagans. Bay Lit was the Shock of the Newin October. World Poets reached Wales ontour. Visiting Chinese writers worked withtranslators at St Donat’s and performedthe results at the Senedd. There were fourguided bus tours to literary locations. Asa taster for the Wales Smithsonian FolklifeFestival in June 2009 Academi sent adelegation of practitioners to Washington inMarch just to show that Wales was much morethan Dylan Thomas.
The Welsh AcademyAnnual Report5Ifor ThomasWales’s new National Poet, Gillian Clarke,took office at the end of March 2008 markedby special hand-over ceremonies withthe National Museum and with Academi’sLlanystumdwy-based partner organisation,Tŷ Newydd. Gillian’s approach to the role hasbeen large scale, public and engaging.The Academi’s fieldwork in north Walesensured a record number of events onAnglesey, and the continuation of activitymanaged in partnership with CadwynClwyd. The Gwynedd Literature Promotionprogramme went from strength to strength.Its highlights included events arranged withGaleri and Cae’r Gors, the Kate RobertsHeritage Centre.In early 2009 Academi’s new Assemblyfundedwriters in prisons project, Write forLife, finally got the go ahead with the awardof resource to take the work forward in a pilotfor 2009-2010. Following the appointment ofthe new project officer, Johanne Price in April2009, writers will now be engaged to workwith all five Welsh prisons as well as with theprobation service and with prisoners’ families.Academi competitions have all benefittedfrom an increase in entrants (testimony tohard times, the increasing efficiency of ouradministration, or both). The Hay Festival haswitnessed a growth in Welsh focus and therehave been increased visitor numbers to ourpresences at both the National andUrdd Eisteddfodau.In September 2008 Academi was awardedBeacon Company status by the Arts Councilto supplement its initiatives with YoungPeople’s Writing Squads and withliterary tourism.None of these highlights touch on theAcademi’s regular work with authors andeducators, with readers and writers andwith the public at large. These are describedlater in this report. With a small, dedicatedstaff, literature in Wales has certainlybeen promoted.Peter Finch, September 2009
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Page 8 and 9: PartnershipsWorking with other orga
Page 10 and 11: EventsLiterary events in their many
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Page 14 and 15: Choman HardiInternationalIn March 2
Page 16 and 17: SchemesAcademi’s literature suppo
Page 18 and 19: Tiffany Atkinson
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Page 22 and 23: Gillian Clarke, National Poet of Wa
Page 24 and 25: Peter Read as John TrippMembers’
Page 26 and 27: Services for Writers- BursariesThis
Page 28 and 29: Gareth Miles and Dannie AbseWales B
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Page 34 and 35: Staff and committeememberships- Pet
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