Cynan Jones's Blog, page 2
February 26, 2013
Shortlisted
Coinciding with Swansea's cup win and a good victory for Wales in Italy, I landed on the shortlist of the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award. Junot Diaz, Mark Haddon, Toby Litt, Ali Smith, Sarah Hall and myself. An extraordinary list to be on.
You can read the 6 shortlisted stories by downloading the kindle collection here, and vote for you favourite here.
You can read the 6 shortlisted stories by downloading the kindle collection here, and vote for you favourite here.
February 23, 2013
Short story
Recently posted on Wales Arts Review, a commissioned piece as part of their project to build a 'fictional map' of Wales.
Aberarth is a short story about erosion.
For a completely different feel, check out Rachel Trezise's brilliant story, kicking off the series: The Abergorki Long Veg Growing Society .
And if you like the banner illustrations, take a look at Dean Lewis' work here.
Aberarth is a short story about erosion.
For a completely different feel, check out Rachel Trezise's brilliant story, kicking off the series: The Abergorki Long Veg Growing Society .
And if you like the banner illustrations, take a look at Dean Lewis' work here.
January 25, 2013
Longlisted
Sunday 20th Jan - it's announced The Dig joins stories by prize-winning authors including Helen Dunmore, Adam Foulds, Mark Haddon, and Graham Swift on the longlist for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award.
Alongside twelve writers from Britain are Philomena Kearney Byrne and Belinda McKeon from Ireland, the American Claire Vaye Watkins, and Pulitzer Prize winning Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz.
The shortlist will be announced on 24th February. 16 writers down to 6.
Alongside twelve writers from Britain are Philomena Kearney Byrne and Belinda McKeon from Ireland, the American Claire Vaye Watkins, and Pulitzer Prize winning Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz.
The shortlist will be announced on 24th February. 16 writers down to 6.
January 17, 2013
December 30, 2012
Summed up.
2012 has been quite a year for me. I'd been saying for a while I'd wait until I was happy with the writing I was doing before poking my head above the parapet too deliberately. And at the beginning of this year that writing happened.
Granta Magazine picked me up for their Britain issue, and things went from there.
Quickly on the back of finishing The Dig, I wrote the very different Bird, Blood, Snow, which reminded me not to cement myself into a way of working too self-consciously. That came out in October.
And the year has closed with a publication deal. But that's mostly secret, at the moment.
Best wishes to all of you, and thanks for the support since I got here a few months ago.
Happy new year.
Granta Magazine picked me up for their Britain issue, and things went from there.
Quickly on the back of finishing The Dig, I wrote the very different Bird, Blood, Snow, which reminded me not to cement myself into a way of working too self-consciously. That came out in October.
And the year has closed with a publication deal. But that's mostly secret, at the moment.
Best wishes to all of you, and thanks for the support since I got here a few months ago.
Happy new year.
November 3, 2012
Book out.
When I read through the original text of Peredur I thought: shit. Unlike the other tales, it was thin on imagery, the plot was incoherent at times, and there seemed little to hook a re-telling off.
I was the last to be asked to contribute to the series, and it was the only story left. There was a reason the other writers had left it.
One image stood out clearly: the bird killed by a hawk dead in the snow. Other than that, I sensed a lunacy, and a violence.
That was the starting point.
I was the last to be asked to contribute to the series, and it was the only story left. There was a reason the other writers had left it.
One image stood out clearly: the bird killed by a hawk dead in the snow. Other than that, I sensed a lunacy, and a violence.
That was the starting point.
October 5, 2012
Bird, Blood, Snow
Now available to pre-order. But brace yourself... this is completely different.
The original Peredur tale recounts the adventures of a youth bent on recognition as a true knight worthy of place in King Arthur’s court. En route, he defends maidens, defeats giants, and eventually overcomes the witches who threaten the Arthurian world.
Bird, Blood, Snow brings the tale into the present with a story of a delinquent child’s quest into adulthood.
Peredur's mother has taken him from the estates in the hope he won’t suffer the same fate as his father and brothers, all of whom are dead, jailed or missing.
But the world won’t be held at bay. When kids from the nearby estate cycle into Peredur’s life, he wants to join their games.
Collapsed into alcoholism, Peredur’s mother can’t stop him from heading off, accompanied by the notion of finding Arthur – an absent invisible guardian.
Always building his own play worlds, he reacts to the people he meets as characters of his own making. So he’s something of a joke. Until he seriously maims one of the older boys. And that brings the police after him.
Taken from his mother, he’s moved round children’s homes and foster parents, often escaping to pursue his quest for Arthur. Through various violences and demolishments his mis-shapen mind carves its own route through adolescence, and into a lunatic adulthood.
The original Peredur tale recounts the adventures of a youth bent on recognition as a true knight worthy of place in King Arthur’s court. En route, he defends maidens, defeats giants, and eventually overcomes the witches who threaten the Arthurian world.
Bird, Blood, Snow brings the tale into the present with a story of a delinquent child’s quest into adulthood.
Peredur's mother has taken him from the estates in the hope he won’t suffer the same fate as his father and brothers, all of whom are dead, jailed or missing.
But the world won’t be held at bay. When kids from the nearby estate cycle into Peredur’s life, he wants to join their games.
Collapsed into alcoholism, Peredur’s mother can’t stop him from heading off, accompanied by the notion of finding Arthur – an absent invisible guardian.
Always building his own play worlds, he reacts to the people he meets as characters of his own making. So he’s something of a joke. Until he seriously maims one of the older boys. And that brings the police after him.
Taken from his mother, he’s moved round children’s homes and foster parents, often escaping to pursue his quest for Arthur. Through various violences and demolishments his mis-shapen mind carves its own route through adolescence, and into a lunatic adulthood.
August 19, 2012
Bird, Blood, Snow
The book starts to feel a little more real when you see the typeset.
It was very different to write this, so still bemused as to how people will react, given what I've written before.
Uncorrected proofs due soon after a fight with some legal bullies.
It was very different to write this, so still bemused as to how people will react, given what I've written before.
Uncorrected proofs due soon after a fight with some legal bullies.
July 29, 2012
Calm water, cachaça and rain on the Copacabana
Check out brief notes on Brazil, from my recent trip with Granta Magazine and the British Council.
http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/Bra...
Meanwhile, waiting for final comments on my New Story from the Mabinogion for Seren Books, Bird, Blood, Snow - due October 15th.
http://www.granta.com/New-Writing/Bra...
Meanwhile, waiting for final comments on my New Story from the Mabinogion for Seren Books, Bird, Blood, Snow - due October 15th.
July 18, 2012
FLIP/FLUPP
Just returned from a brief trip to Brazil with Granta Magazine and the British Council.
Two extraordinary and contrasting events. FLIP - a literature festival in Paraty (said Par-a-chee) a few hours south of Rio; and FLUPP , in a police protected Favella in Rio.
On the back of the Granta 119: Britain issue, we were out to discuss ideas of national v. universal identity in writing, and to celebrate Granta's Best of Brazilian Young Novelists issue.
Here's a little more information.
I now have to finalise the work on the Mabinogion commission. Come August, I'm looking forward to some sleep.
Two extraordinary and contrasting events. FLIP - a literature festival in Paraty (said Par-a-chee) a few hours south of Rio; and FLUPP , in a police protected Favella in Rio.
On the back of the Granta 119: Britain issue, we were out to discuss ideas of national v. universal identity in writing, and to celebrate Granta's Best of Brazilian Young Novelists issue.
Here's a little more information.
I now have to finalise the work on the Mabinogion commission. Come August, I'm looking forward to some sleep.
