As we reach the end of 2023, we take a look back at the pieces which made up a new collaboration with the Western Mail this year, where some of the most prominent critics, writers and artists in Wales explored topics ranging from literature, identity, culture and society as part of a brand new series.
Jonathan Edwards on the Poetry of Politics
Jonathan Edwards explores the impact of Welshness and language on Neil Kinnock’s political career and the unlikely influence it had on Edwards’ own award-winning poetry, all stemming from a childhood encounter.
Split in Two: Home and Belonging in Wales and Bermuda by Krystal Lowe
In a moving personal reflection, this powerful article brings you performance artist and writer Krystal Lowe reflecting on the two homes of her heart, her adopted Wales and the land of her birth, Bermuda.
Fflur Dafydd on Writing Welsh Institutions
Award-winning novelist and TV writer Fflur Dafydd reflects on her artistic obsession with Welsh Institutions and their impact on her writing, charting the journey from bricks and mortar to the presence on the page, and how R.S. Thomas has proved an unlikely guide through it all.
The View from Monkey Island: Rachel Trezise on a Tourist Industry for the Rhondda
Award-winning writer Rachel Trezise explores the politics of a tourist industry for the Rhondda and reflects on what such a trade might mean, economically and in terms of identity, for the area.
Steel, Mud and Regeneration: Salvaging National Identity in Post-Devolution Wales by Emma Schofield
Drawing together two novels from prominent contemporary Welsh writers, Emma Schofield looks at what can be learned of our cities from two contemporary Welsh novels.
Trusting the Imagination by Andrew Ogun
Andrew Ogun charts his journey from humble beginnings to a life of explosive creativity in his work as fashion designer, musical artist, author, poet, activist, and Agent for Change with Arts Council of Wales.
Ellie Evelyn Orrell on the Images of Mohamed Hassan
Ellie Evelyn Orrell reflects on the call of home in the works of Welsh-Egyptian photographer, Mohamed Hassan, mapping Hasan’s depictions of Wales against her own experience of belonging and home.
Dreamwork: Art, Fiction and Political Imagination in Wales by Kandace Siobhan Walker
Writer Kandace Siobhan Walker explores the power of speculative art and wonders what it might mean for the future of Wales as a nation.
Emma Schofield on Building a Cultural Forum
Writer, academic and Editor of Wales Arts Review, Emma Schofield, reflects on the precarious nature of arts coverage in Wales and asks what we can learn from the lessons of the past.
