An end of week recap

This is a weekly post in which I summarize books read, reviewed and currently on my TBR shelf. In addition to a variety of literary titbits, I look ahead to forthcoming features, see what’s on the night-stand and keep readers abreast of various book-related happenings.

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE TBR >>

I read and reviewed A Pocket Guide: The Literature of Wales by Dafydd Johnston, an informative little book about the literature of Wales. I hope this will be of especial interest to Dewithoners! >> Read my thoughts >>

Look out for my review of Irish writer, Caoilinn Hughes’ debut novel, Orchid & The Wasp – due for publication by Oneworld on 7th June.

Next up is Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss, a slender novel in which a teenage girl lives in a remote Northumberland camp as an exercise in experimental archaeology.

Coming soon is one I bagged at Hay: 24 Stories: of Hope for Survivors of the Grenfell Tower Fire, edited by Kathy Burke.

CHATTERBOOKS >>

* Making Hay Through Sunshine and Showers *

I returned from Hay-on-Wye on Wednesday after attending its famous book festival for the first time. The experience was exhilarating, inspiring and memorable in the best possible way. While there, I posted several Hay Happenings and intend at some point to write a piece in which I share my general impressions of the event and some of the fascinating people I encountered. I hope to return next year, however, at present I’m attempting to readjust to boring old routines and devise a sensible reading schedule for June.

* Five Score Feature *

At some point during my Hay sojourn I published my one-hundredth post on Book Jotter but, being so distracted by various books and authors, I failed to give it my full attention. Consequently, I have no idea which feature was responsible for ushering me past this latest blogging milestone. Oops!

* Fab Features *

Umpteen fascinating articles appeared on my bookdar last week. I generally make a point of tweeting my favourite finds, but in case you missed anything, here are a handful of interesting snippets:

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Literature Wales: ‘Citizen Thinker’ Ed Garland wins the New Welsh Writing Awards 2018 – New Welsh Review announced the winner of the New Welsh Writing Awards 2018: Aberystwyth University Prize for an Essay Collection is ‘Fiction as a Hearing Aid’ by Ed Garland.

BOOKWITTY: Causing a Stir: Controversial Classics and their Impact on History – Classic novels are sometimes considered staid, but many of them were seen as contentious and even scandalous when first published. Rachel Sherlock examines some once controversial titles.

Forbes: Owning Print Books Feels Different From Owning E-Books – Researchers have found that the psychological experience of owning an e-book is significantly different from that of owning a print book (as if we didn’t already know).

Belfast Telegraph: Mary Poppins author commemorated with blue plaque – English Heritage have fixed a plaque outside the former home of P. L. Travers in Chelsea.

Culture Trip: This Literature Map of the World Shows You Every Country’s Favourite Book – Discover the book your country purportedly loves most with this literary map of the world.

The Guardian: You cannot be ‘well read’ without reading women – Male authors seldom recommend reading books written by women. When will this be corrected, asks Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett?

The New York Times: A Scrappy Makeover for a Tweedy Literary Fixture – The Times Literary Supplement was founded in 1902. Its current editor, Stig Abell, was hired to bring it into the modern era. Is he succeeding?

Signature: 19 Translated Books to Add to Your Reading List This Summer – Lorraine Berry is adamant these 19 translated works will “quench your curiosity about subjects ranging from Cuban Science Fiction to nineteenth-century Malagasy adventure stories.”

The Irish Times: Ireland’s thriving literary magazine scene: space for tradition and experimentation – Ireland has developed a vibrant journal scene.

TLS: Bibliomaniacs in Battersea – Visiting the annual Antiquarian Booksellers Association Rare Books Fair in the company of Sir David Attenborough.

Electric Literature: 7 Mysterious Libraries in Literature – Peng Shepherd, author of The Book of M, writes on mystical libraries in fiction.

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FINALLY >>

If there is something you would particularly like to see on Winding Up the Week or if you have any suggestions, questions or comments for Book Jotter in general, please drop me a line. I would be delighted to hear from you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I wish you a week bountiful in books and rich in reading.

NB In this feature, ‘winding up’ refers to the act of concluding something and should not be confused with the British expression: ‘wind-up’ – an age-old pastime of ‘winding-up’ friends and family by teasing or playing pranks on them. If you would like to know more about this expression, there’s an excellent description on Urban Dictionary.

Categories: Winding Up the Week

Tags: Authors, Book Reviews, Books, Dewithon, Hay Festival 2018, Reading, Reading Schedule, Wales, Wales Readathon