'Anglo-Welsh literature', argues Tony Conran, '. . . is written within earshot of a frontier'.
'Anglo-Welsh literature', argues Tony Conran, '. . . is written within earshot of a frontier'.
'His keen awareness of how Welsh society and literature have changed over the last hundred years has enabled him to write what nearly amounts to a history of Anglo Welsh writing and to put our writers in a context where their achievement can be properly seen. This is an important book that all students and critics of contemporary literature will have to read and think about.' (Western Mail)
'This wide-ranging and well-written book is full of interesting arguments and illuminating apercus. It displays a lively intellect and a passionate love for poetry, which make it a delight to read.' (Friends of the Dymock Poets Newsletter)
‘ . . . the book will, rightly be used as an excellent introduction to its subject . . . ’ Modern Language Review
In this impressive and important work, Conran examines the impact on a selection of prominent Anglo-Welsh poets, Idris Davies, Dylan Thomas and David Jones among them, of an awareness of 'frontier' - between the Welsh and their dominant partners in Great Britain and within Wales itself, where two ways of life, two civilizations and two languages both divide and subtly interconnect.
This collection of essays offers fresh perspectives on Welsh writing in English as a whole, while also focusing illuminatingly on individual authors. It represents the mature and often controversial views of one of Anglo-Welsh literature's foremost critics.
This is the second collection of critical essays by the poet, dramatist and critic Tony Conran. His first collection, The Cost of Strangeness, was published in 1982.
'Throughout the book, Conran sustains a series of arguments which are often challenging in their views, and more than once controversial . . . a comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable study about the fundermental aspects of Anglo-Welsh poetry.' (Books in Wales)
Cover illustration: Red Headland, Black Headland, 1996, by David Tress. Reproduced by kind permission of the artist.