Author: davidspeck

Canadian in running for Dylan Thomas Prize

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Canadian poet Jacob McArthur Mooney is one of five emerging authors shortlisted for the 2011 Dylan Thomas Prize, an international competition celebrating young writers.

Nova Scotia-born, Toronto-based Mooney is a poet, blogger and literary critic, who recently received the Banff Centre Bliss Carman Poetry Award and served as writer-in-residence at the Pierre Berton House in Dawson City, Yukon. He made his debut in 2008 with his poetry collection The New Layman’s Almanac and is working on his first novel.

Mooney made the list of Thomas Prize finalists for his latest book Folk, which features poems tackling the 1998 Swissair crash as well as life next to Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.

“Throughout the book, short terse poems full of memorable phrases capture a sense of place and the lives of people coming to terms with their identity and communal realities,” the prize jury said of Folk.

He faces stiff competition for the latest edition of the award, which switched from a biennial to an annual contest in 2010 and carries a cash prize of £30,000 (about $48,000 Cdn).

Belgrade-born, New York-based author Téa Obreht is nominated for her debut The Tiger’s Wife, which earlier this year won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction and is also a contender for the U.S. National Book Awards.

Along with Obreht, two other first-timers are in the running for the Thomas Prize: U.S. author Benjamin Hale for The Evolution of Brunoand British writer Annabel Pitcher for My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Rounding out the list is Belfast-born, London-based writer Lucy Caldwell for her sophomore novel The Meeting Point. In the Thomas Prize’s inaugural year in 2006, she was shortlisted for her debut novel Where They Were Missed.

“Our judging meeting continued for hours with deliberations about the flair and excellence of the books,” prize chair Peter Stead said in a statement.

“There really is something here to excite and challenge every kind of reader.”

Sponsored by the University of Wales, the Thomas Prize honours the memory of the Welsh writer, whose first book of poetry was published when he was 21 years old.

It celebrates excellence in young authors between the ages of 18 and 30, publishing English-language work from anywhere in the world. Different genres are considered, including novels, short stories, poetry and plays. Past winners include Rachel Trevise, Nam Le and Elyse Fenton.

The winner will be revealed at a ceremony in Thomas’ hometown of Swansea, Wales on Nov. 9.

Wales builds creative links with Canada

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Wales builds creative links with Canada

Section Culture | Published on 4 Nov 2011

Canada’s top representative in Britain has been welcomed to Wales for the first time by First Minister Carwyn Jones for talks on developing trade links between the two countries.

High Commissioner Gordon Campbell, who has been in post since September this year, said, “Canada and Wales have both established a strong reputation for creativity, and I’m sure that there are many opportunities for Canadian and Welsh companies to work together in areas such as film, the literary arts, and digital interactive technologies for entertainment and education.

The First Minister said: ” We already have strong relationships through the creative industries and I want to encourage any further opportunities for our two nations to do business with each other.”

There are a number of links between Wales and Canada through the creative industries, including:

Machine Productions which co-produced the first series of the children’s TV show Tati’s Hotel with Canadian production company Screen Door Ltd.

Ha Ha Hairies Ltd set up in Cardiff last year by Jan Page and Mellie Buse, the creators of Grandpa in my Pocket. Canada-based company Decode was appointed to distribute the TV show internationally.

Rondo Media recently worked with Canadian-based production company Rhombus on a documentary entitled The Devil’s Horn about the history of the saxophone.

Dinamo productions are working on a new project called Badly Drawn Roy and will be working alongside a company called Lizard Brain Animation based in British Columbia.

Calon is developing a project with a company in Montreal, called Cinegroupe, for an animated series for a grown-up audience.

During his time in Wales the High Commissioner will tour the Senedd, the roof of which is constructed from Canadian Red Cedar wood.

Clive Doucet reaches the “end of the road” in Wales

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Clive Doucet reaches the “end of the road“

Posted by Trevor Pritchard on Friday, October 28, 2011

Over the past few months, we’ve been following Clive Doucet’s journeys across Europe. The former city councillor and mayoral contender has been writing extensively about his travels since May, usually with an eye to how Ottawa can learn from the places he’s visited.

Today, Doucet marks the end of his six-month trip. In a blog post titled “End of the Road,” he chronicles his visit to the book-loving Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye:

It seemed like the right place to end our long tour through Europe. Hay itself is a beautiful place with a couple of pleasant pubs, a small market place and a fine old church in the centre, but it is the books which make it. You can browse for hours through the stores. I found everyone from the autobiography of the Globe and Mail’s John Doyle to authors I’d never heard of like Ethel Mannin who had published 87 books over the course of her life, novels, memoirs, travel books. It was both fascinating and humbling to discover prolific authors who are as new to me as the day.

The town has 26 second-hand bookstores, writes Doucet, and plays host to an international cultural festival. While his post is more focused on his personal experiences than urban insights—and understandably so, given Hay-on-Wye marks the end of his journey—Doucet does offer this insight into how rural transit differs between England and France:

I was struck with the difference between France and Britain. In a similar village, Limoux, where we stayed in France, there was a twenty minute rail trip from the nearest large centre, Carcassonne and the service was being reinstalled further out into the hills. You simply walked across one track to the other, waited for a bit and off you went on a comfortable ride to Limoux. The Hereford/Hay connection was such that there were only locals and ourselves on it, not a single visitor.

The French commitment to small farmers and rural services contrasted with the English approach that small farmers are inefficient and rural rail lines be uprooted like noxious weeds. [The difference] couldn’t have been more vivid.

Rural mass transit is, of course, an ongoing discussion in eastern Ontario, with groups like MOOSE trying to forge better transit connections with the smaller communities outside Ottawa.

As for Doucet’s plans, now that he’s back in Canada: Spacing Ottawa says he’s returned to Ottawa to serve as a “visiting scholar” at Carleton University’s College of the Humanities.

North American Association for the Study of Welsh Culture and History

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North American Association for the Study of Welsh Culture and History

(NAASWCH)

International Conference on Welsh Studies

Bangor University

Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales

26-28 July, 2012

Call for Papers

The NAASWCH Program Committee seeks diverse perspectives on Wales and Welsh culture – as well as proposals focused on the Welsh in North America – from many disciplines including: history, literature, languages, art, social sciences, political science, philosophy, music, and religion. NAASWCH invites participation from academics, postgraduate/graduate students and independent scholars from North America, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere.

Those wishing to present a paper suitable for a 20-minute reading may submit an abstract (maximum one-page).  Proposals for thematic sessions, panel presentations, or other formats are also welcome.  Please include a brief (one-page) c.v. with your abstract submission.  The abstract-proposal deadline is2 January 2012 but early proposals are encouraged. Participants will be notified by mid-February. E-mail submissions are welcome and will be acknowledged promptly. If you have not received confirmation of your electronic submission within one week, please resend the document.

NAASWCH works to promote scholarship on all aspects of Welsh culture and history; to develop connections between teachers and scholars in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom who are committed to the study of Welsh culture and society, history, language, and literature; to provide an intellectual forum in which scholars and teachers of Welsh culture may share their research and teaching experience, and to provide support for the study of Welsh-North American history and culture.

Please see the NAASWCH website for additional information: www.naaswch.org

Please submit abstracts or session proposals by no later than 2 January 2012 (electronically if possible) to Professor Tony Brown, School of English, Bangor University, Bangor, LL57 2DG (els015@bangor.ac.uk) and Dr Andrew Edwards, School of History and Welsh History, Bangor University (a.c.edwards@bangor.ac.uk).

Those who are not submitting proposals but would like to receive conference information should contact Linda Jones, Conference Administrator, College of Arts and Humanities, Bangor University l.c.jones@bangor.ac.uk;

THE BATTLE OF THE TREES: VISITING WELSH TELLER AND MUSICIAN CHIRSTINE COPPER

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THE BATTLE OF THE TREES: VISITING WELSH TELLER AND MUSICIAN CHIRSTINE COPPER

http://www.christinecooper.info/

THE BATTLE OF THE TREES: VISITING WELSH TELLER AND MUSICIAN CHIRSTINE COPPER  
(Thurs. Oct. 13: Westboro) 

A child poet. A powerful magician. Two archeologists. Robert Graves, writer. A young mother in labour. And you, the listener. What could connect these people? Storyteller Christine Cooper weaves a tangled web of tales that reaches from pre-historic Wales to modern-day Norfolk, taking in history, myth and personal biography.

The Battle of the Trees is a Welsh mythic poem found in the 10th century Book of Taliesin, which has baffled scholars for centuries.  My performance explores the relationships between that poem and the people living and dead, real and mythical, who have clustered round it like moths round a flame. Through these stories I explore our relationship with trees, beings that fill our countries and our cultures across time and space.

audience comments, The Battle of the Trees     “Absolutely mesmerizing and beautiful, and so original. Thank you, thank you.”
                                                      “A spell-binding, evening – a journey through many emotions – very inspiring!”
                                                          “Amazing! I was completely drawn into the world you created.”
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Welsh Films @ The Ottawa International Animation Festival

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Festival draws many stars from animation

Steve Collins
08 September 2011 07:20
Contributed

A still from hip-hop artist J Dilla’s video, Geekdown, featured in Don’t Stop: Animating Hip-Hop.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is back for its 35th year, with a mix of work by veterans like Koji Yamamura, Paul Driessen, Bill Plympton, and entries from animation’s newest young rising stars.

Every year, said artistic director Christopher Robinson, the official competition event is the heart of the festival.

“That’s where everybody can come in and see the latest hot animation from around the world. Every year that’s always exciting,” he said. “You’re watching short films mixed with TV ads mixed with experimental films, so you really get the whole spectrum of animation in one go. Maybe you don’t like a couple of films, but you might love the next film.”

The festival’s programming, he said, also shows there’s more to animation than Hollywood’s computer-generated offerings.

“The feature competition is quite a mix,” Robinson said. “This isn’t going to be the latest Cars 2 or anything. This is a pretty eclectic mix of film, from France, from Estonia, from Wales and from Japan.”

Despite the international scope, two short films from Ottawa animators, Jessica Borutski’s The Good Little Bunny With The Big Bad Teeth, and Glebe Collegiate student David Borish’s The Paper Man, are local standouts in the program this year.

“That’s always refreshing for us,” Robinson said. “We have this big, international reputation, but we’ve always wanted to kind of encourage more animation being made around town.”

In addition to special themed screenings on food and hip hop this year, the festival also offers a retrospective, Cartoon Fight Club, which should appeal to any fan of sheer cartoon mayhem.

Screenings
The Ottawa International Animation Festival runs Sept. 21-25 at the ByTowne Cinema, National Gallery of Canada, Empire Theatres Rideau Centre and Arts Court Theatre. Individual tickets ($12 for adults, $7 for children and seniors) are available at screenings 30 minutes before showtime. For information on passes and more, visit animationfestival.ca.

Metro Ottawa

Sara Evans @ Capital Hoedown 2011

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With five albums to her credit, Sara Evans is on her way to becoming one of the most successful female artists of her generation – a compelling, heart-in-the-throat heir to Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. She’s won numerous accolades, among them the Academy of Country Music’s Female Vocalist of the Year and the Country Music Association’s Video of the Year. Sara was named 2006 Female Vocalist of the Year in the R&R Reader’s Poll,  and has also been chosen as one of People Magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful People”. For more information visit www.saraevans.com

Check out her music at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22zB6Soc2Gk

Sara Evans @ Capital Hoedown 2011

http://www.capitalhoedown.net/en/2011-lineup-2

 

EVENT DATES:

August 11, 12 & 13, 2011

EVENT TIMES:

August 11 & 12 – 4 pm to 10:30pm (Gates open 2 pm); August 13th – 2 pm to 10:30pm (Gates open at noon)

VENUE:

LeBreton Flats Park – Ottawa, Ontario

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Evans

Early life and the rise to fame

Evans was born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1971, and is of Welsh, English, and Irish descent. She was raised on a farm near New Franklin, MO, the eldest girl of seven children. By five she was singing weekends in her family’s band. At age eight, she was struck by an automobile in front of the family home, and her legs suffered multiple fractures. Recuperating for months in a wheelchair, she continued singing to help pay her medical bills. When she was 16, she began performing at a nightclub near Columbia, Missouri, a gig that lasted two years.

Evans moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1991 to be a country music artist. She met fellow musician Craig Schelske and left Nashville with him in 1992, moving to Oregon. They married in 1993. She returned to Nashville in 1995 and began recording demos.[1] Nashville songwriter Harlan Howard was impressed by her demo of his song “Tiger by the Tail”. He decided to help her music career, leading to a signed contract with RCA Nashville.[2]

In 1997, Evans released her first album for RCA, Three Chords and the Truth. Critics praised the album for returning to traditional country and included it in many of their yearly “Top 10” lists. The video for “Three Chords and the Truth”, directed by Susan Johnson, was nominated for awards from Billboard Magazine, CMT, and the MVPA. The album included a cover version of an older Country song, Patsy Cline‘s “Imagine That”, which originally reached No. 21 for Cline on the country charts in 1962. None of the three singles made the top 40. It would be another year before Evans gained full popularity. In 1998 Evans released her second album, No Place That Far. Critics slammed her on choosing a more pop-country sound. Her first single, “Cryin’ Game”, hardly made a ripple on the charts but the music video, which re-teamed Evans with director Susan Johnson, did very well in rotation. However, it was her next single, “No Place That Far”, a duet with Vince Gill, that brought her massive success, reaching #1 on the Country charts, as well as the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40. Because of its success, the album was certified “Gold” by the RIAA.

 

 

Welsh Movie at Bytowne: ‘Submarine’ a coming of age movie, Welsh style

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http://www.bytowne.ca/movie/submarine

http://weinsteinco.com/sites/submarine/

 

Submarine is a 2010 coming-of-age comedy-drama film adapted from the 2008 novel of the same name by Joe Dunthorne. The film is directed by Richard Ayoade and stars Craig Roberts, Yasmin Paige, Sally Hawkins, Noah Taylor and Paddy Considine. The film is Ayoade’s feature-film directorial debut.[2]

The Plot:

Oliver Tate (Roberts) is a 15 year-old Swansea boy who is convinced that he is an unrivaled genius who is widely loved by his classmates, when in fact he is pretentious and socially alienated. He is in love with a mischievous but straight-talking girl named Jordana (Paige) in his year, and goes as far as bullying an overweight classmate to impress her. One day she invites him to meet secretly after school, instructing him to bring a Polaroid camera and a diary. She takes pictures of them kissing, but it turns out to be a plan to make her ex-boyfriend jealous. The plan backfires, the two are publicly bullied, and Oliver is beat up for refusing to call Jordana a slut. Walking home after their ordeal, she takes his hand and they kiss, and Oliver quickly establishes Jordana is his girlfriend.