Uncategorized

Posted on by

Kathryn Bevis Obituary

Kathryn Bevis is white woman with shoulder-length brown hair. She is wearing a blue beanie hat and a purple scarf and is looking at the camera and smiling.

We are very sorry to hear the news that Kathryn Bevis has passed away.

Kathryn’s relationship with Seren first began during lockdown, when she was a regular open mic reader at our online First Thursday events. Since then we have been honoured to publish her work in Poetry Wales Magazine and more recently in both her acclaimed pamphlet Flamingo, and debut collection The Butterfly House.

Perhaps one of the finest poets of her generation, Kathryn captured hearts and minds with her innovative use of form, language and metaphor to describe everyday life, experiences of women and terminal illness. She had a skill for finding light in the dark, celebration in sadness, and joy in the smallest moments.

Kathryn was a great supporter of other writers. As founder of The Writing School Online, she ran workshops, writing courses and offered mentoring to writers across the UK. She performed at events and festivals across the country and her love for poetry, positivity and, above all, her family and friends always shone through.

Kathryn’s passing is an immense loss. Knowing and working with her was an honour and a pleasure and the entire team sends their heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. For all those who knew her, or will come to know her through her work, we hope that you too will find love, celebration and joy.

Photograph of Kathryn taken by Tina Norris.

Posted on by

Glyn Edwards shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year

Cover of In Orbit by Glyn Edwards shown with a sticker reading Shortlist 2024.

We’re delighted to share that In Orbit by poet Glyn Edwards has been shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year 2024.

In Orbit is a deeply moving account of love, longing, and loss. On receiving news of a beloved teacher’s death, a man struggles with the loss of a relationship sustained by deep admiration and unrequited love. Memories of their shared journey are separated in three orbits where the man’s past, present, and future are punctuated by intense grief.

Wales Book of the Year has four categories in each language – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction and Children & Young People, with one of the four category winners announced as the Overall Winner, and claiming the title Wales Book of the Year. There are twelve awards in total with a collective prize fund of £14,000. In both Welsh and English there are four category winners, one People’s Choice winner and one overall winner.

Glyn’s collection is shortlisted in the English-language Poetry Category alongside I Think We’re Alone Now by Abigail Parry (Bloodaxe Books) and Cowboy by Kandace Siobhan Walker (CHEERIO Publishing). You can view the full Welsh and English-language shortlists for all categories on the Literature Wales website. The winners will be announced in a live Award Ceremony in Caernarfon on Thursday 4th July.

In the meantime you can support your favourite book on the shortlist by voting for Wales Book of the Year People’s Choice Award via the Nation.Cymru and Golwg360 websites.

Vote now

Glyn Edwards was recently featured on The Seren Poetry Podcast where he chatted in depth with Sarah Johnson about In Orbit, poetry and his writing rituals. The Seren Poetry Podcast is available now on all podcast platforms.

Posted on by

Friday Poem – ‘Dannie’s Rock’ by Tony Curtis

Photo of foamy waves washing against a rocky shore

This week’s Friday Poem is ‘Dannie’s Rock’ by Tony Curtis from his new collection Leaving the Hills.

Dannie’s Rock i.m. Dannie Abse Countless low tides leaving the Ogmore beach wide For walks, French cricket and burying fathers. Out to the west, half way to England, it seems, The sea baring its black teeth shows Tusker Rock, Ynys Twsgwr, tu skar, stark above the flat water, Fangs shown only because of the wrecks – A wheelhouse, ribs, blown open boiler room, Propellor, capstan, winch and chains, The long-broken spine of the S.S. Liban lost in a storm, And many others. The dead sailors and a child, All those who floundered, drowned, falling From the tilting decks to their cold deaths. A colony of starfish and mussels and goose barnacles Live and prosper on what we leave. The sea scans the same measured syllables, Songs that sound out of the scored waves. There are more stories to tell – Britten, Debussy, Always more music to raise from the chains of the deep; For these blind rocks, Dannie, Could never satisfy the hungers of our sea.

This poem was first published in Poetry Wales Magazine. You can download their special ebook Doctor and Magician: A Tribute to Dannie Abse, published to celebrate Dannie Abse’s centenary, from their website.

Find out more