Overview

WELSH TIME was first published by Gwasg Gregynog in 2009 on the occasion of Emyr Humphreys's ninetieth birthday. It was curated by M. Wynn Thomas, Emyr Humphreys's great friend. It is a comprehensive compilation of Emyr Humphreys work that follows a time line in his fiction from 1900 to 2000. -- Books Council of Wales

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9781068505348

Table of Contents

Reviews

It is a remarkable fact that his own life also spanned more or less the same era, and that the reader can experience a vivid picture of a Wales that changed in front of the authors eyes as it were. Knowing where you come from, in order to know where you are going, was a recurring theme in his work. This body of work has evolved in the landscape of Wales. Emyr Humphreys's fiction exposes roots that tie us to a place and time, but also in Wales, to a second language that in his lifetime was in constant retreat. He understands that it is the Welsh language that holds our nation’s myths in its collective memory. Dealing with this dilemma constitutes one of the creative cauldron’s of his work. The Gwasg Gregynog edition of Welsh Time was as you would expect a fine, rare, and expensive book to celebrate Emyr Humphreys's life's work. It struck us, Ali Anwar of the H'mm Foundation, M. Wynn Thomas, and Emyr's children that the existence of the book could be used to introduce new readers to his prose and poetry. By reprinting the work in a more accessible form we hope to achieve that goal. Paul Croft who's fine illustrations so enhanced the original volume also agreed. A book that more people could use as a guide into the Wales of Emyr Humphreys's fiction. What could be a better way to compliment all the creative work done to produce the original Welsh Time. -- Publisher: H'mm Foundation

Author Information

Emyr Humphreys: Behind all the intellectual, philosophical and political beliefs that underpinned his writing he was adamant that his main aim was to tell stories. In his creative work he strived never to impose his own hard taskmasters on his characters, they had complete autonomy. Throughout his career, he sensed the shadow of the Welsh Language on his long journey, ""Cysgod y Gymraeg ar hyd y daith"" and realised more and more the importance of the Welsh language as his inspiration in life, and in his English language literature. The compass of Welsh Time illustrates the extent to which this labour of love succeeded. As Emyr Humphreys put it himself in one of his last poems; I sought A kind of magic in prose Episodes in living that stand Retelling, preserved in words Epitaphs. Against Time and Fire. Emyr Humphreys lived to be 101. In this volume we are including ""Nomen"", a story set in the future from The Woman at the Window (Seren 2009), and some poems from Shards of Light (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru) both books published after WELSH TIME. M. Wynn Thomas is Emeritus Professor of English at Swansea University. He is a Fellow of the British Academy and a Founding Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, and has twice been Visiting Professor at Harvard. He is former Chair of the Books Council of Wales, former member of the Arts Council of Wales, and former Vice President of the Learned Society of Wales. The author of two studies of Whitman, he has published two dozen studies of the two literatures of Wales. His All That is Wales was a Welsh Book of the Year in 2018 and The History of Wales in Twelve Poems (2023) proved a popular success. He has contributed extensively to both radio and television. His latest publication is The Art of Losing (2025). M. Wynn Thomas, Athro Emeritws y Saesneg Prifysgol Abertawe/ Emeritus Professor of English, Swansea University -- Publisher: H'mm Foundation

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