Welsh Fiction

Plans for a town pantomime are thrown in the air after one of the actors is murdered. The victim is local gossip, nosy parker and aspiring manipulator Ivor Gladwin. Reviled by many and ignored by more, the list of people who could have wanted rid of him seems to grow by the minute. Despite having overstepped the mark in past cases, because of her familiarity with the individuals involved, ex police officer Fabia Havard is actually tasked by her boyfriend, and serving DCI, to look into the matter on the side.

Written by the author of the best-selling Welsh learners' novel Coed y Brenin, this book should help you expand and improve your Welsh, while being both interesting and entertaining. It should be suitable for those who've done a year or more of evening classes, although we'd hope that more advanced learners would also get a lot out of it.

April 1284. As a newly widowed lady-in-waiting to the very pregnant Queen Eleanor of England, Catrin never expected to return to Wales again. She was definitely unprepared to be confronted with murder when she got there-or to find herself face-to-face with Rhys, the childhood friend she lost twenty years before. Rhys had never intended to return home either, but a lifetime of war has deposited him right back where he started-impoverished and owing service to Catrin's older brother.

July 1284. King Edward has invited the nobility of England, Ireland, and Scotland to Nefyn, one of the most remote spots in Wales, for a Round Table—a tournament as in the tales of King Arthur to celebrate Edward's victory over the Welsh and his ascension to Arthur's throne. Not everyone sees the tournament as a friendly competition, however, and in short order, Rhys and Catrin are called to investigate the death of a knight in the retinue of the Earl of Gloucester.

August 1284. On the heels of King Edward's triumph over Wales, the high point of his reign thus far, he receives the worst news possible: his eldest living son and heir to the throne of England has died. Concerned that his victories in Wales, and even more the means by which he came by them, have brought the wrath of the Almighty down upon his house, King Edward sends Catrin and Rhys to Windsor Castle to investigate.

September, 1284. Within moments of rejoining the king's company, Rhys and Catrin learn King Edward has not only melted down the silver seal of their murdered prince and turned it into a chalice, but the chalice itself has gone missing a matter of days before its intended consecration at Vale Royal Abbey.

England has a new King. Henry is the young son of King John. Guided by a Council of regents and the Earl Marshal he has a divided England to heal. When William Marshal gives Sir Thomas, Earl of Cleveland, the responsibility of making the young King a warrior, he sets in motion a series of events which, although they might begin to heal the kingdom will bring pain to the Earl and his family.

Welsh is one of the oldest continuously used languages in Europe and has been spoken in the British Isles for thousands of years, predating English by several centuries. It is a language famed for its poeticism and idiomatic expression, and the Welsh for Beginners audiobook has been specifically designed to allow you to access and appreciate all the nuances and mystery of this ancient Celtic tongue.

A mythology collection of 80 Welsh legends and myths, gathered from across Wales. Welsh Legends and Myths is a compendium of traditional myths, Welsh fables, Welsh fairy tales and real stories. Like other Celtic mythology, many of the myths and legends told here are based on factual events. While some have mythical roots, all are entertaining.

In the hauntingly beautiful Welsh Elan Valley, a house once beloved of the poet Shelley stands in the way of Birmingham’s need for water. It is the Tregaron family’s ancestral home, and the flamboyant, strutting Griffith Tregaron is determined to profit from progress while his daughter Philippa is beside herself at its sacrifice. A young engineer is torn between ambition and conscience; a local girl’s innocence is tested by change.

It's not a good Monday for DI Daniel Owen. A body in a wheelie bin. Missing teenagers. His ex turning up as his new boss. A secretive teenager, a nosy secretary, an idealistic social worker, and a dodgy fruit and veg salesman all have pieces of the jigsaw. If Daniel and Maldwyn can trust each other again, they can put the pieces together. But time is running out, and at least one child's life is in danger. It's been raining for weeks, and the flood waters are rising, threatening to engulf them all.

This isn't how moving in together is supposed to go. Daniel is left dealing with dead bodies, while Mal disappears undercover. Daniel knows the bodies were murder victims, but he can't prove it. Mal is getting more and more secretive. His friend Hector is being abused but insists that the bruises happened when he ran into a door. Daniel is fighting unseen enemies without any of the information he needs.

Even among the Celtic nations with their noble tradition of bards and story-tellers, the Welsh stand out for the sheer weight and number of their stories. Drawn from many sources including the great book of 'The Mabinogion1, traditional Celtic mythology, and local folklore this collection of tales has been adapted by popular children's author Faye Saxeby and brought to life in an enchantingly warm reading by the lovely Welsh actress Angharad Rees.

Owen Lucton, senior accountant and family man, feels trapped by his life. He buys a luxury motor car, which he loves; but an accident sends the vehicle headlong into the river and presents him with an opportunity for change. Wandering incognito across the Malvern Hills, he encounters eccentric locals, the warmth of country pubs, the camaraderie of cricket matches, and a sense of belonging–until he is presented with a dilemma: will he risk his anonymity and freedom to help his friends?

A novel that moves from 1908 and 2018. The shadow of Vosper's famous painting is woven through the story, and the belief that the devil's face lies in the shawl. Neta has to face her ghosts, and through her actions, the lives of Ceri, Beca and Olwen Agnes are all affected, and prejudice and negative attitudes towards gender and convention are challenged.

Small town cop DI Daniel Owen spends most of his days keeping the office running in his own quiet way. But when an acquaintance of his boss is found dead in a mine shaft, Daniel sets it all aside to help with the case. Too bad the attractive DCI, Mal Kent, can't seem to stand him, and the collapsed mines are enough to make Daniel think of booking it back home.

Two guys fighting over a beautiful girl might agree – on reflection, and after a few pills and many pints of lager – that their friendship is actually more important than a woman. Hilarious, shocking and hugely entertaining, 'Victor Spoils' has all the classic Irvine Welsh ingredients.

Daniel and Mal need some peace to recover from the horrors of their last case. They don't get it because a dead family needs justice. An abandoned child threatens to break Daniel's heart. Mal's past comes calling in the shape of an attractive young man. Did John Edwards slaughter his wife and daughters, then kill himself? Why did the little boy survive the massacre? What are the hippies next door hiding? The only certainty is that everyone is lying.

Nofel i ddysgwyr Cymraeg Lefel Uwch gan Mared Lewis, sy'n diwtor Cymraeg i oedolion. Mae Rob a'i ddau blentyn yn symud i fyw i dŷ ei fodryb, ac yn dechrau bywyd newydd fel tad sengl. Ond ydy hi'n hawdd cynnau tân ar hen aelwyd? Nofel lawn hiwmor, sy'n ymdrin â nifer o themâu cyfoes.

What happens when a young man from a small town in Gwynedd has to spend six weeks in Manchester for a course of radiotherapy? This novel portrays life through the eyes of patient number 24609-3740. Winner of the Daniel Owen Prize at the 2016 National Eisteddfod.