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Dannie Abse shortlisted for top literary award
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The acclaimed Cardiff-born poet, novelist and playwright Dannie Abse could be
in line to celebrate his 60th year as a writer by winning one of Wales's
leading literary awards.
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His latest collection of poems Running Late (published by Hutchinson) is one
of four works shortlisted for the biennial Roland Mathias Prize.
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The
collection of 39 poems reflects his life working in literature and medicine in
London and South Wales.
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The prize - for Welsh writing in English - is awarded for a work published
over the last two years in the field of poetry, short stories, literary
criticism or Welsh history.
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It is open to any writer born in Wales or
currently based in Wales.
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Dannie Abse is joined on the shortlist by another South Wales-based writer - poet Philip Gross is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of
Glamorgan in Treforest.
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His series of haunting poems, The Egg Of Zero
(Bloodaxe Books), explores issues of absence and loss.
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They will compete for the £2,000 prize with two writers from Bangor.
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Tony
Brown - who is shortlisted for his critical study R.S. Thomas (University of
Wales Press) - was born and brought up in Cardiff.
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He moved to North Wales in
the Seventies where he is now the co-director of the R.S. Thomas Study Centre at
the University of Wales, Bangor.
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Tony Conran was brought up in Colwyn Bay but has spent more than 50 years as a
writer, translator and literary critic in Bangor.
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His work The Red Sap Of
Love (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch) covers five decades of poetry.
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The Roland Mathias Prize was established in honour of the poet and author - now
aged 91 - who has played a major part in establishing Welsh writing in English
as a distinctive literary genre.
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The winner - chosen by a panel of judges including Professor Jane Aaron of the
University of Glamorgan, poet and critic Sam Adams, literary historian Moira
Dearnley, novelist and poet Chris Meredith and former TV journalist Glyn
Mathias - will be announced at a ceremony supported by ±«Óãtv Wales in Roland
Mathias's home town of Brecon on 27 April 2007.
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Menna Richards, Controller, ±«Óãtv Wales, said: "±«Óãtv Wales is very pleased to play
a role in celebrating the strength of writing in Wales today.
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"The Roland
Mathias Prize makes a major contribution to raising awareness of the high
quality of Welsh writing in English."
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±«Óãtv Wales Press Office
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