James A. Davies – författare

Almost a half century after his death in 1953, the Welsh author Dylan Thomas continues to capture the attention of scholars and critics. Though he attained some measure of fame before he died, he never enjoyed financial prosperity. His life was plagued with difficulties of all kinds, and he was only 39 years old at the time of his death. Some of his works, such as Fern Hill and Do not go gentle into that good night are frequently included in anthologies, and Thomas is now often considered one of the most important and original poets of the 20th century. During his trips to the United States, he read his works to large audiences on college campuses. He also made a number of radio broadcasts and recordings, and his moving voice made scores of listeners respond emotionally to his poems.Though Dylan Thomas has earned his place in literary history, readers often find his poems difficult to understand. This reference book is a valuable guide to his life and work. Because his writings are so very much a product of his troubled life, the volume begins with an insightful biography that provides a context for understanding Thomas's works. The second section then systematically overviews his works. While his poems receive much attention, the section also includes discussions of his prose works, his filmscripts, and his broadcasts. A third section then surveys the critical and scholarly response to his writings, with separate chapters detailing his reception in Wales, England, and North America. A selected bibliography lists editions of Thomas's works, along with the most important general studies of his writings.

This is a pioneering study of the life and work of the Welsh-born poet and short-story writer Leslie Norris. His life, from his Merthyr upbringing to lecturing in England to a distinguished university career in the USA, is examined in connection with his development as a writer. In his early days much influenced by Dylan Thomas, Wordsworth and others, he later found his own literary voice in beautifully crafted stories and poems and, in more recent years, spare, compressed poem-sequences which speak of the modern world with piercing and, at times, pessimistic force. This account corrects the mistaken perception of Norris as a misplaced Georgian and shows him to be a moving, complex, disconcerning and important modern writer.

This work describes the relationship between Thomas's life and work and the places that were most important to him. The arrival in Swansea of Thomas's father is dealt with and the places in which he grew up are highlighted.

Although Dylan Thomas died in 1953, his work has never been out of print and his notorious life continues to fascinate. To mark the centenary of Thomas's birth, Dylan Thomas's Swansea, Gower and Laugharne is being reprinted. This popular publication provides a detailed account of the relationship between Thomas's life, work and the three places that were most important to him. Illustrated throughout with photographs, this book takes the reader on a tour of the locations intimately connected with the poet, outlining the history and literary history of each area as well as Thomas's links with these places and his use of them in his work. The result is a unique literary guide for all those who are interested in Dylan Thomas and the places that shaped him, whether they are visitors to Swansea, Gower or Laugharne, or armchair travellers who would like to know more about the geographical and cultural associations of Thomas's writing.