Sian James – författare

A Small Country is the story of the Evans family, farmers in Carmarthenshire, with an introduction by Stan Barstow, author of A Kind of Loving. In the summer of 1914 son Tom returns from Oxford to find the family falling apart. His handsome father has gone to live with schoolmistress Miriam Lewis, who is to have his child. His mother, broken-hearted, lies ill in bed, while his beautiful sister Catrin longs to leave for London and art college. Soon Tom''s college friend Edward will arrive to holiday with them, half-aware of his attraction to Catrin but already engaged to Rose, a supporter of the Suffragettes. And Tom himself is in debt and disillusioned with his proposed legal career. He would like to manage Hendre Ddu, the family farm, but finds that family troubles and the approach of war set him on a very different course.

Si?n James brings her customary narrative flair and ear for dialogue to this beautifully-observed novel of love, scandal and grief set in wartime rural Wales. For three years, young teacher Rhian Evans has lived a life of isolation in her small village, patiently awaiting the return of her soldier-husband, Huw. While Rhian struggles to stay true to her strict Chapel upbringing, her carefree lodger Ilona Hughes apparently has no such concerns, seeming to live life as she pleases. As Rhian''s loneliness grows, Ilona''s influence leads her friend to confront the conflicting passions at work within her. Faced with the interests of art-teacher Gwynn Morgan (a married man with whom Rhian fell in love before meeting her husband) she finds herself questioning the morals imposed upon her by her upbringing, and eventually even her love for her absent husband. Soon, Rhian''s revived affections for Gwynn overpower both her loyalty to Huw and the disapproval of certain members of the community, leading the couple to embark on a passionate affair, just as Gwynn himself is called-up to fight. But Rhian''s sadness at his departure is nothing compared to her devastation when she learns of his death only a few weeks later; wracked by grief, loneliness and guilt, she endeavours to make peace with her community, and particularly with Gwynn Morgan''s urbane French widow.

Return to Hendre Ddu is a tumultuous sequel to Sîan James'' classic novel A Small Country. Once again Sîan James'' talent for character and dialogue weaves an intriguing tale of early twentieth century family life in rural Wales. Though Hendre Ddu, the home farm of the Evans family of Carmarthenshire, looks peaceful, it is the middle of the First World War and lives have been shattered here too. A Small Country ended with Catrin Evans'' sweetheart, Edward, killed in action and now the son of the farm, Tom Evans, returns from the front disabled. The shock is too much for their stalwart housekeeper Nano Rees. But life goes on and Tom and his father Josi, with his new wife Lowri, have their own battle to fight just keeping the farmhouse afloat. At first all seems to be going well, but increasingly tangled romances and financial realities bring heartache and new challenges for the troubled Evans family.

Forewords by Professor Dame Alison Peacock andAndreas Schleicher.Written by an internationally renowned team of thought-leaders, researchers and facilitators,Creative Thinking in Schools: A Leadership Playbookis a practical guide that draws together understanding about school leadership with a deep experience

Having returned home to Wales for her mother''s funeral, actress Kate Rivers is overwhelmed by her past and forced to take stock of her life. From nursing her depressed mother as a child, through to her successful career and relationship with handsome photographer, Paul. past and present bombard Kate as she revisits the cottage and village in which she grew up. Her mother recovered her health and enjoyed her daughter''s stage and TV success. And Kate has a comfortable London life in acting and as a partner and unofficial stepmother to Paul''s unlikeable twin daughters. But now, when she needs him most, Paul is not there, tragedy having overtaken his own family. And as she renews old friendships and faces up to the pain of her childhood, Kate finds herself questioning their relationship and drawn to her charismatic - and married - cousin, Rhydian. But is her affair a second chance at happiness or just a dangerous infatuation?

Ein bislang noch nicht ins Deutsche übersetzter Klassiker der walisischen Literatur: Siân James führt uns in die ländlich-britische Idylle, verzaubert mit bestem englischem Humor und skizziert das sozialpolitische Klima der späten 1960er-, frühen 1970er-Jahre gekonnt.Anna ist Mitte dreißig, verwitwet, und lebt mit ihren drei Töchtern in der walisischen countryside in einem kleinen Haus, das sie über alles liebt. Als sie sich verliebt – zum ersten Mal wirklich richtig, wie ihr klar wird –, bringt der junge Schauspieler Charlie ihr Leben nicht nur nach und nach ziemlich durcheinander. Anna beginnt auch, sich Fragen über ihr bisheriges Leben und ihre Ehe zu stellen. «Ein Nachmittag im Mai» erzählt klug und unterhaltsam davon, was es bedeutet, in den 1960er- und 1970er-Jahren Frau zu sein, alleinerziehnde Mutter noch dazu, welchen Wert weibliche Solidarität hat, wie herausfordernd es ist, Töchtern ein  Vorbild zu sein – und von der großen Aufgabe der Selbstliebe. Ein warmherziger und verywitty Roman über Verluste und Neuanfänge, über vergangene und neue Lieben der großen walisischen Autorin Siân James.

A Small Country is the story of the Evans family, farmers in Carmarthenshire. In the summer of 1914 son Tom returns from Oxford to find the family falling apart. His handsome father has gone to live with schoolmistress Miriam Lewis, who is to have his child. His mother, broken-hearted, lies ill in bed, while his beautiful sister Catrin longs to leave for London and art college. Soon Tom's college friend Edward will arrive to holiday with them, half-aware of his attraction to Catrin but already engaged to Rose, a supporter of the Suffragettes. And Tom himself is in debt and disillusioned with his proposed legal career. He would like to manage Hendre Ddu, the family farm, but finds that family troubles and the approach of war set him on a very different course.Sian James interweaves the lives of her characters with skill and understanding as they face the complications of family breakdown, love, war and propriety. Her ear for dialogue and eye for detail make A Small Country a hugely enjoyable novel.Twice-winner of the Yorkshire Post Prize, Sian James is the author of nine novels, including Storm at Arberth and A Small Country. She was born near Llandysul, Cardiganshire and educated at Aberystwyth.

Siân James brings her customary narrative flair and ear for dialogue to this beautifully-observed novel of love, scandal and grief set in wartime rural Wales.For three years, young teacher Rhian Evans has lived a life of isolation in her small village, patiently awaiting the return of her soldier-husband, Huw. While Rhian struggles to stay true to her strict Chapel upbringing, her carefree lodger Ilona Hughes apparently has no such concerns, seeming to live life as she pleases.As Rhian's loneliness grows, Ilona's influence leads her friend to confront the conflicting passions at work within her. Faced with the interests of art-teacher Gwynn Morgan (a married man with whom Rhian fell in love before meeting her husband) she finds herself questioning the morals imposed upon her by her upbringing, and eventually even her love for her absent husband. Soon, Rhian's revived affections for Gwynn overpower both her loyalty to Huw and the disapproval of certain members of the community, leading the couple to embark on a passionate affair, just as Gwynn himself is called-up to fight.But Rhian's sadness at his departure is nothing compared to her devastation when she learns of his death only a few weeks later; wracked by grief, loneliness and guilt, she endeavours to make peace with her community, and particularly with Gwynn Morgan's urbane French widow.Perceptive, funny and moving, Love & War is a poignant and beautifully-plotted portrait of one rural community during the Second World War. Twice-winner of the Yorkshire Post Prize, Sian James is the author of nine novels, including Storm at Arberth and A Small Country. She was born near Llandysul, Cardiganshire and educated at Aberystwyth.

Return to Hendre Ddu is a tumultuous sequel to Sîan James' classic novel A Small Country. Once again Sîan James' talent for character and dialogue weaves an intriguing tale of early twentieth century family life in rural Wales.Though Hendre Ddu, the home farm of the Evans family of Carmarthenshire, looks peaceful, it is the middle of the First World war and lives have been shattered here too.A Small Country ended with Catrin Evans' sweetheart, Edward, killed in action and now the son of the farm, Tom Evans, returns from the front disabled. The shock is too much for their stalwart housekeeper Nano Rees.But life goes on and Tom and his father Josi, with his new wife Lowri, have their own battle to fight just keeping the farmhouse afloat. At first all seems to be going well, but increasingly tangled romances and financial realities bring heartache and new challenges for the troubled Evans family.Twice-winner of the Yorkshire Post Prize, Sian James is the author of nine novels, including Storm at Arberth and A Small Country. She was born near Llandysul, Cardiganshire and educated at Aberystwyth.

First published in 2000, this Seren edition is a reprint of one of Siân James' most widely acclaimed novels. Siân James writes fluently, with both panache and humour. Her style is at once homely, unpretentious and brilliantly realistic.Returning home to Wales for her mother's funeral, actress Kate Rivers is overwhelmed by her past and forced to take stock of her life. Renewing old friendships and facing up to the trials of her past, Kate finds herself questioning her relationship with photographer Paul, and drawn to her charismatic - and married - cousin, Rhydian. But is her affair a second chance at happiness, or just a dangerous infatuation? Both in her central characters and the land in which they live, James' novel reveals a spirit which, despite bleakness and tragedy, cannot be broken."Siân James writes fluently and with lively humour." – The Times"A superb ear for dialogue and a marksman's eye for revealing detail." Sunday TimesSiân James was brought up and educated in west Wales. She is the author of twelve novels, including Storm at Arberth (Seren, 1995), Love and War (Seren, 2004) and Return to Hendre Ddu (Seren, 2009), and two collections of short stories. She has twice won the Yorkshire Post Prize for Fiction, and her novel A Small Country was filmed as the award-winning Calon Gaeth in 2006. Her translation of Kate Roberts' The Awakening is also published by Seren (2006).

This evocative memoir, beautifully illustrated by Pat Gregory, will delight all kinds of readers, and follows on from her success with earlier books.