Book Talks
As part of our Family Fun Day at Treorchy Comprehensive School, RAFT 2019 is delighted to offer a series of FREE book talks by prominent local authors.
Featured authors for 2019 include:
Angela Fish (Picture Books, ages 3 to 7 years)
Daniel Parsons (teen fiction & social media)
Colin R. Parsons (children's & teen fiction 8+)
Siôn Tomos Owen (straeon o'r Rhondda)
Nigel C. Williams (adult crime fiction)
Further information on each author can be found below. Our Book Talk series will take place at the new Lecture Theatre as part of the Family Fun Day at Treorchy Comprehensive School on Saturday June 29th from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Entry to all talks are free of charge. Books signed by the individual authors will be available for purchase on the day
Featured authors for 2019 include:
Angela Fish (Picture Books, ages 3 to 7 years)
Daniel Parsons (teen fiction & social media)
Colin R. Parsons (children's & teen fiction 8+)
Siôn Tomos Owen (straeon o'r Rhondda)
Nigel C. Williams (adult crime fiction)
Further information on each author can be found below. Our Book Talk series will take place at the new Lecture Theatre as part of the Family Fun Day at Treorchy Comprehensive School on Saturday June 29th from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Entry to all talks are free of charge. Books signed by the individual authors will be available for purchase on the day
Colin R. Parsons
Children's & Teen fiction, age 8+
Children's & Teen fiction, age 8+
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Colin R Parsons is a prominent local author of children's and adult fiction. Born in November 1960 in the Rhondda Valley, Colin has enjoyed writing from a young age. A member of Tonypandy library while growing up (and still today!) Colin wasn’t originally an avid reader, but would listen to audiocassettes of classic fantasy novels such as H.G.Wells' "The Time Machine" and "The Lost World" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He also enjoyed reading C.S. Lewis' "The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe" which excited his imagination, and he vividly recalls reading aloud in class at Williamstown Primary school. Colin actually disliked reading in class yet now, later in life, he finds himself frequently leading author talks, often to school assemblies of hundreds of pupils.
Colin left school at sixteen, and didn't begin writing again until his early forties. His formal writing career began with a short story he had written entitled 'Halfway Home,' which he sent to Crystal Serenades Publications. Colin eventually sent 24 short stories to CSP and they brought out an anthology. 'When Darkness Comes,' an adult horror was later his first real break. Borders, the large American book store, opened in Llantrisant in 2006 and there, Colin was asked to launch the children's section on opening day with his first book "Wizards' Kingdom". Colin gave two talks and sold 100 books that weekend. His writing and further success continues to this day. |
Don't miss Colin's brand new book "Wizard's Exile" due for release on June 27th!
"There's a weird band of misfits - a boy, an engineer and a wizard who have all been locked away in Skytraz Prison. No one has ever escaped from there - well, it is thousands of feet above the earth! All seems hopeless. But the wizard prisoner Rebus knows the layout of Skytraz Prison, so there just might be a chance to break out and get away. If so, can they find Obsidian, and what dangers are ahead? Buckle up; there's Magic, Sky Ships and Dragons in this roller coaster adventure ride"
Pick up your copy, direct from Colin and signed by the author himself, at RAFT 2019
"There's a weird band of misfits - a boy, an engineer and a wizard who have all been locked away in Skytraz Prison. No one has ever escaped from there - well, it is thousands of feet above the earth! All seems hopeless. But the wizard prisoner Rebus knows the layout of Skytraz Prison, so there just might be a chance to break out and get away. If so, can they find Obsidian, and what dangers are ahead? Buckle up; there's Magic, Sky Ships and Dragons in this roller coaster adventure ride"
Pick up your copy, direct from Colin and signed by the author himself, at RAFT 2019
COLIN R. PARSONS ON YOUTUBE
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Angela Fish
Picture Books, ages 3 to 7 years
Picture Books, ages 3 to 7 years
Angela Fish is a writer who specialises in intergenerational communication, women’s writing and Welsh Writing in English. She gained her MPhil in Literature at the University of Glamorgan in 1995, and also established and directed the Wales Centre for Intergenerational Practice, based at the university. She worked with local schools and communities, over a period of ten years, to improve communication between the generations.
Angela's writing has appeared in New Welsh Review (now New Welsh Reader), Writers’ Forum, Bulletin of the Welsh Academy, The Newsletter of the
National Language Unit for Wales, Book News from Wales, and include non-fiction, and poetry. She also wrote a Study Guide for secondary school pupils, published by the University of Glamorgan, which focussed on the work of welsh writers and war. One of her poems won second prize in Writers’ Forum poetry competition, and another was highly commended. A short story was runner-up for a Women’s Weekly competition.
Angela’s first book for children was Ben and the Spider Gate (The Book Guild, 2015); the second was Ben and the Spider Prince (The Book Guild, 2016), and the third in the series is Ben and the Spider Lake (The Book Guild, 2016). The themes of all three have been influenced by Angela’s intergenerational work, her love of the environment and the natural world, and a fascination with mythology and magic. In 2016, she was invited to give a live interview on the Roy Noble Show, on BBC Radio Wales, and several articles about her work have appeared in local newspapers. Her latest publication is The Captain’s Favourite Treasure (Matador, 2018).
From 2010 to 2016, Angela belonged to a writer’s group and began to experiment with writing different genres, often in response to specific stimuli. It was here that all four children’s books were developed and where her current work in progress, The Fractured Globe, was conceived, drawing on her interest in human relationships and the nature/nurture debate.
She is a member of The Society of Authors [SoA], and the SoA Children's Writers and Illustrators Group, and also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators [SCBWI]. Angela lives in South Wales.
Find out more about Angela at www.angela-fish.com
Angela's writing has appeared in New Welsh Review (now New Welsh Reader), Writers’ Forum, Bulletin of the Welsh Academy, The Newsletter of the
National Language Unit for Wales, Book News from Wales, and include non-fiction, and poetry. She also wrote a Study Guide for secondary school pupils, published by the University of Glamorgan, which focussed on the work of welsh writers and war. One of her poems won second prize in Writers’ Forum poetry competition, and another was highly commended. A short story was runner-up for a Women’s Weekly competition.
Angela’s first book for children was Ben and the Spider Gate (The Book Guild, 2015); the second was Ben and the Spider Prince (The Book Guild, 2016), and the third in the series is Ben and the Spider Lake (The Book Guild, 2016). The themes of all three have been influenced by Angela’s intergenerational work, her love of the environment and the natural world, and a fascination with mythology and magic. In 2016, she was invited to give a live interview on the Roy Noble Show, on BBC Radio Wales, and several articles about her work have appeared in local newspapers. Her latest publication is The Captain’s Favourite Treasure (Matador, 2018).
From 2010 to 2016, Angela belonged to a writer’s group and began to experiment with writing different genres, often in response to specific stimuli. It was here that all four children’s books were developed and where her current work in progress, The Fractured Globe, was conceived, drawing on her interest in human relationships and the nature/nurture debate.
She is a member of The Society of Authors [SoA], and the SoA Children's Writers and Illustrators Group, and also a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators [SCBWI]. Angela lives in South Wales.
Find out more about Angela at www.angela-fish.com
Daniel Parsons
Teen Fiction and Social Media
Teen Fiction and Social Media
Daniel Parsons is a fantasy and horror author from South Wales, UK. To date, he has published seven books, including instalments in The Twisted Christmas Trilogy, The Necroville Series, The Canvas Chronicles and The Creative Business Series for authors.
Daniel has been an Amazon bestseller in the USA, Canada and Australia. He was also fortunate enough to see his debut novel become the fastest downloaded children’s book in America on Christmas Day 2017, four years after publication.
His comedy zombie story, The Dead Woods, has received extensive acclaim on the story-sharing website Wattpad. It there garnered over 35,000 reads across 70 countries and was named one of the site’s Top Zombie Stories, as part of a campaign to promote Hollywood’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie.
You can sign up to Daniel's bi-monthly newsletter at www.danielparsonsbooks.com, check out his books online or join his c.90,000 Twitter followers here. Daniel loves hearing from his readers.
Daniel has been an Amazon bestseller in the USA, Canada and Australia. He was also fortunate enough to see his debut novel become the fastest downloaded children’s book in America on Christmas Day 2017, four years after publication.
His comedy zombie story, The Dead Woods, has received extensive acclaim on the story-sharing website Wattpad. It there garnered over 35,000 reads across 70 countries and was named one of the site’s Top Zombie Stories, as part of a campaign to promote Hollywood’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie.
You can sign up to Daniel's bi-monthly newsletter at www.danielparsonsbooks.com, check out his books online or join his c.90,000 Twitter followers here. Daniel loves hearing from his readers.
Sion Tomos Owen
Straeon o'r Rhondda
Straeon o'r Rhondda
Siôn Tomos Owen was born and raised first language Welsh in the Rhondda Valley. He has a string of awards and accolades to his name – Tudor Bevan Bursary Award in 2007, runner up in the Terry Hetherington Young Writers Competition in 2014 and 2013 for short fiction, Young Writer’s Prize in the Planet Essay Competition 2013 and much more.
He wears multiple hats that of a poet, fiction writer, essayist, short story writer, illustrator, and is a successfully published author, artist, singer, television & radio presenter. Cawl was published in 2016, and in 2018, Siôn won a scholarship from Literature Wales to develop a Welsh language graphic novel.
He presented "Pobol y Rhondda" for two series as well as the S4C programme "Cynefin". Siôn is also a regular guest on the S4C "Jonathan" programme. he lives in Treorchy with his wife and daughter, and enjoys eating, playing and laughing!
In 2018, Siôn's illustration of the town of Treorchy was featured in the centre pages of the inaugural Visit Treorchy publication. Such was the popularity of the work, that a large scale version was commissioned to adorn the interior walls of the popular central Treorchy public house The Lion during its recent refurbishment.
As part of RAFT 2019, Siôn's work will now be expanded to an even greater scale... For details of the public art project involving Siôn's work - which you can participate in as part of the Family Fun Day, click here
He wears multiple hats that of a poet, fiction writer, essayist, short story writer, illustrator, and is a successfully published author, artist, singer, television & radio presenter. Cawl was published in 2016, and in 2018, Siôn won a scholarship from Literature Wales to develop a Welsh language graphic novel.
He presented "Pobol y Rhondda" for two series as well as the S4C programme "Cynefin". Siôn is also a regular guest on the S4C "Jonathan" programme. he lives in Treorchy with his wife and daughter, and enjoys eating, playing and laughing!
In 2018, Siôn's illustration of the town of Treorchy was featured in the centre pages of the inaugural Visit Treorchy publication. Such was the popularity of the work, that a large scale version was commissioned to adorn the interior walls of the popular central Treorchy public house The Lion during its recent refurbishment.
As part of RAFT 2019, Siôn's work will now be expanded to an even greater scale... For details of the public art project involving Siôn's work - which you can participate in as part of the Family Fun Day, click here
Nigel C. Williams
Adult Crime Fiction
Adult Crime Fiction
Nigel was born in November 1960 in Abercrave in the Swansea Valley in South Wales, a small village at the south end of the Brecon Beacons National Park.
As a schoolboy he worked as tour guide at the Dan-Yr-Ogof Showcaves before leaving Wales to join the Metropolitan police in 1981. He was first posted to Brixton and worked there until 1984 when he transferred home to South Wales. He served as constable in the Swansea area before becoming an advanced driver with the traffic department and trained as an armed VIP and Special Escort Group driver. In 1994 he was hit by a stolen vehicle on duty and fractured his spine. This injury resulted in premature retirement from the service in 1995.
During recovery, Nigel returned to education and achieved a first-class honours degree in fine art at Swansea Metropolitan University. He then attained a post-graduate certificate in education from Cardiff University and a master’s degree in fine art. He now lectures at a college in Swansea and is the curriculum leader for the A-level fine art programme.
In 2010, Nigel achieved a life-long ambition to write a novel. Eden Relics was finally published in 2012 and garnered some interest from a major publishing house but this eventually failed to materialise in a contract. However, encouraged by the interest, Nigel went on to write several more novels that were then self-published before he teamed up with Arthur Cole, a retired Special Branch detective sergeant and his co-writer of the Terry McGuire series of crime thrillers.
The Terry McGuire series of eight novels was successful as a self-published series and was then picked up by traditional publishing company Wordcatcher. The whole series is now being republished under the Wordcatcher label and all eight novels, along with a new commissioned novel should be available before the end of the year.
Nigel has been married to Caroline for thirty years and has three children. He writes under the name Nigel C. Williams to distinguish himself from the Nigel Williams from Cheadle Hume – the author of the Wimbledon Poisoner and other novels - a necessary change after some confusion at several promotional events. Christened without a middle name, he ‘borrowed’ the ‘C’ from his wife Caroline.
Books by Nigel
Eden Relics
Welsh Gold
Fake Baked
With Alan Lloyd MBE
No Step Back (The semi-autobiographical novel that launched the Frank Dix series of historical crime thrillers)
A Hard Place (Frank Dix novel 1)
A Cold Place (Frank Dix novel 2)
A Dead Place (Frank Dix novel 3 – coming soon 2019)
The Terry McGuire Series of Crime Thrillers
with Arthur Cole (published by Wordcatcher)
Unethical Conduct
Edge of Integrity
Death and Depravity
Angel of Death
Nest of Vipers
Night Hawker
Redemption
Betrayal
Raven (coming soon)
As a schoolboy he worked as tour guide at the Dan-Yr-Ogof Showcaves before leaving Wales to join the Metropolitan police in 1981. He was first posted to Brixton and worked there until 1984 when he transferred home to South Wales. He served as constable in the Swansea area before becoming an advanced driver with the traffic department and trained as an armed VIP and Special Escort Group driver. In 1994 he was hit by a stolen vehicle on duty and fractured his spine. This injury resulted in premature retirement from the service in 1995.
During recovery, Nigel returned to education and achieved a first-class honours degree in fine art at Swansea Metropolitan University. He then attained a post-graduate certificate in education from Cardiff University and a master’s degree in fine art. He now lectures at a college in Swansea and is the curriculum leader for the A-level fine art programme.
In 2010, Nigel achieved a life-long ambition to write a novel. Eden Relics was finally published in 2012 and garnered some interest from a major publishing house but this eventually failed to materialise in a contract. However, encouraged by the interest, Nigel went on to write several more novels that were then self-published before he teamed up with Arthur Cole, a retired Special Branch detective sergeant and his co-writer of the Terry McGuire series of crime thrillers.
The Terry McGuire series of eight novels was successful as a self-published series and was then picked up by traditional publishing company Wordcatcher. The whole series is now being republished under the Wordcatcher label and all eight novels, along with a new commissioned novel should be available before the end of the year.
Nigel has been married to Caroline for thirty years and has three children. He writes under the name Nigel C. Williams to distinguish himself from the Nigel Williams from Cheadle Hume – the author of the Wimbledon Poisoner and other novels - a necessary change after some confusion at several promotional events. Christened without a middle name, he ‘borrowed’ the ‘C’ from his wife Caroline.
Books by Nigel
Eden Relics
Welsh Gold
Fake Baked
With Alan Lloyd MBE
No Step Back (The semi-autobiographical novel that launched the Frank Dix series of historical crime thrillers)
A Hard Place (Frank Dix novel 1)
A Cold Place (Frank Dix novel 2)
A Dead Place (Frank Dix novel 3 – coming soon 2019)
The Terry McGuire Series of Crime Thrillers
with Arthur Cole (published by Wordcatcher)
Unethical Conduct
Edge of Integrity
Death and Depravity
Angel of Death
Nest of Vipers
Night Hawker
Redemption
Betrayal
Raven (coming soon)
Enjoy talks from all of the above - and more! - at our Family Fun & Community Open Day, Saturday June 29th at Treorchy Comprehensive School.
For further information on the wider Family Fun & Community Open Day, click here
For further information on our additional June 29th events - including our C-RAFT Beer & Gin Festival, Arts, C-RAFT & General Market and evening performance by Omid Djalili - visit www.raft.cymru/at-a-glance
For further information on the wider Family Fun & Community Open Day, click here
For further information on our additional June 29th events - including our C-RAFT Beer & Gin Festival, Arts, C-RAFT & General Market and evening performance by Omid Djalili - visit www.raft.cymru/at-a-glance
EVENT DETAILS
Treorchy Comprehensive
Ysgol Gyfun Treorci
Ysgol Gyfun Treorci
Saturday 29th June
Dydd Sadurn 29ain O Fehefin
Dydd Sadurn 29ain O Fehefin
11:00am to 5:00pm
