Condry Festival - A One Day Festival of Nature and Outdoor Writing

Tue, 12 Oct 10 13:49:00

On 16 October 2010 some of the finest nature and outdoor writers in Britain will be in the ancient capital of Wales, Machynlleth for a one-day festival to commemorate and celebrate the work of the writer and naturalist Bill Condry.  This is the third such festival, and this year’s speakers range from author John Fanshawe to Jack Grasse, Voluntary Warden with the Snowdonia National Park.

The festival is being supported by Academi and The National Library of Wales – the latter being home to Bill Condry’s personal archive.

The event hosts a collection of speakers as varied as the topography that Bill so loved.  Jack Grasse will be discussing The Story of Cadair Idris whilst Bethan Wyn Jones, botanist, broadcaster, translator and author will talk about Planhigion Meddyginiaethol (medicinal plants). Learn more about Ian Niall’s Wales with Andrew McNeillie and listen to writer and navigator Tristan Gooley discussing The Wonderful World of Natural Navigation.  The morning session will be chaired by author Jon Gower and the afternoon session by Martin Wainwright, northern editor of the Guardian.

The Annual William Condry Memorial Lecture on the subject William Condry, Nature Writer will be delivered by the author and travel writer Jim Perrin.

‘The Welsh landscape and people made as indelible a mark on Bill Condry as his writings and travels on the thousands of his dedicated readers. The Condry Festival is therefore a celebration of Bill’s work and also of the living, breathing landscape that is so magnificent and yet so fragile. With its location in an area of such diverse landscape, Machynlleth, the historic capital of Wales, is the ideal venue for such a special event,’ said Andrew Green, Librarian of The National Library of Wales.

Festival programme

Tickets may be booked online or through the The National Library of Wales shop:
01970 632 548  www.llgc.org.uk/drwm
 
Further Information
Sara Branch, The National Library of Wales: 01970 632 839

Speakers
Professor Andrew McNeillie
A writer, publisher and editor, Andrew is founder of the literary magazine Archipelago, which provided the inspiration for the MA Writing, Nature and Place, and of the imprint Clutag Press.
A graduate of Oxford, he was Literature Editor at Oxford University Press before joining the University of Exeter in 2009. He has two new books, a memoir Once (2009)– about his childhood and youth –and a collection of poems In Mortal Memory.
Further information about Professor Andre McNeillie

Jim Perrin (born 1947) is a British rock climber and travel writer.
Born in Manchester, Perrin is of Welsh descent, and has lived in Wales since the age of 17. Before turning to writing, he worked in Cwm Pennant as a shepherd. As a writer, he has made regular contributions to a number of newspapers and climbing magazines.
He has won the Boardman Tasker prize twice, first for Menlove (1985), his biography of John Menlove Edwards, and again as a joint winner (alongside Andy Cave's Learning to Breathe) for The Villain (2005), a biography of Don Whillans.


Tristan Gooley  
Tristan Gooley is a writer and navigator.
He is the author of The Natural Navigator, one of the world’s only books on natural navigation. He has written for the New York Times, the BBC, Geographical Magazine, The Financial Times and many other periodicals.
Tristan has appeared on TV and radio programmes in the UK and internationally, including The Today Programme, Countryfile, Excess Baggage, Ramblings and Open Country.
Further information about Tristan Gooley


Jack Grasse
Voluntary Warden, Eryri National Park
Further information about Jack Grasse


Jon Gower
Jon Gower is a producer with Boomerang, one of Wales’ most dynamically creative TV and radio companies. He was BBC Wales’ Arts and Media correspondent from 2000-2006, when he also presented First Hand, BBC Radio Wales’ arts programme. He has written books about travel and local history, including An Island Called Smith (Gomer, 2001). Jon is currently working on a critical biography of the American actor Steve Buscemi and has recently published a book about his home town, Llanelli, for Seren's ‘Real Wales’ series.
Further information about Jon Gower


Bethan Wyn Jones
Lecturer, weekly columnist for Daily Post Cymraeg and Anglesey Red Squirrel association Education Officer.  Bethan has a book shelf to her name including: Bwrw Blwyddyn, Chwyn Joe Prye a Phincas Robin Goch, Y Doctor Dail, Y Wiwer Goch and Blodau Gwyllt, and her second volume Y Doctor Dail will be published soon.

John Fanshawe
Senior Strategy Adviser, BirdLife International.  Editor of The Peregrine: The Hill of Summer & Diaries – the complete works of J A Baker (2010)


Notes to Editors:
William Moreton Condry (1918-1998), was born in Birmingham, but from his youth he was fascinated by the natural history of Wales. His early career involved him with Ronald Lockley, the West Wales Field Society and the Field Studies Council Centre at Dale Fort. He edited the journals, Field Notes and Nature in Wales, and with his wife Penny, joined the newly formed Kite Committee. He enjoyed a long association with the Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory, and in 1969 he became the first warden of the RSPB nature reserve at Ynys-hir near Machynlleth. In addition to his field activities, he was engaged in lecturing, broadcasting, committee work and literary pursuits.  

His books, often illustrated with his own photographs, included Thoreau, The Birds of Cardiganshire, The Snowdonia National Park, and The Natural History of Wales. He wrote widely for magazines such as Country Life and was particularly renowned for his 'Country Diary' articles, published in the Guardian between 1957 and 1998.  

His professional interests brought him into contact with Mary Richards, E.H.T. Bible and R.S. Thomas.  

His life as a naturalist and writer is reflected by his personal archive, the William Condry Papers, held at the National Library of Wales. From the notes, diaries, articles and correspondence there emerges the image of a man passionately and wholly committed to the world of nature.