A new book, ‘Myths & Legends of the Brecon Beacons’, launched with a sell-out event at the Hay Literary Festival over the bank holiday weekend. An audience of more than 700 were captivated by award winning author Horatio Clare reading aloud from the book of short stories which immediately shot to the top of the on-site best seller list.
Over the coming weeks the National Park Authority will be featuring all the stories on their partnership site www.breconbeacons.org accompanied by walking routes. Readers can search for the cave where Arthur and his knights slumber somewhere near Dinas Rock, or visit Craig y nos Country Park to admire the former estate of Adelina Patti - the most famous Opera Diva of the Victorian Age. Each legend comes with has its own individually drawn map and characters, beautifully done by illustrator Jane Matthews, who regularly works with Horatio Clare.
“Visit Wales named 2017 as the Year of Legends and this new book is a fantastic celebration of that theme. It is a great way of reintroducing people to the some of the many myths and legends within the Brecon Beacons National Park, encouraging them into the landscape to retrace the scenes of the stories for themselves.”
Peter Gill, of Graffeg added;
“The Brecon Beacons are sown with extraordinary tales – haunted castles, bottomless lakes, along with echoes of miracles and massacres. Horatio has given these stories a 21st century voice, underlining that the morals of these tales are as relevant today as they were hundreds of years ago.”
Mel Doel, Chairman of the National Park Authority said;
“This beautiful book, published in partnership with the National Park Authority and Graffeg features some of the National Park’s best and magical tales which were really brought to life by Horatio at the Hay Festival. The idea, which came from Carol Williams, National Park Authority Tourism Growth Officer was a brilliant one and I thank everyone who has contributed to it. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and can personally recommend it as a must read. The 10 legends are drawn from all four corners of the Park so everyone can find a tale nearby to explore. We think our communities and our visitors will love having the opportunity to dive into a new way of looking at the National Park through the eyes of the tellers of the wonderful tales.”
For further information, images, interviews regarding the book please contact:
Nerys Lloyd-Pierce nerys@lloyd-pierce.co.uk t:02920 343121
Matthew Howard matthew.howard@graffeg.com t:01554 824000
Horatio Clare is a multi award-winning author and journalist. He worked at the BBC as a producer on Front Row (BBC Radio 4), Night Waves and The Verb (BBC Radio 3). He has written two memoirs, Running for the Hills and Truant: Notes from the Slippery Slope, a novella, The Prince's Pen, and two works of travel and nature writing: A Single Swallow and Down to the Sea in Ships. He wrote and edited Sicily Through Writers' Eyes. In 2015 he published Orison for A Curlew, a combination of travel and nature writing, and an acclaimed children's book, Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot.
Graffeg
Graffeg publish illustrated fiction and non-fiction books for adults and children and gifts by best-selling authors, photographers, artists and illustrators. Graffeg publish Jackie Morris, Nicola Davies, Tom Cox, Karin Celestine, Amanda Owen aka The Yorkshire Shepherdess, James Mayhew and Horatio Clare. Graffeg produce a growing range of gift stationery by Jackie Morris, Jo Cox, Drew Buckley and Amanda Owen. All products are available from Graffeg’s online shop. Graffeg has offices in Cardiff and Llanelli. www.graffeg.com
Brecon Beacons National Park
Brecon Beacons National Park lies on the border between Mid Wales and South Wales and 2017 is the 60th Anniversary of its designation. The Brecon Beacons offers dark skies, spectacular mountain ranges, internationally renowned geology, waterfalls, market towns, bountiful wildlife, diverse recreational opportunities to the highest peak in southern Britain – Pen y Fan. It contains some of the most spectacular and distinctive upland formations in southern Britain and covers an area of 1347 sq km (520 sq miles). It includes Fforest Fawr UNESCO Global Geopark and it was awarded International Dark Sky Reserve status in 2013 – Wales’s first and so far only one of eleven destinations in the world to be granted the prestigious accolade.
