In Chapters, Christmas - review
Guest blogger Susie Wild goes to the In Chapters Christmas event to hear fresh work from writers Rachel Trezise, Rob Lewis and David Oprava
In Chapters has acquired a strong following of fans. The music and spoken word regular is hosted by the people behind the Laugharne Weekend, novelist John Williams and musician Richard James, and takes place at Chapter Arts Centre.While past sessions have featured unique collaborations between writers and musicians, asking Cardiff's finest to create new work on themes including birds, cafes, and murder, this week's event was a more festive affair with a Christmas theme and free mulled wine and Christmas biscuits helping to spread the cheer.The literary cast of readers for the night boasted new Cardiff resident Rob Lewis, Rachel Trezise, and David Oprava. Crime writer Lewis, who had completed his new short story just an hour before the start of the night got many a laugh for his excellent Black Friday tale 'The Battle of St Mary Street' which, true to form, gave an office Christmas party his booze-soaked noir treatment:"'We're here because it's Christmas,' she said. 'Somewhere. Now only two kinds of people are going to stay on this street. Those who have passed out on it, and those who are going to pass out.'"
A regular face on the local spoken word scene, Oprava read a fantastic new poem which began "Santa, I want you to be a redhead,/I want you to come down my chimney in a bikini,/ remember 1983, you gave me the Death Star:/I want it again, but this time,/ I want you to be Princess Leia," and continued wanting Santa to be many things, including Bananarama, Gorbachev, drugs, a Transformer, Madonna, a 1983 Volvo, and his grandpa. Out of all the regular readers, this poet always appears to be the most comfortable performing their work to music, even at a nightmarish crescendo.Trezise had also just finished writing her "brand new, warm and fluffy Christmas story" in time to read at the event. She warmed our cockles with her A Mother's Christmas in Wales story, 'Christmas '83.' The tale, which the writer had been promising she would write for her husband for years, sees protagonist Pamela's Christmas transformed as her better half and his pals return from the pub late of Christmas Eve and decorate her rundown home and deliver presents for her children:"She opened the door, the red fairy lights in the tree blinking against the dull morning light. Matthew stood for a moment in wonderment, his eyes circling the room. He ran to the presents under the tree, ripping at the paper with graceless fingers."
The evening also contained many a magical musical gift from Richard James, Bragod, H.Hawkline and carols from the wonderful Christmas tree fairy Cate le Bon. Behind the acts, a backdrop of film visuals depicted some of the In Chapters regulars enjoying the delights of Cardiff's Winter Wonderland, from ice skating to fairground games and German sausages so-ho-ho the audience couldn't fail to leave feeling festive.Today's guest blogger Susie Wild is a writer, poet, journalist and editor.
In Chapters, Christmas - review
Guest blogger Susie Wild goes to the In Chapters Christmas event to hear fresh work from writers Rachel Trezise, Rob Lewis and David Oprava
In Chapters has acquired a strong following of fans. The music and spoken word regular is hosted by the people behind the Laugharne Weekend, novelist John Williams and musician Richard James, and takes place at Chapter Arts Centre.
While past sessions have featured unique collaborations between writers and musicians, asking Cardiff's finest to create new work on themes including birds, cafes, and murder, this week's event was a more festive affair with a Christmas theme and free mulled wine and Christmas biscuits helping to spread the cheer.
The literary cast of readers for the night boasted new Cardiff resident Rob Lewis, Rachel Trezise, and David Oprava. Crime writer Lewis, who had completed his new short story just an hour before the start of the night got many a laugh for his excellent Black Friday tale 'The Battle of St Mary Street' which, true to form, gave an office Christmas party his booze-soaked noir treatment:
"'We're here because it's Christmas,' she said. 'Somewhere. Now only two kinds of people are going to stay on this street. Those who have passed out on it, and those who are going to pass out.'"
A regular face on the local spoken word scene, Oprava read a fantastic new poem which began "Santa, I want you to be a redhead,/I want you to come down my chimney in a bikini,/ remember 1983, you gave me the Death Star:/I want it again, but this time,/ I want you to be Princess Leia," and continued wanting Santa to be many things, including Bananarama, Gorbachev, drugs, a Transformer, Madonna, a 1983 Volvo, and his grandpa. Out of all the regular readers, this poet always appears to be the most comfortable performing their work to music, even at a nightmarish crescendo.
Trezise had also just finished writing her "brand new, warm and fluffy Christmas story" in time to read at the event. She warmed our cockles with her A Mother's Christmas in Wales story, 'Christmas '83.' The tale, which the writer had been promising she would write for her husband for years, sees protagonist Pamela's Christmas transformed as her better half and his pals return from the pub late of Christmas Eve and decorate her rundown home and deliver presents for her children:
"She opened the door, the red fairy lights in the tree blinking against the dull morning light. Matthew stood for a moment in wonderment, his eyes circling the room. He ran to the presents under the tree, ripping at the paper with graceless fingers."
The evening also contained many a magical musical gift from Richard James, Bragod, H.Hawkline and carols from the wonderful Christmas tree fairy Cate le Bon. Behind the acts, a backdrop of film visuals depicted some of the In Chapters regulars enjoying the delights of Cardiff's Winter Wonderland, from ice skating to fairground games and German sausages so-ho-ho the audience couldn't fail to leave feeling festive.
Today's guest blogger Susie Wild is a writer, poet, journalist and editor.
Guest blogger Susie Wild goes to the In Chapters Christmas event to hear fresh work from writers Rachel Trezise, Rob Lewis and David Oprava
In Chapters has acquired a strong following of fans. The music and spoken word regular is hosted by the people behind the Laugharne Weekend, novelist John Williams and musician Richard James, and takes place at Chapter Arts Centre.
While past sessions have featured unique collaborations between writers and musicians, asking Cardiff's finest to create new work on themes including birds, cafes, and murder, this week's event was a more festive affair with a Christmas theme and free mulled wine and Christmas biscuits helping to spread the cheer.
The literary cast of readers for the night boasted new Cardiff resident Rob Lewis, Rachel Trezise, and David Oprava. Crime writer Lewis, who had completed his new short story just an hour before the start of the night got many a laugh for his excellent Black Friday tale 'The Battle of St Mary Street' which, true to form, gave an office Christmas party his booze-soaked noir treatment:
"'We're here because it's Christmas,' she said. 'Somewhere. Now only two kinds of people are going to stay on this street. Those who have passed out on it, and those who are going to pass out.'"
A regular face on the local spoken word scene, Oprava read a fantastic new poem which began "Santa, I want you to be a redhead,/I want you to come down my chimney in a bikini,/ remember 1983, you gave me the Death Star:/I want it again, but this time,/ I want you to be Princess Leia," and continued wanting Santa to be many things, including Bananarama, Gorbachev, drugs, a Transformer, Madonna, a 1983 Volvo, and his grandpa. Out of all the regular readers, this poet always appears to be the most comfortable performing their work to music, even at a nightmarish crescendo.
Trezise had also just finished writing her "brand new, warm and fluffy Christmas story" in time to read at the event. She warmed our cockles with her A Mother's Christmas in Wales story, 'Christmas '83.' The tale, which the writer had been promising she would write for her husband for years, sees protagonist Pamela's Christmas transformed as her better half and his pals return from the pub late of Christmas Eve and decorate her rundown home and deliver presents for her children:
"She opened the door, the red fairy lights in the tree blinking against the dull morning light. Matthew stood for a moment in wonderment, his eyes circling the room. He ran to the presents under the tree, ripping at the paper with graceless fingers."
The evening also contained many a magical musical gift from Richard James, Bragod, H.Hawkline and carols from the wonderful Christmas tree fairy Cate le Bon. Behind the acts, a backdrop of film visuals depicted some of the In Chapters regulars enjoying the delights of Cardiff's Winter Wonderland, from ice skating to fairground games and German sausages so-ho-ho the audience couldn't fail to leave feeling festive.
Today's guest blogger Susie Wild is a writer, poet, journalist and editor.
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