Book Launch and Party on the Castle
On
Saturday 12 September at 3.pm an event
was held in the grounds of Cardigan Castle to
celebrate the launch of a new book by Liz Whittaker
which tells the story of the first Eisteddfod.
Marquees were on site and there was entertainment
and afternoon tea.
‘I wanted to write something for 2010
and a book about Cardigan being the home of
the first Eisteddfod really appealed to me,’
Whittaker says. ‘So I have dedicated the
book to the town and am now looking forward
to having a party to celebrate it coming out.’
Entry was free and an open invitation extended
to anyone interested in the history of the castle
or the town. There was an update from the organisers
of the 900th anniversary of the town celebrations
in 2010, and a short summary from the Cadwgan
Trust on how things are progressing with regard
to the restoration of the castle, plus local
figures reading in character from the book.
A Court in Splendour is a historical novel and
its title is taken from the earliest references
to Cardigan’s illustrious past when the
monks of the day talked of the events at the
castle in 1176 with evident admiration.
Told through the imagined voices of those present,
the story offers an unforgettable insight into
the court of the Lord Rhys ap Gruffudd, Prince,
Warrior, and King’s Judiciary whilst also
capturing the excitement and thrills of the
First Eisteddfod and the characters who were
there at the genesis of one of the Welsh nation’s
greatest prizes – the Bardic Chair.
The book will be released on the day of the
launch, and after that date it will be for sale
at Awen Teifi in the High Street and also online.
Published by Llanerch
Press it is in paperback at £10 per
copy. The first 200 copies will also receive
a historic bookmark inscribed with the year
2010.
Liz
Whittaker
Delyth Wyn and Gwyndaf Tomos Sgwrs ar Eisteddfodau (7min mp3)
Images from the launch at Cardigan Castle
