Merthyr Express column

14 May 09
Poet’s Visit
This week’s Open Mike Night welcomes guest author for the night will be John Gimblett. Poet, short story and travelogue writer. John Gimblett is also a novelist and reviewer. Born in Newport. Travelled extensively in India and South East Asia, as well as Europe/West Asia. He edited and published a small press magazine, Frames, in the 1980s. Has published a number of poetry collections and has had poetry/short stories, articles published in Poetry Wales, Anglo-Welsh Review, New Welsh Review, Planet etc. Has also read on BBC Radio Wales, and for Glamorgan and Gwent/Newport Libraries. Also paints, has exhibited. Interested in art/literature collaboration. Open Mike Nights are free entry events, welcoming poets, short story writers, singers and acoustic musicians together with those who would just like to listen and soak up the atmosphere. This weeks open mike is tonight, Thursday, 14th May, at the Imperial Hotel. Open Mike nights are supported by MTCBC Arts and Academi. Please contact 01685 725382 or arts@merthyr.gov.uk for more details.

Step Back In Time
This week is Adult Learners Week. There have been a number of different activities for adults throughout the week. Today, Thursday 14th May, there is a talk on Cyfarthfa Ironworks and the Crawshay Family at Cyfarthfa Castle Museum & Art Gallery. Tommorrow, Friday 15th May, there is the the opportunity to turn back the clock again and meet Mrs. Parry at Joseph Parry's Cottage. The costumed talk will take you back to the time of Merthyr’s most famous composer, the author of the internationally aclaimed song “Myfanwy”; Joseph Parry. Both these events are free entry but spaces are strictly limited and booking is essential. For more information please contact Cyfarthfa Castle Museum on: 01685 723112.

Poetry Competition
The deadline for the third Welsh Poetry Competition (2009) is slowly approaching. The aim of the competition remains to encourage and reward the abundance of creative writing talent that exists in Wales but struggles for recognition. Prizes are: 1st Prize - £300, 2nd Prize - £150 and 3rd Prize - £75.This year’s judge is Merthyr Tydfil writer, Mike Jenkins. A former teacher at Pen-y-dre school, Mike is an award-winning Welsh poet and author, widely published and much in demand for his lively performances and writing workshops. Mike frequently appears on radio and television, has won Wales Book of the Year and the John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry. He is also co-editor of the Red Poets, an annual magazine of left-wing poetry from Wales and beyond.
To enter you just need to compose a poem, in English, of less than fifty lines and send to the competition organisers. Entry forms are available by post, can be downloaded from the website or picked up from libraries in Rhondda Cynon Taff. It is still only £3 to enter and the closing date is Sunday 21st June 2009.For further information visit the competition website at; www.welshpoetry.co.uk or call Dave Lewis on 07890 888585. Information on the competition judge is available at www.mikejenkins.net.

The Vault
Argy Bargy, The Warriors, Dun2Def and Noise Agents play this Friday, 15th May, at The Vault, Merthyr Tydfil College. Doors open at 7:00pm. Tickets cost £10. The Sex Pistols Experience also visit The Vault on 30th May. For further information and tickets please contact: 01685 726161 / mtheatre@merthyr.ac.uk