Being immersed in writing a new novel, it can be difficult to keep up to date with other matters… hence, the lack of website posts, recently!

But, as having a story in the New Welsh Review is something I’m particularly proud of, I wanted to post a few words about it, here.

The New Welsh Review was founded in 1988 and is regarded, by many, to be the foremost literary journal in Wales, written in English. It includes fiction, non-fiction and poetry, while also promoting critical debate on the Welsh cultural scene. To quote its original mission statement, it aims to be ‘dynamic, curious, lively and outward-looking, to commemorate the past but to celebrate contemporary excellence and new directions’. There was a hiatus in publication when funding was lost, but Parthian has taken up publishing the journal, with support from The Borzello Trust, Rheidol Trust and Books Council of Wales, for which all writers and readers should be grateful.

So, as I say, I was understandably proud, and very pleased, when my story, ‘Tide’, was accepted for publication in Issue 139.

This was especially so, as ‘Tide’ is one of my favourite stories. It’s set in Wales… specifically, the coast to the north of the country. I love Pembrokeshire, where we now live, but I also love the north– an area of dramatic landscape, steeped in stories and myth.

And it’s based on an article I came across, in the Guardian, which provided the germ of the story. This article explained that an unusually high number of bodies turn up on these beaches. The bodies are, naturally, often hard to identify, on account of the effects of the water, yet families continue to want answers, desperate to establish what happened to their missing loved ones, even years after their disappearance. Many of the deceased are from Ireland, due to the way the tide behaves in the Irish Sea.

I also wanted to make it a personal tale (for the character), but with a nod to world events – tragedies, caused by, or relating to, the ocean, such as tsunamis, disastrous boat crossings… or these accidental, or intentional, drownings.

The sea, its tides, is what drives the story… the feeling of connection that can be experienced with it, for all it can be a source of tragedy. My character has that, I have that. The character also has a professional connection – her job is to travel the world, to investigate such events, but now she finds herself in Wales, where she was born, and seeks some recognition of belonging there.

I chose second person singular for the narration. It’s not a well-used point of view, but I actually love it, and find with some pieces of writing, it’s the one that works best. It can be a matter of sound. I might try out different viewpoints – as I will try out different tenses etc – and decide on the one that seems to fit what I want to say. In fact, it may be instinct, rather than sound – which, in this instance, led me to ‘you’.

Of course, readers might not agree, as well as some editors – but, fortunately, in this case, NWR editor, Susie Wild, liked the story, and was happy to include it in the magazine. Thank you so much, to her, and to all those involved, in this beautifully-designed issue.

New Welsh Review 139 can be purchased from Parthian’s online bookshop, plus other online suppliers and various local bookshops.