Bare Fiction - Cardiff launch

I attended the Cardiff launch of an impressive new literary magazine at the city-centre Gwdihw café bar on 29^th January – Bare Fiction, whose inaugural edition came out in December, and whose remit takes in poetry, prose, drama and journalism.

Editor and compere Robert Harper kicked off the evening with some moving poems about his late father; this was followed by readings of poetry and prose from Georgia Carys Willams, Richard Owain Roberts and Kirsten Jones. The first half was topped off with a typically rumbustious turn from local hero Boyd Clack.

Post-interval, we were treated to an open-mic session featuring Charlie Hammond, Iwan ap Huw Morgan, Jack Ayres, and a cameo from Mark Blayney (performing an homage to John Cooper Clarke). This was followed by a suite of evocative childbirth-themed poems from Lisa Parry, some prose from young novelist Dan Tyte, and an exclusive from Rachel Trezise, who read from a darkly toned story which will appear in issue 2 of the magazine. An intrusion by a homeless man turned out to be the dramatic climax of the evening – a performance by Gareth Pierce of Neil Bebber’s short play “Breathe”, which appears in issue 1.

An entertaining, inspiring couple of hours, with something to please most palates, in a lively venue (perhaps, occasionally, a little too lively). And I managed to pick up a copy of Boyd Clack’s CD “Last Bus To Porthcawl” at a bargain price.