A Welsh Odyssey

Jos Simon’s second book of memoirs looks at his memories of growing up in north Wales and how his upbringing informed the later part of his life as a Welsh exile in England. After focusing on his youth in Pwllheli, he discusses how, after leaving Wales in 1964, he believed he was drifting away from Wales, only to realise he was always unconsciously looking for ways to relate to it – by writing about it, by returning and exploring it, and by following Welsh rugby and football. He came to the conclusion that, in old age, he must rekindle a closer relationship with the Llŷn Peninsula and with Wales in general, and set about exploring his native country both geographically and by getting up to speed on Welsh current affairs, music and literature. Finally, he ponders the nature of that indefinable Welsh emotion which mixes nostalgia and longing: hiraeth. This sequel to On Bonfires, Butlins and Being Welsh takes a similar epistolatory approach, but with Facebook posts rather than letters, and is great creative non-fiction, more about north Wales than about the author himself.