Last night saw the London launch at the Francis Kyle Gallery in Mayfair of the new Welsh quality fiction imprint, Alcemi (Welsh, you might have guessed, for alchemy!) with the first two authors Chris Keil and Gee Williams reading from their new novels Liminal and Salvage. Introducing her authors at the launch, Editor, Gwen Davies, pointed out how significant independent publishers had become with half the Orange Prize shortlist being independent titles. Let's hope this new venture is the success it deserves to be. The new imprint highlights a quotation from Milan Kundera: "A novel is the product of an alchemy that turns a woman into a man, a man into a woman, sludge into gold, an anecdote into drama. That divine alchemy is what makes for the power of every novelist, the secret, the splendour of his art."To find out more about Alcemi visit its website
2 comments:
Only just back and only just found your good wishes for Alcemi- so welcome to one of its authors. When Gwen Davies made the move to this new imprint I chose to go with her. Speaking to writing friends from bigger and older publishers I still think I'm pleased with what they have to offer. Can I add though that it's fiction itself needs friends? People boast to me that they never read it. I think, hey the Queen didn't have that hissy fit,Gordon Ramsey didn't shoot his own fish...so what else is there? Thanks again from Gee on geewilliams.blogspot
Thanks, Gee, I agree that fiction matters and in the hands of a master like, for the sake of argument, JM Coetzee, it can do anything that non-fiction can do and more to tell us about the contemporary world.
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