![Richard Gwyn](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/5119?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Professor Richard Gwyn
Personal Chair
School of English, Communication and Philosophy
- Gwyn@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29208 74887
- John Percival Building, Room 1.10, Colum Drive, Cardiff, CF10 3EU
Overview
I am part of the English Literature and Creative Writing sections of the School.
More information about my work as a writer is available from my own website, at richardgwyn.me
Some recent publications:
Six poems, translated from the Spanish of Fabio Morábito , Poetry Wales 59: 2, November 2023, pp 35-38
Non-fiction: ‘Ambassador of Nowhere’, in the Berlin Literary Review, 05 May 2023.
https://theberlinliteraryreview.com/richard-gwyn-ambassador-of-nowhere/
Six poems, translated from the Mexican Spanish of Fabio Morábito, PN Review 270 (March-April 2023) pp. 21-23
‘Mochyn Daear’ Non-fiction/memoir extract, in Modron online magazine March 2023.
https://modronmagazine.com/prose-by-richard-gwyn/
Essay: ‘Returning to Animism in the Anthropocene’. The Big Read, in Wales Arts Review, 11 January 2023.
https://www.walesartsreview.org/returningtoanimismintheanthropocene/
Essay: ‘Nicaragua: Whatever Happened to the Revolution?’ Southwest Review, Spring 2022.
Review Article: ‘Translating the untranslatable: On Jean Giono’s Les Grands Chemins’. Wales Arts Review, 02.02.2022.
'Playas de La Boquilla'. Firmament, Vol 1 No 4 (Oct. 2021)
'They Call Me The Ambassador'. Long Read, The Common, October 2021.
'Hide & Seek'. Limited edition short story. Three Impostors Press, 2021.
‘With Lowry in Cuernavaca’. Essay in PN Review 255, Sept-Oct 2020.
‘Contagion Fictions: Love in the Time of Cholera’. Essay in Wales Arts Review, September 2020.
‘Contagion Fictions: Tracing truth in Saramago’s Blindness’. Essay in Wales Arts Review, September 2020.
Impossible Loves: Poems by Darío Jaramillo. Book of translations & afterword (October 2019). Manchester: Carcanet.
The Blue Tent. A novel (May 2019). Cardigan: Parthian.
Stowaway: A Levantine Adventure Poems (October 2018). Bridgend: Seren.
The Other Tiger: Recent Poetry from Latin America (October 2016). Translations from the Spanish. Bridgend: Seren.
Publication
2020
- Gwyn, R. 2020. With Lowry in Cuernavaca. PN Review 255 47(1), pp. 40-44.
2019
- Jaramillo, D. 2019. Impossible loves.Gwyn, R. Carcanet.
- Gwyn, R. 2019. The blue tent. Cardigan: Parthian Books.
- Gwyn, R. 2019. Border Country. In: Wack, A. ed. Poems from The Borders. Bridgend: Seren, pp. 28.
2018
- Gwyn, R. 2018. Borders & crossings: varieties of exile. Pn Review 45(244), pp. 24-27.
- Gwyn, R. 2018. Stowaway: A Levantine adventure. Bridgend: Seren.
- Gwyn, R. 2018. The Stowaway's Log: In which no harbour signals home. Poetry Wales 54(2), pp. 12-17.
2017
- Gwyn, R. 2017. Five Poems by Dario Jaramillo. PN Review 44(2), pp. 48-52.
2016
- Gwyn, R. ed. 2016. The other tiger: contemporary poetry from Latin America. Seren.
- Gwyn, R. 2016. Ciudades y recuerdos. Una antologia de poemas.Fondebrider, J. Trilce Ediciones.
- Gwyn, R. 2016. Translations: poems by Malú Urrriola and Daniel Samoilovich. New Welsh Reader 112, pp. 72-73.
2015
- Gwyn, R. 2015. Three Mexican poets: translations from the Spanish of Luis Felipe Fabre, Julián Herbert and Fabio Morabito. Poetry Wales 50(3), pp. 14-22.
2014
- Gwyn, R. 2014. The Reading. Wales Arts Review 2014(14 Aug)
- Gwyn, R. 2014. Cómo me convertí en traductor. In: Fondebrider, J. ed. Poetas que traducen poesía. LOM, Santiago, Chile, pp. 55-63.
2013
- Fondebrider, J. and Gwyn, R. 2013. The spaces between.Gwyn, R. Blaenau Ffestiniog: Cinnamon Press.
- Gwyn, R. 2013. An invisible procession: how reading Cavafy changed my life. Poetry Review 103(3), pp. 37-42.
- Gwyn, R. and Fondebrider, J. 2013. Abrir una caja.Fondebrider, J. Gog y Magog.
2012
- Giuannuzzi, J. and Gwyn, R. 2012. A complicated mammal: selected poems.Gwyn, R. London: CB Editions.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Review of ‘Traveller of the Century' by Andrés Neuman. The Independent, pp. 25-25.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Review of ‘The Third Reich’ by Roberto Bolaño. The Independent, pp. 44-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Mother backwards (translation of ‘Madre Atrás' short story by Andrés Neuman). The Coffin Factory 3, pp. 58-58.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Enigmas of the night: reflections on Latin American poetry, part 2. Poetry Wales 47(1), pp. 9-13.
2011
- Gwyn, R. 2011. The vagabond's breakfast. Talybont: Alcemi.
- Gwyn, R. 2011. 'Hunger for salt' and 'Translation'. Revue Svetovej Literatúry 47(1), pp. 146.
- Gwyn, R. 2011. City of marvels (poem). Barcelona Ink(7), pp. 8-9.
- Neuman, A. and Gwyn, R. 2011. A hell of one's own. The Coffin Factory 1, pp. 70-73.
- Fondebrider, J. and Gwyn, R. 2011. 'Outburst', 'Poets', 'Epics' and 'Pressure of the moment'. Poetry Wales 47(1), pp. 14-15.
- Gwyn, R. 2011. Promethean variations: from Wells to Houellebecq. Presented at: Myth and Subversion in the Contemporary Novel, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain, 9-11 Mar 2011.
2010
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Poems in translation from Spanish. Poetry Wales 46(3), pp. 36-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. 'No Love for the Enemy' and 'More of Everything'. Ambit 200, pp. 53.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. 'Riscle' and 'The Writer Shoots Up the Past'. Southerly (Australia) 70(1), pp. 98-9.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Roberto. Blown(2), pp. 24-5.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Translation of After Helena by Andres Neuman (short story, translated from the Spanish). Granta 113, pp. 123-133.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. The Green Whale of Summer: reflections on Latin American poetry, Part One. Poetry Wales 46(3), pp. 30-35.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Sad giraffe café. Todmorden: Arc Publications.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Insomnia. In: The Reader. No. 37. Liverpool: University of Liverpool, pp. 13-22.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. The Handless Maiden. In: Davies, G. ed. Sing, Sorrow, Sorrow : Dark and Chilling Tales. Bridgend: Seren, pp. 59-69.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. The Multiple Disappearances of Roberto Bolaño: the Ciudad Juárez Murders and 2666. Presented at: Crime Narratives in Context, Cardiff, Vol. 10. Cardiff Crime Narratives Network
2009
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Edwards, Gwynne: Lorca, Buñuel, Dalí - forbidden pleasures and connected lives - 256pp, I.B. Tauris, London, 2009, Hardback, £21.25, ISBN:9781848850071 [Book Review]. The Independent
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Bolaño, Roberto: 2666 - 912pp, Picador, London, 2009, Hardback, £25.99 [Book Review]. The Independent
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Sicilian Lock-Up. New Welsh Review 84, pp. 51.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. 20 Questions. Barcelona INK 1, pp. 41-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Four Prose Poems: 'Translation'; 'Lone Rider'; 'Vagrant'; 'September Night'. Agenda 44(2-3), pp. 75-76.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Four Prose Poems: 'Alice Alone'; 'The Singers'; 'Dusk'; 'Alice, her thoughts'. Poetry Wales 45(1), pp. 25-27.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Crowther, Claire: The clockwork gift - 84pp, Shearsman Books, Bristol, 2009, Paperback, £8.95 ISBN:9781848610323 [Book Review] Etter, Carrie: The tethers - 64pp, Seren, Bridgend, 2009, Paperback, £7.99, ISBN:9781854114921 [Book Review]. Poetry Wales 45(3), pp. 66-68.
2008
- Gwyn, R. 2008. The color of a dog running away. New York: Anchor Books.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. Sexual water: poetry, Dionysus and the aquatic ape. In: Byron, G. and Sneddon, A. J. eds. The Body and the Book: Writings on Poetry and Sexuality. Amsterdam: Rodopi, pp. 11-24.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. Hunger for Salt. In: Byron, G. and Sneddon, A. eds. The Body and the Book: Writings on Poetry and Sexuality. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, pp. 25.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. Love Story. In: Byron, G. and Sneddon, A. eds. The Body and the Book: Writings on Poetry and Sexuality. Amsterdam: Rodopi, pp. 26.
2003
- Gwyn, R., Elwyn, G., Edwards, A. G. and Mooney, A. 2003. The problematic of decision-sharing: deconstructing 'cholesterol' in a clinical encounter. Health Expectations 6(3), pp. 242-254. (10.1046/j.1369-6513.2003.00245.x)
1999
- Edwards, A. G., Elwyn, G. and Gwyn, R. 1999. General practice registrar responses to the use of different risk communication tools in simulated consultations: a focus group study. British Medical Journal (BMJ) 319(7212), pp. 749-752. (10.1136/bmj.319.7212.749)
- Elwyn, G., Edwards, A. G., Gwyn, R. and Grol, R. 1999. Towards a feasible model for shared decision making: focus group study with general practice registrars. British Medical Journal (BMJ) 319(7212), pp. 753-756. (10.1136/bmj.319.7212.753)
- Elwyn, G., Gwyn, R., Edwards, A. G. and Grol, R. 1999. Is 'shared decision-making' feasible in consultations for upper respiratory tract infections? Assessing the influence of antibiotic expectations using discourse analysis. Health Expectations 2(2), pp. 105-117. (10.1046/j.1369-6513.1999.00045.x)
- Gwyn, R. and Elwyn, G. 1999. When is a shared decision not (quite) a shared decision? negotiating preferences in a general practice encounter. Social Science & Medicine 49(4), pp. 437-447. (10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00067-2)
- Elwyn, G. and Gwyn, R. 1999. Narrative based medicine: stories we hear and stories we tell: analysing talk in clinical practice. British Medical Journal (BMJ) 318(7177), pp. 186-188. (10.1136/bmj.318.7177.186)
1998
- Elwyn, G. and Gwyn, R. 1998. Stories we hear and stories we tell... In: Greenhalgh, T. and Hurwitz, B. eds. Narrative based medicine: dialogue and discourse in clinical practice. London: BMJ Books, pp. 165-175.
Articles
- Gwyn, R. 2020. With Lowry in Cuernavaca. PN Review 255 47(1), pp. 40-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2018. Borders & crossings: varieties of exile. Pn Review 45(244), pp. 24-27.
- Gwyn, R. 2018. The Stowaway's Log: In which no harbour signals home. Poetry Wales 54(2), pp. 12-17.
- Gwyn, R. 2017. Five Poems by Dario Jaramillo. PN Review 44(2), pp. 48-52.
- Gwyn, R. 2016. Translations: poems by Malú Urrriola and Daniel Samoilovich. New Welsh Reader 112, pp. 72-73.
- Gwyn, R. 2015. Three Mexican poets: translations from the Spanish of Luis Felipe Fabre, Julián Herbert and Fabio Morabito. Poetry Wales 50(3), pp. 14-22.
- Gwyn, R. 2014. The Reading. Wales Arts Review 2014(14 Aug)
- Gwyn, R. 2013. An invisible procession: how reading Cavafy changed my life. Poetry Review 103(3), pp. 37-42.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Review of ‘Traveller of the Century' by Andrés Neuman. The Independent, pp. 25-25.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Review of ‘The Third Reich’ by Roberto Bolaño. The Independent, pp. 44-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Mother backwards (translation of ‘Madre Atrás' short story by Andrés Neuman). The Coffin Factory 3, pp. 58-58.
- Gwyn, R. 2012. Enigmas of the night: reflections on Latin American poetry, part 2. Poetry Wales 47(1), pp. 9-13.
- Gwyn, R. 2011. 'Hunger for salt' and 'Translation'. Revue Svetovej Literatúry 47(1), pp. 146.
- Gwyn, R. 2011. City of marvels (poem). Barcelona Ink(7), pp. 8-9.
- Neuman, A. and Gwyn, R. 2011. A hell of one's own. The Coffin Factory 1, pp. 70-73.
- Fondebrider, J. and Gwyn, R. 2011. 'Outburst', 'Poets', 'Epics' and 'Pressure of the moment'. Poetry Wales 47(1), pp. 14-15.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Poems in translation from Spanish. Poetry Wales 46(3), pp. 36-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. 'No Love for the Enemy' and 'More of Everything'. Ambit 200, pp. 53.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. 'Riscle' and 'The Writer Shoots Up the Past'. Southerly (Australia) 70(1), pp. 98-9.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Roberto. Blown(2), pp. 24-5.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Translation of After Helena by Andres Neuman (short story, translated from the Spanish). Granta 113, pp. 123-133.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. The Green Whale of Summer: reflections on Latin American poetry, Part One. Poetry Wales 46(3), pp. 30-35.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Edwards, Gwynne: Lorca, Buñuel, Dalí - forbidden pleasures and connected lives - 256pp, I.B. Tauris, London, 2009, Hardback, £21.25, ISBN:9781848850071 [Book Review]. The Independent
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Bolaño, Roberto: 2666 - 912pp, Picador, London, 2009, Hardback, £25.99 [Book Review]. The Independent
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Sicilian Lock-Up. New Welsh Review 84, pp. 51.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. 20 Questions. Barcelona INK 1, pp. 41-44.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Four Prose Poems: 'Translation'; 'Lone Rider'; 'Vagrant'; 'September Night'. Agenda 44(2-3), pp. 75-76.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Four Prose Poems: 'Alice Alone'; 'The Singers'; 'Dusk'; 'Alice, her thoughts'. Poetry Wales 45(1), pp. 25-27.
- Gwyn, R. 2009. Crowther, Claire: The clockwork gift - 84pp, Shearsman Books, Bristol, 2009, Paperback, £8.95 ISBN:9781848610323 [Book Review] Etter, Carrie: The tethers - 64pp, Seren, Bridgend, 2009, Paperback, £7.99, ISBN:9781854114921 [Book Review]. Poetry Wales 45(3), pp. 66-68.
- Gwyn, R., Elwyn, G., Edwards, A. G. and Mooney, A. 2003. The problematic of decision-sharing: deconstructing 'cholesterol' in a clinical encounter. Health Expectations 6(3), pp. 242-254. (10.1046/j.1369-6513.2003.00245.x)
- Edwards, A. G., Elwyn, G. and Gwyn, R. 1999. General practice registrar responses to the use of different risk communication tools in simulated consultations: a focus group study. British Medical Journal (BMJ) 319(7212), pp. 749-752. (10.1136/bmj.319.7212.749)
- Elwyn, G., Edwards, A. G., Gwyn, R. and Grol, R. 1999. Towards a feasible model for shared decision making: focus group study with general practice registrars. British Medical Journal (BMJ) 319(7212), pp. 753-756. (10.1136/bmj.319.7212.753)
- Elwyn, G., Gwyn, R., Edwards, A. G. and Grol, R. 1999. Is 'shared decision-making' feasible in consultations for upper respiratory tract infections? Assessing the influence of antibiotic expectations using discourse analysis. Health Expectations 2(2), pp. 105-117. (10.1046/j.1369-6513.1999.00045.x)
- Gwyn, R. and Elwyn, G. 1999. When is a shared decision not (quite) a shared decision? negotiating preferences in a general practice encounter. Social Science & Medicine 49(4), pp. 437-447. (10.1016/S0277-9536(99)00067-2)
- Elwyn, G. and Gwyn, R. 1999. Narrative based medicine: stories we hear and stories we tell: analysing talk in clinical practice. British Medical Journal (BMJ) 318(7177), pp. 186-188. (10.1136/bmj.318.7177.186)
Book sections
- Gwyn, R. 2019. Border Country. In: Wack, A. ed. Poems from The Borders. Bridgend: Seren, pp. 28.
- Gwyn, R. 2014. Cómo me convertí en traductor. In: Fondebrider, J. ed. Poetas que traducen poesía. LOM, Santiago, Chile, pp. 55-63.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Insomnia. In: The Reader. No. 37. Liverpool: University of Liverpool, pp. 13-22.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. The Handless Maiden. In: Davies, G. ed. Sing, Sorrow, Sorrow : Dark and Chilling Tales. Bridgend: Seren, pp. 59-69.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. Sexual water: poetry, Dionysus and the aquatic ape. In: Byron, G. and Sneddon, A. J. eds. The Body and the Book: Writings on Poetry and Sexuality. Amsterdam: Rodopi, pp. 11-24.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. Hunger for Salt. In: Byron, G. and Sneddon, A. eds. The Body and the Book: Writings on Poetry and Sexuality. Amsterdam/New York: Rodopi, pp. 25.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. Love Story. In: Byron, G. and Sneddon, A. eds. The Body and the Book: Writings on Poetry and Sexuality. Amsterdam: Rodopi, pp. 26.
- Elwyn, G. and Gwyn, R. 1998. Stories we hear and stories we tell... In: Greenhalgh, T. and Hurwitz, B. eds. Narrative based medicine: dialogue and discourse in clinical practice. London: BMJ Books, pp. 165-175.
Books
- Jaramillo, D. 2019. Impossible loves.Gwyn, R. Carcanet.
- Gwyn, R. 2019. The blue tent. Cardigan: Parthian Books.
- Gwyn, R. 2018. Stowaway: A Levantine adventure. Bridgend: Seren.
- Gwyn, R. ed. 2016. The other tiger: contemporary poetry from Latin America. Seren.
- Gwyn, R. 2016. Ciudades y recuerdos. Una antologia de poemas.Fondebrider, J. Trilce Ediciones.
- Fondebrider, J. and Gwyn, R. 2013. The spaces between.Gwyn, R. Blaenau Ffestiniog: Cinnamon Press.
- Gwyn, R. and Fondebrider, J. 2013. Abrir una caja.Fondebrider, J. Gog y Magog.
- Giuannuzzi, J. and Gwyn, R. 2012. A complicated mammal: selected poems.Gwyn, R. London: CB Editions.
- Gwyn, R. 2011. The vagabond's breakfast. Talybont: Alcemi.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. Sad giraffe café. Todmorden: Arc Publications.
- Gwyn, R. 2008. The color of a dog running away. New York: Anchor Books.
Conferences
- Gwyn, R. 2011. Promethean variations: from Wells to Houellebecq. Presented at: Myth and Subversion in the Contemporary Novel, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain, 9-11 Mar 2011.
- Gwyn, R. 2010. The Multiple Disappearances of Roberto Bolaño: the Ciudad Juárez Murders and 2666. Presented at: Crime Narratives in Context, Cardiff, Vol. 10. Cardiff Crime Narratives Network
Research
Research interests
- narrative nonfiction/memoir
- the novel, especially experimental and hybrid forms
- fiction set in Wales
- microfiction and the prose poem
- translation theory and practice
- contemporary Hispanic American and Iberian literatures
- history and cultures of the Mediterranean
Teaching
I teach on the MA in Creative Writing and on a range of Undergraduate modules.
In recent years I have specialised in teaching modules in (a) narrative nonfiction; (b) general fiction; (c) microfiction and the prose poem.
I have supervised a wide range of PhD students over the past fifteen years.
Biography
I began my academic career as a linguist, and my first academic publications were in the semiotics of illness and interpersonal sociolinguistics. At the same time I was publishing poetry, and in 2003 I transferred from the 'Language and Communication' section of the School to 'English Literature.' Since then I have published two further poetry collections, two anthologies of poetry, three novels, many articles and stories, and a memoir, The Vagabond's Breakfast, which won a Wales Book of the Year Award in 2012. My most recent novel is The Blue Tent (2019).
I also work as a translator from Spanish, and have published a major anthology of Latin American Poetry, The Other Tiger (2016) which included poems by 97 poets from 16 countries. Edith Grossman wrote that 'this is a book that belongs in every library . . . the translations are beautiful and to the point.' I have also published collections of poetry by the Argentine poets Joaquín O. Giannuzzi and Jorge Fondebrider. My most recent book of translation is a selection of poems by the Colombian Darío Jaramillo, titled Impossible Loves (2019).
Supervisions
I currently supervise or co-supervise six PhD students in Creative and Critical Writing.
I will consider applications from outstanding candidates wishing to carry out research in creative and critical writing, specializing in non-fiction, fiction or hybrid genres. I especially welcome innovative proposals that overlap with my own research interests, specifically:
- Narrative nonfiction & memoir
- Short fiction & the mixed genre novel
- Fiction set in Wales
- The prose poem
- Borges & Hispanic American literature
- Translation studies
