Nerys Williams: 'Republic'

Welcome to The Seren Poetry Podcast, a series of conversations and readings with Seren poets.

In this episode we talk to Nerys Williams about her explosive third collection ‘Republic’. ‘Republic’ opens a window on life in rural west Wales during the 1980s and 90s when arts and culture boomed. English and Welsh-language post-punk bands, politics, feminism and family life are thrown together on the page as the poet questions what constitutes a republic?  

Nerys Williams’s first collection ‘Sound Archive’ (Seren) was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection and won the Irish Strong First Collection Prize. In 2017 she was a Government of Wales-Literature Wales poet in residence at Passa Porta, Brussels as part of the Literature of Loss programme. That same year her second collection ‘Cabaret’ was published by New Dublin Press. Nerys is an Associate Professor in poetry and poetics University College Dublin, a Fulbright alumnus and is originally from Carmarthenshire. She lives in Kells, Co. Meath, Ireland.

‘Republic’ is available in bookshops nationwide or from the Seren website https://www.serenbooks.com/book/republic/ 

Find out more about the ‘Republic’ playlist on the Seren website https://www.serenbooks.com/2023/02/guest-post-listening-to-republic-nerys-williams/ or listen on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/010HvnjFmyrCIqIhCofOUF. 

The podcast is presented by Rhian Edwards  

The interviewer is Sarah Johnson  

The interview recordings are by Sarah Johnson.

Production, sound design and editing are by Chris Gregory of Alternative Stories https://alternativestories.com/

You can find out more about Nerys Williams by visiting her website http://www.neryswilliams.com/about-us/ or following her on X: @achifsain 

Other books by Nerys Williams

‘Sound Archive’ https://www.serenbooks.com/book/sound-archive/ 

Find out more about Seren and purchase books featured in this podcast by visiting the Seren website here https://www.serenbooks.com/ 

Follow Seren on social media  

Twitter https://twitter.com/SerenBooks 

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/serenbooks/ 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SerenBooks 

Contact them by email at seren@serenbooks.com 

This podcast is produced by Alternative Stories, a spoken word production company specialising in literary podcasts and radio programmes. To find out more about Alternative Stories, follow or hire them please follow the links below 

https://linktr.ee/AlternativeStories 

Contact them by email at office@alterantivestories.com  

We hope you enjoyed the last episode of Season 2. If you’ve enjoyed listening along, don’t forget to also revisit Season 1 wherever you get your podcasts. 

The Seren Poetry Podcast will return! Subscribe in your favourite podcast app to have all future editions delivered to your podcast feed the moment they are released.