The Writers of Wales Database

DAVIES, TOM

Weblink: www.berwynmountainpress.com

Tom Davies was born in Pontypridd in 1941. A Welshman born and bred, trained as a journalist with the Western Mail and later worked for The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph and The Observer, where for three years he was the diarist Pendennis. He was a columnist for the Western Mail and presented a television programme on the arts for HTV Wales. He is now a writer and broadcaster and has written many books, including novels and pilgrimage narrative books.

His first book, Merlyn the Magician and the Pacific Coast Highway (New English Library 1982) was short–listed for the Thomas Cook Travel Book of the Year and was later acclaimed by Bono, the front man of U2 as being the one book that changed his life. The book was successful enough to enable Tom to give up journalism, which he was never comfortable with, and write his first novel, The Electric Harvest (New English Library 1984), based on the journalist Allan Hall, with whom he once worked as Atticus. In Stained Glass Hours (New English Library 1985) Tom set out to follow the old pilgrim paths of Britain and Ireland trying to find and understand the nature of holiness. This book won the Winifred Mary Stanford national prize for the best book with a religious theme.

He also wrote Man of Lawlessness (1986) for Hodder and Stoughton, one of the first books to show how the media stokes up violence almost everywhere. His first novel based in Wales, One Winter of the Holy Spirit, (Macdonald 1985) and was followed by Fire in the Bay (Collins 1989), set in Cardiff’s dockland. Tom then wrote Black Sunlight (Macdonald 1986) and later came I, Conker(Gomer 1994), the story of the angel who has been given the job of looking after Wales. A series of travel books for SPCK followed.

Tom stood for office in first election for the Assembly, but attracted a mere 210 votes, the lowest of any party in the Assembly election. He then ploughed back in writing, producing another travel book, which was followed by another novel The Secret Sex Life of Polly Garter (Carreg Gwalch, 2004). Tom has recently published his memoir entitled Testament (Berwyn Mountain Press, 2008). He now lives in Bala, where his own publishing house Berwyn Mountain Press has recently moved to new premises. Based at Tan Yr Hall, an Art Gallery and second hand bookshop which he set-up with his wife, you can visit the Press’ website via the link above. Tom has three sons and a sound marriage.

Selected Publications:
Novels:
The Electric Harvest (New English Library 1984)
One Winter of the Holy Spirit (Macdonald, 1985)
Black Sunlight (Macdonald, 1986)
Fire in the Bay (Collins 1989)
I, Conker (Gomer 1994)
The Secret Sex Life of Polly Garter (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2004)
The Tyranny of Ghosts (Berwyn Mountain Press, 2006)

Travel:
Merlyn the Magician and the Pacific Coast Highway (New English Library, 1983)
Stained Glass Hours: a modern pilgrimage (New English Library, 1985)
Landscapes of Glory (Triangle, 1996)
The Celtic Heart (Triangle, 1997)
Wild Skies and Celtic Paths (Triangle, 1998)
The Road to the Stars: a European Pilgrimage (Triangle, 1999)
Through Fields of Gold: a pilgrimage from Berlin to Rome (SPCK, 2000)

Theology:
The Visions of Caradoc (Azure, 1999)

Political Commentary:
Man of Lawlessness (Hodder and Stoughton, 1986)
The Reporter's Tale (Berwyn Mountain Press, 2009)

Autobiographical:
Testament (Berwyn Mountain Press, 2008)