The Writers of Wales Database

BIANCHI, TONY

Tony Bianchi is originally from North Shields, Northumberland. Of Italian descent, he learnt Welsh so well that all but one of his novels have been written through the medium of Welsh. He lived in Lampeter, Connah’s Quay and Aberystwyth, before moving to Cardiff where he still lives. Tony was head of the Literature Department in the Arts Council of Wales before deciding to work on a freelance basis in 2002. He is a Fellow of the Academi and ex-Fellow of the University of Wales. He has won many awards for his poetry, including the Welsh language Féile Filíochta Poem of Europe in 2004 and the W. D. Williams trophy three times. In 2007 he judged the Welsh entries of the Féile Filíochta poetry competition.

Pryfeta (Y Lolfa, 2007) was on the Welsh language short list of the 2008 Wales Book of the Year award, and won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize. He published his first English language novel with Alcemi in 2010. Bumping (Alcemi, 2010) is in the July Fiction selection of The People’s Book Prize 2010/2011. Click here to register your vote. It is also on the Portico Prize for Literature longlist for 2010.

Reviews:

"…[His] writing is muscular and at times utterly overwhelming…I was exhilarated…"
National Eisteddfod Adjudicator Robat Arwyn

"…Intricate and multi-layered, rich in ideas and eloquent in expression…[will] be pored over for years to come…"
Planet

"…A virtuoso author…"
Barn


With respect to Bumping (Alcemi, 2010)

"…A wise and tender portrait of ordinary lives slipping slowly out of kilter with the brave new world around them..."
John Williams

"...Reveals an amazing eye for detail. His portrayals of old Tom and of teenagers Barry and Nicky...are classics..."
Morning Star


Selected Publications:
Esgyrn Bach (Y Lolfa, 2006)
Pryfeta (Y Lolfa, 2007)
Chwilio am Sebastian Pierce (Gwasg Gomer, 2009)
Bumping (Alcemi, 2010)
Cyffesion Geordie Oddi Cartref (Gomer, 2010)
Daniel's Beetles (Seren, 2011)




Bumping (Alcemi, 2010)

Over at Nicky’s place, somebody's dumped twenty stolen chairs in the backyard. What does she care? They call her a fat slag at school and all her mam can do is watch 'Relocation, Relocation, Relocation' and dream of being elsewhere. Nicky prefers to dream of Barry, who's a dab hand at picking locks. Meanwhile, Frank is doing his best to get on top of things at Pierce Constant Solutions, but bumping into an old school adversary is more than he can cope with. At the residential home, Tom looks for the light to go off in his son’s flat, because he's due a visit, but memories of wartime keep getting in the way. Neither Nicky, Frank nor Tom realise that their lives are about to collide, that their dreams will soon become nightmares.

Bumping is a novel of suspense, dark humour and richly distinctive voices set on contemporary Tyneside. It is as tightly coiled as the French film Caché (Hidden), and shares the same atmosphere of watching, waiting and half-glimpsed secrets. It is about delusion, male obsession with systems, the tyranny of random events and Californian ladybirds.

To purchase this title from gwales.com, please click on its front cover