The Writers of Wales Database

TOMKINSON, ROY

Roy was born in the Rhondda Valley not far from Treorchy, in the small tightly knit village of Cwmparc. His parents and grandparents, on both sides of the family, all lived in Cwmparc and all worked in the pits, mostly as miners. This is the area he vividly describes in the narration within his first book Of Boys, Men & Mountains (Y Lolfa, 2006). It is where his personality formed and his values were forged; especially his belief that wealth lies not in money but in people. Cwmparc was a place where everyone knew and helped each other; a valley build on coal which no longer exists. Roy explains how it was; focusing on how the people lived rather than on the hardship. They were war people who lived though it and brought to the table these abstemious values; the old Rhondda of yesterday; a piece of live history; a snapshot of real people who jump off the page and into the readers mind. Roy creates a walk though history to show who these people were and what they represented by making it into a story.

Roy attended the local junior school in Cwmparc, and later the comprehensive school at Treorchy. Leaving school at 16 years of age, he was not particularly keen on education and did not go to university until he was 23 years, when he studied Economics. It was not until a few years ago that Roy started to write. He had never thought of writing a novel; the writing just grew out of nothing; a whim when on holiday abroad writing home to a friend. Ironically, that was the start. Encouraged, he wrote about what he knew; about his people. How they lived their lives, their values, the ups and down of living in a valley where coal was king when he was a young boy, moving from child to teenager with the realisation there were more to girls than just pulling their hair.

The striking images of men hardly able to walk because of the coal dust deep inside their lungs had a profound effect upon Roy’s personality. Many of his characters were larger than life but they did exist; very much so. Numerous re-writes later his first novel was born and published in 2006. Of Boys, Men and Mountains (Y Lolfa, 2006), is an autobiographical account of his formative years growing up in the Rhondda Valley. It focuses on community rather than on the hardships and deprivation the area suffered over the past century, something that has been well documented by historians.  

Reviews:
With respect to Of Boys, Men and Mountains (Y Lolfa, 2006)

"…Roy Tomkinson looks back on…days of suffering and socialising with a heart that is both glad and sorry. He speaks with the authentic voice of the eye witness who recalls with clarity and recounts exactly what he saw and felt. In years to come, this kind of book will be a valuable historical document, a primary source for those who want to know what the coal industry and the valleys’ communities of the 1950s were truly like…"
Deborah Fisher, Tregolwyn Book Reviews

"…Amusing, colourful, and happy, Roy Tomkinson’s scintillating memories will strike a chord with fifty-somethings throughout Glamorgan’s greening valleys - and farther afield, wherever youngsters grow up in ’harsh yet friendly’ environments. The cardinal virtue of Roy Tomkinson’s memorial to his Rhondda, to my Rhondda, is, perhaps, its indisputable testimony to how that vanished society fashioned our beliefs and values. ’One can get the youngster out of the Rhondda, but never Rhondda out of the youngster’..."
H. G. A. Hughes

"...Portraying many wonderful characters along the way, here we have a slice of how life was...”
Dawson Wheller, South Wales Argus


Selected Publications:
Of Boys, Men & Mountains (Y Lolfa, 2006)
Anger Child (Globe Publications, 2008)
The Tour (Strategic Publications, 2009)
Accidental People (Globe Publications, 2010)
Neononckle (Globe Publications, 2010)

Of Boys, Men and Mountains (Y Lolfa, 2006)

This heart warming book is about life in a tightly-knit coal community. The author reflects on the vivid personalities that shaped his character, and influenced his life from boyhood to manhood. “You can pretend that things were different, but when you were born and bred in the Valley, to reject this, is to reject your very existence. Valley blood stays in the veins until you die.” Intimate, amusing, compelling... the language is colourful and evocative and the pathos and humour blend perfectly.

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



Anger Child (Globe Publications, 2008)

A story about a young boy, what he wants from life, and learning the hard way that wealth is no substitute for happiness. The story delves into Colin’s values as he travels through life, following him until he understands what is really important. He caused mayhem on the journey and almost loses his life as he learns the lesson. 

Anyone that values a story dealing with emotion, people, and how they interact with each other will value this story; the good, the bad and the ugly are all there waiting to greet the reader. The story gives out a powerful message. It is a clear concise and crafted literary novel which explores Colin deeply and gives out a powerful message.

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



The Tour (Strategic Publications, 2008)

The story is set around a scuba diving trip to Mull; a Scottish Island around 365 miles in circumference. Steeped in mystery and intrigue, the capital of the island is Tobermory. Situated on the coast facing a large bay, a yacht regatta is held there every year. Tobermory is a colourful town; the houses look quaint contrasted against the harbour and the surrounding topography.

Mull is a wild island fought over for centuries; home in ancient times to two Scottish Clans: The MacDougalls and MacLeans, who constantly fought each other until finally overcome by the English. The water is cold and clear but warmer than it should be for that latitude due to the Gulf Stream which passes around Scotland.

The early part of the story is based on real people who lived on the island, even down to Margaret, whom Lanky (one of the main characters of the story), rescues from drowning. Margaret was left tied to a pole to die by her husband Lacklan, again mentioned in the story. A tale of adventure and danger where the very existence of life itself comes under threat. The characters are strong and the plot challenging; four members from the Coral Diving Club on a trip to Mull, discover a Galleon and nothing can prepare them for what is about to unfold.

The course of history is at stake when they are thrown back in time to 1526 amidst the warring Scottish Clans and must fight their way back to their own time. Their existence becomes threatened when they realise they have unwittingly started a chain of events which seems unstoppable and it is down to Lanky and Jane to reverse the catastrophe of a time rift that is pulling time itself into the past.

For one member of the party, who finds gold on the Galleon, lust, greed, and murderous intentions are the only way forward and the stage is set for the drama to be played to its conclusion.