The Rhosneigr Romanticist
William David Owen was born, raised and married on Anglesey and worked for a time in different parts of the country, finally settling in Rhosneigr where he lived until his untimely death in 1925.
His most famous novel, ‘Madam Wen’, was eventually published in book form barely a fortnight before he died. It tells the Romantic story of the legendary Anglesey highway-woman whose exploits both thrilled and terrorised the inhabitants of the ‘Lakes’ area north west of Rhosneigr.
Elin Cadwaladr is an earlier romance, also principally set around Rhosneigr and the parish of Llanfaelog, which Owen parodies as ‘Bryn Siriol’. Within the growing popularity of the new holiday village he weaves a tale amongst petty parochialism, national politics and the relentlessness of tuberculosis, from which he himself eventually died.
Both these stories were originally published in Welsh, and are presented here as abridged versions, in English, for the very first time.
A comprehensive compilation of reviews and critiques, including the 1982 film of the novel by S4C, is also included.
Additionally, an extensive biography of W.D.Owen himself reveals an ambitious man, who drew inspiration in his writing from his early years as a schoolteacher, from the community he later served as a solicitor and of course, from his many family connections – including links to Florence Nightingale, for whom his sister worked as a kitchen maid & cook.
A selection of pages from the book:
Rhosneigr: Then & Now
This book is now out of print, although you may find used copies on Amazon or Ebay or Abebooks.The original book has been scanned, OCR’d and divided into four sections to enable you to easily search the text and find exactly what you are looking for.
Coming Soon....
George Cockram
(1861-1950)
A watercolour landscape painter primarily of mountains and coastal scenes, George Cockram was born in Birkenhead, Liverpool. He studied art at Liverpool University and spent time in Paris. The sweeping Welsh countryside clearly inspired him, as he lived and worked in Rhosneigr and died in the area aged eighty nine.The upcoming publication will include new insights into his life and works.