The Last Adam in Wales Again

A reprint of the Welsh translation of my very short story The Last Adam has been accepted by Gwyllion magazine. This will be my second story in this magazine, and my fourth appearance in Welsh. The Last Adam has also been published in English and Spanish.

Gwyllion Magazine #2

 Issue #2 of Gwyllion magazine is out now, and includes the Welsh translation of of my flash fiction story Never Talk to Strangers.

Never Talk to Strangers in Welsh Again

 I'm very pleased to have sold a reprint of the Welsh translation of my short story Never Talk to Strangers to Gwyllion magazine. It's due to appear in issue #2 in May.

The Lighthouse Keeper

Issue #9 of Plasma Frequency magazine is out now, containing my Welsh SF story The Lighthouse Keeper. I had the idea for this story several years ago while visiting South Stack lighthouse on Anglesey.

New Story Sale

Somehow I forgot to mention a few weeks back, my near-future sci-fi story set in North Wales The Lighthouse Keeper has sold to Plasma Frequency magazine. Pretty excited about this - it includes a lighthouse I've been to visit.

The Gondolier in Welsh

This is one of the first translations of The Gondolier that was done. It was under submission for a long time. I never heard back and it was overlooked until now, although I have included it in the Celtic polyglot version. So here it is, The Gondolier in the language of my relatives.

Y Gondolïwr


Torodd trwyn du fy ngondola yn esmwyth trwy ddŵr llonydd y gamlas. Roedd y llong lefn wedi fy ngwasanaethu’n dda am lawer blwyddyn, yn cludo teithwyr trwy ddyfrffyrdd y ddinas, dan ofal cenedlaethau o’m cyndadau.
Roedd yr haul yn machlud dros yr hen ddinas, yn troi’r dŵr yn ruban inciog rhwng yr adeiladau tywodfaen. Cymerais anadl ddofn o awel oeraidd yr hwyrnos.
Oes yna harddach le na’r ddinas ryfeddol yma yn llawn camlesi? Wrth i’r bad orffwys i’w hangor, syllais lan yn fodlon i wybren dduog Mawrth.

Y Diwedd



Translated by Lili Fach

Celtic Polyglot

Having had The Gondolier translated into all 6 Celtic languages, I thought it would be interesting , for the scholarly minded, to present them all alongside each other. All of the trasnlations were done independantly with varying amounts of poetic licence, so this polyglot is presented for illustrative purposes rather than as a definitive document.

BRETON / BREZHONEG – Translated by Loic Cheveau
CORNISH / KERNEWAK – Translated by Neil Kennedy
WELSH / CYMRAEG – Translated by Lili Fach
MANX / GAELG – Translated by Robard Y Charlsalagh
IRISH / GAEILGE – Translated by Abigail Mitchell
SCOTTISH / GAIDHLIG – Translated by Niall Gordan

Ar goñdolour
An Gondoler
Y Gondolïwr
Yn Gondoleyr
Fear an Ghondala
Fear a’ Ghondòla




Penn a-raok ma goñdolenn a oe waet dousik tre doùr sioul ar c'hanolioù. Ar vag lintr en noe jervijet diñ a-feson a-bad ur bochad blezadoù, kaset voaiajerion tre hentoù-doùr ar gêr-sen, renet get daouarnoù rummadoù ma zadoù-kozh.
Pedn dirag du ow gondola a droghas leven der dhowr kosel an gwerdhowrow. An lester smoth re servyas dhebm lies bledhen ha degi trethyji dre dhowrhensyow an cyta 'ter dornow sur ow hendasow, henath war henath.
Torodd trwyn du fy ngondola yn esmwyth trwy ddŵr llonydd y gamlas. Roedd y llong lefn wedi fy ngwasanaethu’n dda am lawer blwyddyn, yn cludo teithwyr trwy ddyfrffyrdd y ddinas, dan ofal cenedlaethau o’m cyndadau.
Skeab gob doo my ghondoley dy rea trooid ushtaghyn kiune ny ammyryn. Va’n baatey s’keylley shoh er chooney lhiam dy mie ’syn obbyr aym rish ymmodee bleeantyn, as er n’arraghey troailtee trooid bollee ushtey yn valley ard fo laueyn stiuree sheelogheyn my henn ayraghyn.
Shlis gob ciar mo ghondala trí uisce ciúin na gcanálacha go séimh. Is maith mar a d'fhóin an bád slim dom le blianta anuas, maith mar a d'iompair sí paisinéirí ar uiscebhealaí na cathrach faoi stiúir lámha mo sheacht sinsir.
Sgolt sròn dorcha mo ghondòla slighe rèidh tro uisgeachan ciùine nan sruth-chlaisean. Bu mhath a bha an culaidh slìom seo air m’ obair a dhèanamh fad iomadh bliadhna, a’ giùlan luchd-siubhail tro sheòlaidean-uisge na cathrach fo làmh-stiùiridh mo shinnsrean.



An heol a oe é vont da guzh a-dreist ar gêr gozh, é lakat an doùr da vout ur seizenn du a-hed batisoù brav a vein-krag. Analet em moe don avel fresk an abardaez.
Th era an howl ow sedha dres an cyta goth, ow treylya an dowr maga tewal vel funen dhu 'ter treven fin derhevys a grag. Me 'anellas down ayr yeyn an gwyns gorthuher.
Roedd yr haul yn machlud dros yr hen ddinas, yn troi’r dŵr yn ruban inciog rhwng yr adeiladau tywodfaen. Cymerais anadl ddofn o awel oeraidd yr hwyrnos.
Va’n ghrian goll dy lhie harrish yn valley ard feer henn, as va’n ushtey myr rybban doo currit ny lhie eddyr troggalyn cumir ass clagh-gheinnee. Hayrn mee stiagh ennal dowin jeh fynneraght yn ’astyr beg.
Bhí an ghrian ag dul faoi in éadan na seanchathrach, an t-uisce á fhágáil ina ribín dubh leagtha idir fhoirgintí galánta gaineamhchloiche. Tharraing mé lán scamhóige de leoithne fhionnuar an tráthnóna.
Bha a’ ghrian a’ dol fodha thar na cathrach aosta, a’ fàgail uachdar an t-uisge mar ribean dubhadach na laighe eadar na togalaichean clach-ghaineamhach cuimire. Ghabh mi tarraing-analach d’ osag fhionnar an fheasgair.



Daoustoc'h ma oe ur lec'h bravoc'h eit ar gêriad varvailhus-sen get he c'hanolioù? Pa oe ar vag é tizh hec'h amarroù, em moe gwraet un arrast, da sellet get plijadur doc'h oebl Meurzh é tañvalhaat.
Era teller y'n bys o tekka 'vel an cyta varthys-ma a werdhowrow ? Ha'n skath ow tos es dh'y theller yn porth, me a sevis malja'ma miras der vaner lowen ort an ebren a vis Meurth yn tewlwolow.
Oes yna harddach le na’r ddinas ryfeddol yma yn llawn camlesi? Wrth i’r bad orffwys i’w hangor, syllais lan yn fodlon i wybren dduog Mawrth.
Row ynnyd ny s’aaley na balley ard yindyssagh shoh ny ammyryn? Choud’s haink yn baatey dy aashagh gys e voaral, scuirr mee dy yeeaghyn seose lesh aigney jeant magh gys speyryn conghorraghey yn Vart.
An raibh áit ar bith ab áille ab iontaí ná cathair seo na gcanálacha? Shleamhnaigh an bád isteach ina poll feistithe agus bhreathnaigh mé uaim go sásta, suas ar spéir chrónta Mharsa.
An robh àite na b’ àille na cathair annasach seo nan sruth-chlaisean? Mar a chaidh am bàta gu socair a-steach gu caladh, stad mi gus amharc suas le sonas air ciaradh speuran Mhàrs.


Achiv.
An Diwedh
Y Diwedd
Yn Jerrey
An Deireadh
A’ Chrìoch.

Never Talk to Strangers

My flash fiction story Never Talk to Strangers appears on Welsh literary webzine E_Bych today, translated as Peidiwch Siarad  Dieithriaid.

This is my 2nd Welsh transaltion on E-Bych, the other being The Last Adam.

Welsh At Last

My shortest story The Last Adam appears on Welsh literary website Y-Bych today, translated as Yr Adda Olaf.

I’m particularly pleased with this as it was my search for a Welsh translation that led me to my multi-lingual translation of The Gondolier. It’s ironic that I had stories translated into every other celtic language first, but now I’ve found Y-Bych I have a couple more to send them.

Multilingual Flash Fiction

Six of my flash fiction stories have now appeared in Spanish, and as I mentioned a while ago I’m also hoping to have one published in Catalan in the near future. As you may know I’m half Welsh, so for a while I’ve been looking into Welsh SF markets in the hope that one of my stories could be translated into Welsh. I’ve drawn a blank on that front, but I haven’t given up.

Instead I’ve been inspired to launch a new mulitilungual flash fiction project.

If there’s no Welsh SF market, then I’m sure I can find someone to translate one of my flash fiction stories and post it on this site. Partly for fun, partly for my own satisfaction, but also to see what interest there is in Welsh SF.

Then I started thinking about other languages native to the British Isles. Is there any SF published in Cornish, Irish, Manx, Scots or Scottish Gaelic?

The answer seems to be no in each case.

So I’ll find someone to translate and post flash fiction in all of those languages here on The Science of Fiction.

I’ve already made some progress in contacting interested translators, but if you speak any of those languages and fancy translating a short story to appear here, then please contact me. Equally if you have any information about SF markets in any of those languages, let me know.

This Friday will see my return to Friday Flash Fiction, with what is possibly the first ever science fiction short story to appear in Scottish Gaelic.

Don’t miss it.

Estronomicon #10

After a slight delay a 'Fiction Special' issue of Wales based ezine Estronomicon is now online for you to download, featuring 10 short stories.

There's also news that a new Rhys Hughes novel published by Screaming Dreams, the people behind Estronomicon, will be launched at the Welsh SF conference on June 21st. More details of the event can be found on the website.

Welsh SF

Being just over half Welsh, I’ve been interested in finding out about the Welsh SF field. The Welsh SF Association website was only ever a holding page, and even that has disappeared. So, I haven’t found much up to now, until I discovered that Estronomicon magazine is based on a Welsh word and editor Steve Upham is involved in organising a Welsh SF convention. Details to be announced…