LOCAL author Paul Griffiths has been honoured with an invitation to become a member of the Welsh Academy, where he joins such literary lions as poet Dannie Abse and journalist/writer Jan Morris, in response to the publication this week of his third novel, 'let me tell you'.
Published by Reality Street Editions, 'let me tell' you is the life story of Ophelia up to the beginning of Shakespeare's Hamlet, told in her own words: literally, since the entire 140-page book uses only the 483 words Ophelia speaks in the Shakespeare play, in hundreds of different combinations. The plot revolves around Ophelia's growing realisation that if she stays in her familiar surroundings, she faces certain death, and her determination to escape.
Even the cover art, a detail from a painting by Howard Hodgkin, is in 'Ophelian': since Ophelia only has words for two colours, green and white, a painting was chosen where green and white predominate, with a touch of red trying to join them.
Prominent US writer Harry Mathews has described the new book, published November 17, as 'beautiful and enthralling'. The number one literary blog in Great Britain, http://www.ReadySteadyBook.com, has">www.ReadySteadyBook.com, has selected it as Book of the Week. Priced at £9, 'let me tell' you can now be ordered from local bookshops or from amazon.co.uk.