ON A BENDER

By Eduardo Blanco Amor Translated from the Galician by Craig Patterson

With content previously suppressed by Franco’s government, On a Bender (A Esmorga) is the retelling of a fateful few days in the life of a raucous group of Galician men hellbent on a drinking session. On a Bender is a legendary piece of Galician writing, and when it first appeared helped to consolidate Galician prose during a crucial period of cultural struggle and linguistic resistance to Spain.

Ostensibly set toward the end of the nineteenth century, its confessional style and subtle evocation of repressive authority leaves the reader in no doubt as to its implicit criticism of the Franco regime. On a Bender is the first translation of A Esmorga into English and the first appearance of the newly restored version in any language.

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w w w . p l a n e t m a g a z i n e . o r g . u k SUMMER 2012 £5.99 NEWWELSHREVIEW.COM #96

NWR

Islands on the Edge: St Kilda Kaite O’Reilly on the Cultural Olympiad On Mohammed Farid Street Three Young US Women Poets Reviews: Samantha Wynne Rhydderch and Gee Williams

INSIDE

Cover photo by John Harrison: Elephant Island Point, Antarctica

REGULARS

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See Adain Avion, Cultural Olympiad, London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games

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Editor

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Pulp Kitchen Matthew David Scott on Occupy USA

2 2

Trade Winds Euan Thorneycroft’s news from an agent’s desk

9 8

Rich Text Kaite O’Reilly on her project InWaterI’mWeightless for the Cultural Olympiad

ESSAYS

1 3

St Kilda The first in John Harrison’s new series, Islands on the Edge

3 7

Skipping to the Apocalypse Sarah Howe on young US poets Elyse Fenton, Dora Malech and Darcie Dennigan

4 6

Of Dinosaurs and Theoretical Corsetry Richard Poole on Literary Criticism in Wales

CREATIVE

2 6

On Mohammed Farid Street Grahame Davies’ nonfiction response to David M Beddoe’s TheLostMameluke,ATale ofEgypt

5 3

Eric ’n’ Ernie Story by Tony Bianchi

POEMS

1 2

Winter Arriving Early Marianne Burton

2 5

Hillside Pascale Petit & Xiao Kaiyu

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Sheep Get Inquisitive After a Meteor Strike, Stanbury Moor Harry Man

6 2 6 3 6 4

Proportion Fat Heroin Song Carrie Etter

6 5 6 7 6 8

Seep Jacob’s Island Coming of Age Philip Gross

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REVIEWS