after Giraldus:

a brief foretaste of a book



An historical travel book retracing the journey of Giraldus Cambrensis through Wales in 1188.

I invited whoever I found, at places which Giraldus mentions, to read aloud what he wrote about them.

For instance, at his home in Llanddew (near Brecon), he wrote:

In this most temperate area I myself have been appointed to a post of some importance, to use the jargon with which we are all so familiar, but it affords me no great promise of wealth and certainly no expectations of ever playing my part in the tragic pomps and ceremonies of this world...

This was spoken, in the twentieth century, by Mrs E Parry - who had lived there all her life. She read his words very modestly, and beautifully, though she remarked on having made some mistakes. But even the archdeacon of St David's, who read later, stumbled at some of Giraldus' words.

(photograph of Mrs Parry, at Llanddew)

There is a tape of these recorded voices - together with a written account of my thoughts during the journey - and photographs of the speakers and of a stone from each locality.

(photograph of the stone from Llanddew)

I like to think of it as a geographical time play, written by Giraldus and performed by 'everyone', with myself in a campervan as the continuity.

The book is colour printed in an illustrated computer-typeset artist's edition of three copies in two volumes, published by imaginary rock editions, London 2000.

(photograph of book 1 and/or a map of the journey)

One copy of the artist's edition is being sent to Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru, The National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth (within sight of which jcj was born) and another copy may be visited in London by anyone who would like to look at it or to publish it in a larger edition. If you are interested please contact jcj at publicwriting.net .


Giraldus himself could reappear in this website as could any other people from the history of the world or from these web pages, factual or fictional or unbelievable. Nothing is decided - I am making this up as I go - but of course it is as real as are these colours, mostly chosen by chance !