ALUN, GWENO AND FREDA

John Pikoulis (Seren Books)

Published to mark the centenary of Alun Lewis himself, this new re-working features a variety of unknown material sheds new light on a writer who was arguably the greatest of the Second World War.

The book draws on the two significant women in his life: Gweno, his wife a teacher in Mountain Ash whom he married before his transfer abroad where he wrote most of his poetry. Then there is Freda, a woman with whom he had a brief affair in India. Lewis died mysteriously in Burma and Pikolulis asks questions of the role these women played in the end of his life. Revealing still more about Lewis, and his fascinating life, the dual narrative adds another dimension that sets it apart from standard literary biography.

Price: £14.99. Info: www.serenbooks.com