Manon Steffan Ros is riding high on winning this year’s Yoto Carnegie medal for The Blue Book Of Nebo. Originally published as Llyfr Glas Nebo, this new English-language version explores what it means to be Welsh through the trials and tribulations of mother-and-son survivors of a devastating nuclear disaster. Billy Edwards chats to Manon about celebrating hope and humanity through the written word.
What does the Yoto Carnegie award mean to you?
It means a great deal to me because, when I was a little girl, I was an avid reader, and I used to see this word ‘Carnegie’ on the cover of a lot of my favourite English-language books. Also, this is the first time a translation has won the Carnegie award for writing. There’s such a thriving, lively Welsh literary scene that many don’t know about – it’s brought me so much joy that I’d like to share.
How did the concept of a post-apocalyptic landscape come about?
My parents used to take me to protests when I was a child, almost every weekend, either with the Welsh Language Society or CND. It really created an awareness in me of the delicate balance in the cultural and linguistic ecosystem in which we live, which I think I’ve always had a great fear of losing. I thought, “If I write my worst nightmare, I’ll give it to another character, and I’ll see it and be able to explore it safely because it’s not me in the book.” So it came from trying to find some hope in the worst imaginable circumstances.
What role does language play in this new translation?
It’s a complicated relationship. There are lots of people who were taught Welsh at school, but don’t feel confident in either writing or speaking it. There’s a tendency to think that if your Welsh grammar isn’t perfect if you don’t know exactly how to spell this or that word, and that if you stick to any English words, Welsh doesn’t really belong to you, and you’re not good enough to use it. I hate that idea – if you’re managing to communicate what you mean, you’re doing it right. I wanted to create a character that felt like Welsh wasn’t hers. When it comes down to the bare bones of the language, she realises it absolutely is.
What kind of dynamic do the novel’s mother and son, Rowenna and Dylan, have?
I do like writing about parent-child relationships. I find young adulthood fascinating: you’re naturally growing away from your parents. The tragedy, really, is that a parent’s job is to make this person, whom you love more than you ever thought was possible, independent of you. That’s at once wonderful and tragic. I wondered about a stage when they’re supposed to grow away, but they can’t because there’s no-one and nowhere else.
It’s fascinating how Rowenna’s life becomes simpler after the disaster. Did you want to reconnect with your own humanity?
That’s interesting – I think there’s a lot of me in that character, and we’re very guilty of the same things. I remember having a moment with one of my kids where I thought, “I’m setting up a photo opportunity with my child here!” It was messed up! So, it was partly me trying to tell myself off a little bit and trying to recalibrate the things that are important.
Is there a book you think would make a perfect summer read?
There’s one that I really enjoyed called Mountain Punk, by John Dexter Jones. It’s about the mountains that surround Eryri and his experiences walking them. We happened to somehow be friends on Facebook, though I didn’t know him at all – you have to contact him to get a copy, so there’s an extra intimacy there. I thought, “oh, I’ll buy that,” and it’s so good! The sense of place is amazing: the writing is fantastic, and it’s got wonderful paintings by Pete Jones.
The Blue Book Of Nebo is out now via Firefly Press. Info: here
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words BILLY EDWARDS
