The Sprout

Daps Is 10

Posted by Sophie_Phelps from Vale Of Glamorgan - Published on 22/04/2010 at 09:30
4 comments » - Tagged as Creative Writing

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Last month saw Daps – the creative writing anthology for the University of Glamorgan – celebrate its tenth birthday with a launch party held at Beacons Bar in Treforest.

The anthology, which is published annually, is written, compiled and edited by English and Creative Writing students at the university. It consists of works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

Daps is not funded by the University and instead relies solely on sales from the book itself. Editor of this year’s edition, John Blunden said: “It was a very successful evening and once again showcased the very best in creative writing talent at the university. We have sold around 150 editions so far and are likely to sell many more in the coming months. It’s been a pleasure to be involved in the whole process and I have loved every minute of it.”

Daps’ first editor Maria Donovan, author of the highly reviewed Pumping Up Napoleon, is a lecturer in Creative Writing and taught at the University until last year. She wrote the foreword for this year’s edition and said: “As the editor of the first issue, I’m glad to see it thriving. While the annual appearance of Daps is always something to celebrate, an entire decade of continuous publication represents a significant achievement.”

A number of former students who contributed to Daps during their time at the University have since gone on to have successful writing careers. A previous Creative Writing student is Rachel Tresize, who graduated in 2007 and has since become a very exciting young talent. She won the Dylan Thomas Prize in 2008.

Trevor Byrne, a former Creative Writing lecturer and author of Ghosts And Lightening is a supporter of the book and wrote last year’s foreword. Tom Anderson, author of Riding The Magic Carpet was involved in the publication during his time at the University.

Last year a decision was made by the editorial team to target the national market with Daps via independent book retailers. Last year’s editor and a contributor to the 2010 edition Thierry Heles said; ‘It’s an entirely new experience to us, but the response has been fantastic – we are well on the way to gaining enough revenue from advance orders and advertising to almost cover the cost of producing the book. This is a first, and we’re all extremely proud of this achievement.”

Ross Raisin, the author of God’s Own Country which was shortlisted for the 2008 Dylan Thomas prize, added his support by saying: “I think an idea like this is fantastic for a young writer, and certainly in terms of my own experience was the most helpful first step in getting my work recognised by an audience of more than just myself and my fellow students. I wish everyone involved with this book the very best of luck.”

The book is available on campus from the University book shop Blackwell’s for £5. Students are encouraged to get involved with the 2011 edition and submissions will be considered after the summer break.

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