Why no big Welsh Promotion of this popular Novelist, is it because he was too over 'popular and widely read by the 'Masses' and had an international following as much as Dylan Thomas if not more so.
Maybe it was because he did not write poetry and hence not one favoured by our 'Intelligensia' and 'Cultural' Establishments not least 'Y Crachach Newydd' of the Cardiff Media Establishment who have this year doled out any number of Dylan Thomas Documentaries and now three films are on line to boot.
Amazes me they can find money for all this along with paying for three versions of 'Hinterland, one Cymraeg, one in English and one biligual but cannot find the money this year to give us at least Cordell's 'Rape of the Fair Country', why not?
Maybe because it put forward as did most of his books in this series, a Socialist version of Welsh History, ironic then in the 'Sixties' his books greatly contributed to my Welsh Identity and as much made me then, now i see as mistakenly a Welsh Nationalist.
Do not think I do not like Dylan Thomas Poetry, and I love Under Milkwood but what did Dylan say 'The Land of my Fathers and my fathers can keep it!'.
I somehow think he his rolling around in his grave laughing to high hell with all the 'Cultural Establishment' adoration, maybe hypocritical.
What ever, one and all write to the Cardiff TV Media and 'Film Cymru and demand a film is made of the three books in the Mortymer Triology, sure to gain huge international acclaim and pubums across the World.
Not least hopefully advancing a Wales Socialist Radical Struggle!
The Mortymer Trilogy is the story of the Mortymer family, commencing in 1826, and tells of the trials of several generations of the family, set against the background of the coal mining and iron industries.
In 1985, at the suggestion of fellow South Wales author, Chris Barber, Cordell wrote a prelude to the trilogy, This Proud and Savage Land, which starts in 1800 and tells the story of sixteen year old Hywel Mortymer, who comes from rural Mid Wales to work in the coal mines and ironworks of the industrial South Wales Valleys, owned by early ironmasters and coalowners.
It ends with the birth of his son Iestyn, with which the next book commences.
Cordell was born in Ceylon in 1914 to an English family.[1] A major in the Royal Artillery, he retired from the British Army to civilian life as a quantity surveyor for the War Office and moved to Abergavenny with his wife Rosina and daughter, Georgina.
It was from here that his obvious love for Wales began to grow; in later life he referred in his writings to his mother being from the Rhondda Valley.
Cordell left Wales for spells in Hong Kong and the Isle of Man. Yet he kept coming back to Wales.
He settled at various times in Abergavenny, Chepstow, Milford Haven and Wrexham.
Before he died he lived on Railway Road in Stansty near Wrexham.
He collapsed and died while walking near the Horseshoe Pass in Denbighshire.
It has been suggested that he had gone there with the intention of committing suicide with brandy and anti-depressants, but he died of a heart attack.
He is buried at Llanfoist, Abergavenny.
A personal note from Nickglais Editor of Yr Aflonyddwch Mawr on Alexander Cordell : I remember Alexander Cordell when he lived in Abergavenny and met him on at least one occasion and my mother read all his books - in fact although they were works of fiction they included much real history - I remember my father telling me about the hiring fairs and discussing with my mother. Cordell's works.
In fact just like Gethin my personal Welsh Revolutionary Socialist identity owes much to Alexander Cordell and his impact on my parents as well as myself.
SEE ALSO: http://greatunrest2012.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/red-dylan-social-vision-of-dylan-thomas.html
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