Story on a Postcard
Local author, poet and member of the Elan Trefoil Guild, Jenny Holland has had the honour of winning a writing competition organised by Waterstones Bookshops.
Jennifer Holland, of Cwmdauddwr, Rhayader, decided to enter the Waterstones Competition ‘A story on a postcard’ as part of the “What’s Your Story?” postcard book. Her sister, artist Claerwen was visiting
Waterstones earlier in the year in Aberystwyth, and saw the notice for the competition, thinking Jennifer may like to have a go she took home one of the entry postcards . Jennifer said, “Claerwen was the prime mover in my entering the competition”.
Jennifer became one of three winners who have had their work published in the book “What’s Your Story?”, ‘a story on a postcard’, alongside the names of many well known writers including J K Rowling, Doris
Lessing, Neil Graham, Michael Rosen, Nick Hornby, Sebastian Faulks, Lauren Child, Tom Stoppard and Irvine Welsh.
Unfortunately, the book, which was published to raise money for the Charity ‘Dyslexia Action’ and ‘English PEN’, has been sold out and apparently is even difficult to find on e-bay. The stories that have won the competition can be viewed on Waterstones.com.
Jennifer’s entry is called ‘Making Waves’, written by hand to fit on a postcard; it has a very interesting twist in its’ tale (or even tail)! From the style and subject Jennifer Holland obviously keeps abreast of all things modern. She said, “We enjoy holidays near St David’s in Pembrokeshire and I enjoy watching the skills of the surfers and I observe the surfing
community. I was also influenced by the many
posters that you see saying ‘30 or 50 today’.”
Jennifer is a very accomplished poet and particularly enjoys the art of the Japanese ‘Haiku’, which is the art of writing a poem consisting of three lines with 17 syllables, five in the first line and seven in the middle; it usually provides a snapshot of nature, for example an animal or a season. Jennifer belongs to the British Haiku Society and has collaborated with her sister in a book called “A Year and a Day” using Claerwen’s paintings.
Jennifer and Claerwen have exhibited work at CARAD’s ‘Rhayader by Nature Exhibition’ and also at Bleddfa Art Centre – ‘Treasure from the Forgotten
Attic’, where as well as Jennifer’s framed poems and Claerwen’s paintings, they exhibited items from the attic such as old toys and fishing rods, things people put away and forget.
Sandra Betty