Why a Booktrail?
Timeless: If you’ve never been to the village of Llareggub you’ll be fascinated to see it for yourself…
Under Milk Wood
What you need to know before your trail
The story of a fictional village called ‘Llareggub’ (read it backwards) is the day in the life of a Welsh village and just needs to be read out loud for full effect – for the Welsh lilt and the Welsh atmosphere will just add to putting you at the centre of the people and the events of the day.
As the people of Llareggub are asleep, we witness their dreams. Captain Cat is haunted by his drowned ship mates and Mrs Ogmore-Pritchard dreams of her dead husbands. Dreams introduce the characters one by one.
The next day, the village awakens but the veil between real life and dreams can sometimes blur. Dreams and thoughts are sometimes the same and what happens later that night when thoughts once again turn into nocturnal goings on?
Travel Guide
Only Dylan Thomas could have written this tale of a fictional Welsh village.
Take the Dylan Thomas trail in NewQuay
“To begin at the beginning: It is spring, moonless night in the small town, starless and bible-black, the cobblestreets silent and the hunched, courters’-and-rabbits’ wood limping invisible down to the sloeblack, slow, black, crowblack, fishingboatbobbing sea.”
Where in Wales has a fishing boat bobbing sea? In fact the location of fictional Llareggub does have some part on reality since many names in Welsh do start with Llan which means Church or holy site.
The inspiration for the town is thought to be Laugharne where Dylan Thomas lived for a while and New Quay where he was staying when he wrote the play. He actually drew a map of Llareggub and its in the national Library of Wales so you can see for yourself.
During the night, the village comes to live in the minds of those sleeping. In the morning, we are taken on a tour of the town and its people – starting with Reverend Eli Jenkins who delivers a sermon about his love for the village. There’s chats and moans over the breakfast cereals before we head to the local shop to get the gossip there. Oh and be careful to keep your eyes peeled for the best named postman in the history of literature – Willy Nilly. What does he deliver though? That’s the interesting thing.
The names on some of those envelopes are enough to put Mr Willy Nilly to shame.
All the while, life goes on, Reverend Jenkins is working on this his book about the town and its people. There’s a lot that will make this a book about love, laughter, secrets, scandal and everything in between. There’s never a dull moment in Llareggub!
Booktrailer Review
Susan:
This has to be read or listened to in a Welsh accent for full effect! I listened to the play as well as studying it as part of a school project and I’ve never felt as part of a community of characters as this one. Willy Nilly, No good Boyo – I just loved this and have remembered it for years. The words are like notes on a sheet of music and it’s a delight to read. There’s so much humour in this too and I wanted to go to Wales from the very first time I heard it! The way in which I remember meeting the people in their dreams and then seeing how their lives pan out during the day before they go back to bed and the cycle repeats itself is one of the most imaginative and memorable books I’ve ever read. Life in a small Welsh town can be so eventful and the singing games within the story are also a joy to learn. Raise a glass to Llareggub!
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