Real Cardiff

The Real Series

by Peter Finch

This unorthodox travel guide to Cardiff, Wales, is part history, part topographical writing, and part traditional guidebook. Interspersed with quirky photographs and poems, this stunning and at times comic work explores both the expected, such as splendid Victorian architecture, and the unexpected, such as lost rivers, a Roman fort, holy wells, old race courses, and medieval churches.

188 pages, Paperback

First published November 13, 2002

About the author

Peter Finch is a full-time poet, critic, author and literary entrepreneur living in Cardiff, Wales. Until June 2011 he was Chief Executive of Literature Wales (formerly Academi), the Welsh National Literature Development Agency. As a writer he works in both traditional and experimental forms. He is best known for his declamatory poetry readings, his creative work based on his native city of Cardiff, his editing of Seren's Real series, and his knowledge of the UK poetry publishing scene.

Reviews

[Ruthie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A personal account of wandering round Cardiff over the years. My problem with this book is more about the publisher, Seren. The layout of the pages is odd, and makes reading difficult. Feels like the book needed more pages, but that would have meant the book would cost more, and the publisher was nervous about the economics. So we have poorly reproduced photographs and text crushed around them.

[Ryan McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read for any resident of Cardiff. A rare and vivid insight into a lost and the not so distant eras of Cardiff we have lost. Looking forward to reading the others in the series I've just learnt about!