Dumbing down by the Welsh Academy
I hear that the University of Wales Press is discretely trying to distance themselves from that recent disaster, the Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales.
As well they might.
One of my fellow bloggers gave the volume (available in both languages) fulsome praise after he had seen it written about in The Guardian.
Presumably that was because he was so surprised to have seen anything about Wales in The Guardian, or The Independent (although that paper’s very good on dead Welshmen), or The Times (not a patch on Amserau, the back end of the old Baner ac Amserau Cymru), and certainly not The Telegraph.
Clearly that blogger never got around to reading the book (at £65, perhaps no surprise). Or perhaps he had, but his knowledge of Wales was not good enough to allow a comparison.
Let me tell him that the Welsh Academy (which often prefers to use the title Academi, presumably to emphasise its Welshness) is clearly engaged in a dreadful dumbing-down exercise.
The Encyclopaedia often descends to being not much more than a geographical list of names plus a picture, with a few words attached. If you know a little about Wales, why bother about the Encyclopaedia ?
Compare it, for instance, with the New Companion to the Literature of Wales, and it shrivels into insignificance. If you possess an iota of intelligence, a dip into the Companion is a revelation of the previously unknown (unless, that is, you’re the editor, Meic Stephens, himself), while the Encyclopaedia is not much more than a confirmation of the moderately-well-remembered.
Check it against the New Companion to Scottish Culture and you realise that the Scots intelligentsia quite clearly rule the world, while the tiny Welsh scuffle about as their serfs.
At first glance the Encyclopaedia is the grandest of them all. But, wait, check the size of the type (and hence the number of words used). Scottish Culture is printed in 10pt; Meic Stephens is in 10pt. In case, you are worried about being able to read small type, the Daily Mirror is in miniscule type.In stark contrast, the Encyclopaedia is in 11pt, using in addition extremely large-faced type. No wonder distinguished contributors have been so upset at having so much of their articles red-pencilled.
Expect some trouble at the Eisteddfod next month over the production of a volume which is so grand in looks and so poor in content.
A fair amount of Assembly cash was poured unto the volume, although the Assembly press office can’t tell me how much.
With a minister in office who knows quite a bit about Welsh culture, perhaps Rhodri Glyn Thomas can be imposed upon to set in track something far more valuable, more akin to the Scottish culture volume – this of course would be a “culture” which gives a proud place to sport, perhaps even mentioning JBG Thomas, one of our greatest writers on the game, who never managed to get a mention from the might Meic in his Companion.
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I have nothing against paying lots for a good Welsh book. I am the proud owner of vol 2 of a “History of Merionethshire”, (£65) and am still bidding up to £150 for vol one when it’s up on e-bay.
I had a flick through the “Gwyddoniadur” in a local shop, but found nothing new, interesting or not available on Wikepedia in it! – A waste of money, better spent on 10 Welsh poets or novelists.
I don’t think we can blame the press although I’ve got my theories as to who might have headed the dumbing down – what’s known as trying to get circulation…
If you want Vol one, Abe have it for £75, and in the past I’ve used a decent-priced binder in Swansea valley…
I haven’t seen the Gwyddoniadur yet but I was surprised when a flyer for advanced sales fell out of a Welsh mag I’d bought. Who had they chosen to promote it but Sian Lloyd and Tanni Grey-Thomson? Nothing at all against either of these people, but neither is known for their scholarly work; it’s the “celeb”-rification of cultcha, innit?
Not so sure that the change in name from The Welsh Academy to “Academi” really emphasising Welshness. When I hear “Academi” in Welsh, I want to ask “which academy”. If they wanted to go Welsh they could have just started to use the Welsh version of the old name: “Yr Academi Gymreig”. Isn’t this just more dumbing down at the behest of expensive ad men: last year’s marketing fashions which have turned The Samaritans into “Samaritans” and, dare I say it, Plaid Cymru into “Plaid”?
Clive,
What point are you trying to make? In your short and rather pointless blog on the Encyclopaedia of Wales, you have a cheap dig at the print size being too ‘big’ and the articles being too short. You then complain about the price. Don’t you realist that you can’t have it both ways? You also then compare it with publications of no relevance whatsoever to its remit. Why not compare it to the Scottish or Irish versions, which frankly do not come close to its quality? You cannot have enormous detail and have a single volume that people outside your cherished circle could afford to purchase. They have tried to combine detail and also a written style that is both interesting and entertaining to read and as someone who has bought a copy, I think they have done a fantastic job.
This is a quite incredible publication that has actually compiled for the first time information on issues such as the scientists of Wales (this has never been published before). Perhaps you would like to come to the Eisteddfod and challenge the editors of this book face to face and endeavour to win your argument? Let’s face it. You wouldn’t have the guts and would be completely out of your depth.
I find it very disappointing that as a journalist who takes Wales so seriously, you are prepared to take so lightly such a fantastic publication- a book that the Academi are not avoiding but promoting with pride.
Take another look Clive and this time, take your blinkers off.