Kirjahaku

From Westminster to the Senedd, liars, posers and fools are harpooned as we revisit the surreal bin fire of current affairs 2023-style. Taking in - but never taken in by - a cast that includes Boris Johnson, Carol Vorderman, Mark Drakeford, Shakin' Stevens, Wayne Pivac, and Charles Windsor; Wildsmith's unflinching eye dissects the tragedies and comedies of the year. Whether writing from the 'tomato crisis' in Morocco, the Cave of the Apocalypse in Greece, or community super-club Tylorstown RFC - his missives will delight readers who rage in despair against the zeitgeist.

How does an adopted person construct their identity? In this collection of essays, Ben Wildsmith relates the key events of a turbulent life and considers the factors that shaped his nature. Examining notions of culture, belonging, authenticity and family, Whose Song to Sing? takes us from 1970s Birmingham to South Wales in the 2020s, via America, Australia and Thailand. Wildsmith offers an adoptee’s take on society – ironic and occasionally caustic – as he struggles to carve out a space within it. As family life disintegrates, he seeks refuge in culture, always returning to the songs and stories of the Valleys, the gift of his adoptive grandfather. We follow a path from childhood privilege to addiction and despair, before the healing power of community offers a route to happiness. Unflinching and frequently comic, Whose Song to Sing? shows how establishing a viable identity from uncertain materials can be a creative act, and a life’s work.