John Tripp

Jack Leywood joins the Canadian Navy and quickly makes a name for himself as a crack student being the first in his class. His luck changes when he discovers the joys of racing sail with one of his ship's officers. His temper flares when he and his pal discover a young girl dead of an overdose and the germ of an idea forms: he would take on the drug lords of the Union Corse sending heroin ashore in New Brunswick. Then using his racing ketch as a base, his friends join him to begin taking down the yachts dropping off the white death and finally attracts the attention of Charles DeGaulle who decorates him for bravery and the dragons are born.

John Tripp had a chameleon genius which enlivened the literary life of Wales for nearly three decades. Poet, short story writer and journalist, he was an outspoken and often controversial writer. Charming, abrasive, lyrical and satirical, 'The Meaning of Apricot Sponge' is essential reading for anyone concerned with Wales and the roots of its contemporary identity. His wit and sharply observed social and political comments enriched debate, publications and broadcasts at that most crucial time in the struggle for self- rule in Wales. 'The Meaning of Apricot Sponge' is the first publication of Tripp's work to represent his poetry, fiction, journalism and creative non-fiction. This is a generous, fully annotated selection across these genres with an illuminating Introduction by Tony Curtis and a Foreword by Peter Finch, two of Tripp's friends and collaborators. Both writers also contribute poems dedicated to John Tripp.