Arswyd Cosmig: Welsh novelist translates classic Horror Stories

Adam Pearce Editor, Llyfrau Melin Bapur

An acclaimed Welsh novelist and short-story writer, Peredur Glyn, whose story collection Pumed Gainc y Mabinogi was shortlisted for Welsh Book of the Year in 2023, has followed up his existing work in the horror genre by translating some of the short stories of cult horror writer H. P. Lovecraft into Welsh.

Born in the USA in 1890, the work of H. P. Lovecraft is considered one of the major cornerstones of the horror genre, with his tales of sinister cults, mysterious god-like beings from twisted alternate dimensions and forbidden knowledge capable of driving men insane. His work is the direct inspiration for an enormous number of books, heavy metal concept albums, films, tabletop and computer games, and the indirect inspiration for even more. In his work can be found the origin of many horror tropes which are now almost ubiquitous, so much so that, like Kafka and Orwell, his name itself has become an adjective: Lovecraftian.

He has also been a very direct inspiration on Wales, and particularly on Peredur Glyn’s own work, in the form of the short story collection Pumed Gainc y Mabinogi and its follow-up novel, Cysgod y Mabinogi, works which blend Lovecraftian horror with Welsh mythology.

Fascination

Glyn explains: “I’ve always been fascinated by both Lovecraft and by Welsh mythology. I was a student of medieval literature as an undergraduate and postgraduate.

“Lovecraft, in contrast, I came across about a decade ago after playing board games set in worlds inspired by his fiction.

“When I started writing my own fiction in 2020, I was inspired to combine these two interests to write the first cosmic horror in Cymraeg.

“I expect that Welsh readers are not familiar with the work of Lovecraft and so I couldn’t resist this opportunity to prepare a new translation of some of his classics for Melin Bapur.

“Lovecraft was in many ways a deeply problematic person and his views are overt in his writings. I provide a new introduction to the volume that gives the context not only for Lovecraft’s life and the genre he perfected, but also to explain what he thought about people of other races, beliefs and backgrounds.

“In my own books I aim to subvert Lovecraft and the tropes of the genre by tackling head on themes like attitudes and identity. However, I think it’s important not to ignore the work of authors like him, but rather to approach it with a critical eye in order to learn more about the author and what drove him. Hopefully this volume gives that opportunity to readers of Cymraeg.”

Range

His choice of stories to translate for this volume aims to provide an introduction to the writer with some of his most archetypical stories.

“There are any number of great stories by Lovecraft, which feature all sorts of terrifying monsters and other horrid scenarios. I’ve chosen these because I think they will excite new readers and open their eyes to a genre that maybe they know little or nothing about. They represent the range of Lovecraft’s themes, imagery and settings and introduce readers to terrors like star-born Cthulhu and Dagon.

“One of his greatest strengths as a writer is how he deploys his expansive self-taught knowledge of history, geography, myth and literature – impressive for someone who never left America and never went to university – which add a sense of realism to his work that serves to enhance the terror at their climax.

“The stories in this book show that off well, from the faux-research presented in The Call of Cthulhu, to the tourist’s guide of Egypt – real and unreal – that ‘Harry Houdini’ gives us in Under the Pyramids, to the glimpses into forbidden books, including Lovecraft’s own Necronomicon, in The Feast.”

Although there are ghost stories in Welsh from the nineteenth century, works in the horror genre generally are quite rare and the publisher, Melin Bapur books, who have previously published translations into Welsh of writers as fiverse as Tolkien, Flann O’Brien and Selma Merbaum, sees this new volume as a continuation of their strategy to expand the horizons of Welsh literature.

“From the very start we wanted to provide things to read in Welsh which are a little different from what’s normally associated with original writing in Cymraeg, and Lovecraft’s nightmarish tales are absolutely the sort of thing that it’s great to be able to introduce to Welsh readers.

“For those to whom these stories or Peredur’s earlier work are the introduction to Lovecraft, then what a treat they have in store!

“But we’re also conscious that books like this can be invaluable to learners. If you know a story already, then reading it in a language you are learning is just about the most wonderful way of naturally expanding your understanding and vocabulary. I’m really excited about the potential for translation to really make a difference, especially in getting advanced learners more confident with literary Welsh.

“There’s yet another group we’re aiming at with books like this, which is those who know Welsh, but don’t currently read in Welsh because they don’t know where to start, or what’s available. If you’re already a Lovecraft fan – or think you could become one – then now you can do it in Welsh, too!”

Galwad Cthulhu a Straeon Arswyd Eraill is available from www.melinbapur.cymru and priced at £8.99+P&P.