STORIES IN WELSH STONE - THE LONG-AWAITED BOOK FROM WELSH COUNTRY WRITER GEOFF BROOKES

It was the grave of Margaret Williams that started this book. Her stone has stood there in Cadoxton for so many years, an enduring reminder of a violent death. But the passion and outrage that led to its creation have now faded. Today it is a curiosity, nothing more. Once a tragedy, now forgotten. Yet that stone represents a story that once meant so much and, in uncovering its tale, others have emerged. Stories of murder, starvation, accidents, betrayal. Lives ended in extraordinary moments. Such stories are there all around us, if only we look. The stones themselves may be silent, but the stories that brought the people to lie beneath them still speak to us. These gravestones are not just curiosities. They represent past lives and tell stories we should not forget. We owe it to those involved to remember what happened.

About the author:
Geoff Brookes was born in Sheffield in 1951 and, after obtaining his degree at Leicester University, he became an English teacher. He has worked in a number of schools and is now Deputy Headteacher of Cefn Hengoed Community School in Swansea. He moved to Wales in 1981, where he and his wife Liz have devoted their time to bringing up their four children. Things changed when Geoff was told about the remarkable headstone of Margaret Williams in Cadoxton. This was the beginning of an exploration that has rather taken over his life. He continues to find important graves all over Wales and researches the stories behind them, recording them before it is too late. He is convinced that we should not allow such stories to slip unnoticed into the past. “Stories in Welsh Stone” Volume 1 is his act of respect to these lives in our past. They are part of the heritage that we all share.

• Listen to Geoff Brookes reading an extract from the book (.wmv file)
• Listen to the interview with BBC Radio Wales in:  wma format or mp3 format                                                
• Stories in Welsh Stone - Reviews
• Geoff Brookes' Blog
• Link to 'Stories in Welsh Stone' website