Dial M for Merthyr

Born in the Rhondda Valley in 1978, Rachel Trezise won the Orange Futures Prize in 2002 for her first novel, In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl, and the EDS Dylan Thomas Prize for Fresh Apples, her first collection of short fiction. She has been hailed as ‘an outstanding young writer’ and ‘a major new literary talent’ and is clearly both delighted and bemused by her immediate success, and determined to share it with the Valley community that has witnessed her transformation from a self-harming teenage runaway into a prize-winning author. Dial M for Merthyr is the result of Trezise’s dream of going on tour with a rock band and writing a documentary about it. Having spent two years in search of a ‘cooperative’ band, she finally fell in with the up-and-coming but as-yet-unsigned Midasuno – the Valleys rock band that won Best New Unsigned Band at the annual Welsh Music Awards in 2002. So, here is ‘a young, valley girl who writes young, gritty novels, writing a gritty, down-with-the-kids documentary about a down-with-the kids valley band who play gritty rock music: plenty of grit (it’s all the rage) . . .’ I can’t say that I found the book particularly gritty and Trezise’s account of being on tour – albeit very briefly and with a relatively unknown band – shatters glamorous groupie illusions with its depiction of a rather dull experience rendered tolerable by the consumption of large amounts of alcohol. Yet the book exudes warmth, enthusiasm and a glorious youthfulness: the determination to follow your dreams and confidence that you will achieve them, a strong sense of inter-gender companionship and loyalty, and an abundance of time and energy not only to pursue your own goals but also to give generously to others. It works. Trezise has her documentary book and Midasuno has been signed up. -- Suzy Ceulan Hughes @ www.gwales.com