Ron Berry (1920-97) is one of the most remarkably astute yet relatively neglected twentieth-century Rhondda writers. An avid walker, birdwatcher, 'potcher', sportsman and miner, Berry is the product of a distinctive Rhondda landscape; the formidable peaks of Pen Pych and Cefn Nant y Gwair were to be a continuing source of inspiration for him in his writing. His idiosyncratic viewpoints, of which there are many, are reflected in both his memoir and fiction. As the first sustained critical study of his work, this collection seeks a literal, physical and chronological 'zooming-outwards', from the man himself to the personal and literary geographies and communities in which he was posited, to his creative legacy.

The collection will certainly be welcomed within the field of Welsh writing in English, and will also be of interest to scholars of de- and post-industrial societies, literatures and culture. The careful blend of socio-cultural detail combined with contemporary theoretical perspectives and textual analysis will appeal to the sophisticated general reader, whilst the timeliness of the project to coincide with Ron Berry's centenary will support a wider lay readership.