There are no two ways about it: to come so close to being named City of Culture for 2017 and then miss out is indeed a heavy blow for Swansea, but as the news sinks in it's been interesting to watch the different responses emerging. The sense of disappointment is understandable, but that should not be allowed to overshadow the achievement of winning city Hull. Indeed, taking a sideways swipe at the winners certainly does very little to help Swansea's case and simply detracts attention from the quality of the bid put together by Swansea as part of their entry to the competition.
Disappointment aside, something that everyone seems to be agreed on is the strength of Swansea Bay's bid. In particular, the 'Cwtch the Bid' campaign has succeeded in engaging an enormous range of people from across the area in a fun and vibrant show of support their city.
From a literary point of view, there is still much to look forward to in the immediate future. A string of high profile events are planned as part of next year's celebrations for the centenary of Dylan Thomas, which Lleucu Siencyn and Jon Gower spoke enthusiastically about when they appeared on Wednesday night's The Wales Report with Huw Edwards. There is no doubt that the Developing Dylan100 project promises to bring an exciting array of workshops, lectures, tours and talks to the public in an lively celebration of Swansea's most famous poet.
Yet it's worth remembering that it is not all about Dylan Thomas, Swansea has produced a number of extremely influential writers in the past and continues to do so today. Over the course of the last century and a half, writers such as Amy Dilwyn, Vernon Watkins, John Ormond and Harri Webb have emerged from the city, reaching out to wider-Wales and beyond with their work. More recently, a new generation of Swansea writers have appeared, including Joe Dunthorne whose 2008 novel Submarine was described as bringing The Catcher in The Rye to Swansea and has since been adapted for film.
The title of City of Culture may have eluded Swansea on this occasion, but the future can still be bright for this city steeped in culture. As Siencyn and Gower were quick to point out on The Wales Report, what is important now is that Swansea maintains the momentum from the bid and focuses on bringing to life the exciting ideas raised in the proposal. Yes, money is and probably always will be a challenge which needs to be overcome, but the creativity is there and that's key to a successful cultural future, for both Swansea and Wales.
Disappointment aside, something that everyone seems to be agreed on is the strength of Swansea Bay's bid. In particular, the 'Cwtch the Bid' campaign has succeeded in engaging an enormous range of people from across the area in a fun and vibrant show of support their city.
From a literary point of view, there is still much to look forward to in the immediate future. A string of high profile events are planned as part of next year's celebrations for the centenary of Dylan Thomas, which Lleucu Siencyn and Jon Gower spoke enthusiastically about when they appeared on Wednesday night's The Wales Report with Huw Edwards. There is no doubt that the Developing Dylan100 project promises to bring an exciting array of workshops, lectures, tours and talks to the public in an lively celebration of Swansea's most famous poet.
Yet it's worth remembering that it is not all about Dylan Thomas, Swansea has produced a number of extremely influential writers in the past and continues to do so today. Over the course of the last century and a half, writers such as Amy Dilwyn, Vernon Watkins, John Ormond and Harri Webb have emerged from the city, reaching out to wider-Wales and beyond with their work. More recently, a new generation of Swansea writers have appeared, including Joe Dunthorne whose 2008 novel Submarine was described as bringing The Catcher in The Rye to Swansea and has since been adapted for film.
The title of City of Culture may have eluded Swansea on this occasion, but the future can still be bright for this city steeped in culture. As Siencyn and Gower were quick to point out on The Wales Report, what is important now is that Swansea maintains the momentum from the bid and focuses on bringing to life the exciting ideas raised in the proposal. Yes, money is and probably always will be a challenge which needs to be overcome, but the creativity is there and that's key to a successful cultural future, for both Swansea and Wales.