Lampeter’s Writer in Residence wins Pushcart Prize

Harrison Solow, recently appointed Writer in Residence at
the University of Wales Lampeter, has won the Pushcart Prize
for her recent essay Bendithion. Within the essay, Harrison
explores Lampeter, the University, Welsh Tenor Timothy
Evans, and Cymreictod (Welshness).

Bendithion, which means “blessings”in Welsh, was selected
as a winner from more than 8000 entries nominated for the
Pushcart Prize. (The name comes from a protest against
mainstream publishers in 1972 when authors took to the
streets of Manhattan selling their books from pushcarts.)

The Pushcart Prize is one of the highlights of the American literary scene “A truly remarkable collection of the finest small press poems, essays and short stories” according to Booklist Magazine. “A powerhouse,”says Publisher’s Weekly.

Harrison is an award-winning writer with extensive experience in literary and academic publishing, the arts and the corporate world. She is published by major publishing houses, university presses, magazines and journals, in America, England, Canada and Wales. Harrison has a
wealth of executive, creative, and editorial experience in the arts, humanities and sciences from her previous appointments that have included Special Projects and Developmental Editor for the University
of California Press, Senior Writer for The Institute for Research on Public Policy and The World University Service of Canada, among a number of academic cultural and literary institutions.

Harrison read for undergraduate honours in Philosophy, Theology and English Literature. In addition, she holds an MA in
English Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College, a prestigious women’s liberal arts college in California, where she was recently honoured as a Notable Graduate.

Recently interviewed for the BBC Bookshelf website she said, “Bendithion” is really a portrait - a letter - a dialogue - a liminal tale and actually, part of an epistolary novel I am currently writing also entitled Bendithion. I know “novel”conjures up “fiction”in most people’s minds but this work is both fiction and non-fiction. Everything in it is true, insofar as truth can be quantified … The final book however will be fictionalised. In my experience, fiction is the best vehicle for truth. Facts are told in non-fiction. Truth is told in stories…” To us, she added, “In my recently published story, The Postmaster’s Song, there is this paragraph: “An author I admire once wrote this fragment in a dialogue between friends: “...just because something happens, it doesn’t make it true.” I believe the reverse is also accurate. Just because something is true, it doesn’t mean it happens.” A lot of things don’t happen in Wales. But they’re still true. This is why I live here. And why my book begins with this sentence: “This book is pretending to be fiction...”

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