THERE is a busy time in store at the Oriel Davies Gallery in Newtown this Saturday, February 9,with the opening of another major exhibition plus an event with the presentation of the winners of this year’s writing competitions.

The new ‘Cartographic Imaginaries’ will be launched at 6pm and has commissioned artworks responding to 12 English language novels set in Wales.

It will include a speech by Jon Anderson, professor of Human Geography at Cardiff University’s School of Geography and Planning and principal investigator on the Literary Arts project which plots locations in Wales which have been used as locations in novels

“The Literary Atlas of Wales website gives users the chance to explore Wales and see how the incredibly diverse country and its people have influenced key works of English-language literature,” said Prof Anderson.

Currently 12 books have been studied in depth, whereby researchers have recorded all geographical references mentioned in each of the stories on the website.

At 4.45pm there will be a screening of artist Sean Vicary’s film ‘Sitelines’ responding to Alan Garner’s novel ‘The Owl Service’.

Vicary will also be discussing his work with Prof Kirsti Bohata, professor of English Literature from Swansea University.

On until March 18, the 12 works also include Richard Monohan’s response to Malcolm Pryce’s ‘Aberystwyth Mon Amour’; Valerie Coffin Price’s response to Amy Dillwyn’s ‘The Rebecca Rioter’; and Rhian Thomas’ response to Raymond Williams’ ‘Border Country’.

From Newtown, the exhibition will tour to Bangor, Aberystwyth, Swansea, Caernarfon and Cardiff into next year.

Between 2.30 and 4pm, the gallery will also be hosting an informal and inspiring celebration of the Oriel Davies Open Writing Competition.

It feature the winners of the original poetry and prose competitions with other entrants and the judges.

n Next Thursday, February 14, the Great Oak Bookshop at Llanidloes features local author Suzanne Juppa reading her short story ‘Baby Totten’ from an anthology of Welsh love stories ‘A Fall Into Grace’.

The reading at 4pm will be followed by a chance for questions and answers and a talk about the process for submitting short fiction for publication.