ABSTRACT

In 2016 I set out, hopefully and somewhat naively, to apply a transnational approach to my work-in-progress, The Short Knife. The novel is written in a voice which combines elements of the Welsh language with Standard English and is intended for a Young Adult audience. This article charts the evolution of the work, and of my own relationship with my homeland through the prism of betrayal, ultimately concluding that imbricating betrayal into a work can be generative and even healing.

Part One describes the practical development of the poetics of The Short Knife and will offer inspiration to any author exploring transnational creative writing. Part Two charts a workshop with Prof Nicholas Jose, and a fiery online encounter that necessitated a reckoning with the themes of betrayal. Part Three of this article demonstrates how such an existential crisis can have a positive impact on both the text and the author, if that challenge is faced head-on. This account will be of interest to anyone writing about their relationship with home.

KEYWORDS

Transnational writing, Welsh writing in English, betrayal, coming-of-age fiction.