List Of Writers
PEARSON, ANDY
5 Ffordd Taliesin, Killay, Swansea SA2 7DF
Email: andrew.pearson43@ntlworld.com
Andy’s backing for a Wales celebrity photographic project saw him write his first book, Cool Cymru Collection (Graffeg hardback, £25) in 2006. This is a reportage/travelogue–style look at how Llanelli photographer Terry Morris took unique images of stars such as Dame Shirley Bassey, Ioan Gruffudd, Rhys Ifans, Bryn Terfel, Ryan Giggs, Joe Calzaghe, Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson. Andy observed Morris in action and interviewed the stars. He has since fronted many talks on the project at writers’ circles, camera clubs and Swansea’s Dylan Thomas Centre. The photographic collection spent three months at the Wales Millennium Centre (Nov 2006 – Feb 2007) before heading off on a tour of Wales, starting at the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea. Andy also played a key on-screen role in an ITV Wales series that charted the creation of the collection.
Andy was born in Brecon and raised in Yorkshire. He lives in Swansea with wife Claire, son Evan and daughter Millie. He rides around town on his beloved 125cc Vespa. A journalist since 1983, Andy has a powerful knowledge of the South Wales media. As well as taking the Llanelli Star to several national awards as editor (2002-06), he has worked as a reporter for the Western Mail and as features editor on the principality’s biggest selling newspaper, the South Wales Evening Post. In the late 1990s he was a key driver in the launch and development of a series of South Wales nostalgia books that topped local sales charts. Andy is a lively, thoughtful and articulate guest speaker and considers writing commissions for any type of publication.
Reviews:
“…Andy Pearson’s first-hand commentary is a great read. His celebrity interviews and incisive insights into Terry’s thought processes provide a lively complement to the pictures…”
www.ryangiggs.cc
“…Cool Cymru Collection was published by Cardiff-based Graffeg at the end of November. Its 160 pages feature interviews and striking new images of Welsh celebrities as you’ve never seen them before…”
Swansea Life magazine
“...It is an excellent book … you get to see another side of the celebrities and get to read the thoughts of a photographer prior to taking the photographs...”
Marc Taylor, Amazon
“...Fantastic effort by all involved in this project. Andy … produced a colourful read. The team…produced a fine book of `Welsh icons...”
Gary Shinner, Amazon
Selected Publications:
Cool Cymru Collection (Graffeg, 2006)
Contributed to:
Images of Swansea (editor) (Breedon, 1998)
Cool Cymru Collection (Graffeg, 2006)
Terry Morris dreamt that he could create Wales’s first photographic hall of fame – and he did!
This book tells the amazing story of how he leapt the many hurdles involved in getting stars to sit for him – for free - to help raise the profile of a great new institution, the Children’s Hospital for Wales, and to help raise the profile of photography as an art. By showing big names in original poses, Terry aimed to celebrate Welsh excellence, to recapture the spirit of thoughtful, artistic photography, and to explore the lasting, positive effects of the ’90s Cool Cymru phenomenon.
From one tiny but ambitious thought, the process gathered an incredible head of steam resulting in trips to places as diverse as Cardiff and Chelsea, Llanelli and Los Angeles. Those pictured included film stars, music icons and sports heroes.
Acclaimed journalist Andy Pearson and award-winning photographer Graham Harries tracked Terry in order to create this book. It is their words and documentary pictures that accompany Terry’s collection and test shots throughout these pages.
To purchase this title from gwales.com, please click on the front cover