The Dramatic Pause of Georgia Carys Williams
Ten years after her debut short story collection, Georgia Carys Williams returns with a novel.
It’s ten years since Georgia Carys Williams released her first book. the short story collection, Second Hand Rain (Parthian, 2014). It garnered rave reviews and introduced a careful and inventive new voice to the literary landscape of Wales. Georgia herself, you might say, embodies something of the determined, patient, quiet protagonists found in her work. We have met once, I believe, when she attended a Wales Arts Review conference in Caerleon in 2014 (maybe 2013 - my memory is hazy of those days). I was very excited to hear she had a novel coming out, and now here it is, Unspeakable Beauty (Parthian, 2024). Here’s the blurb…
Growing up in a lonely house on the edge of a wild common, Violet Hart is a quiet and sheltered only child who has always dreamt of becoming something extraordinary: a ballet icon as famous as Margot Fonteyn.
Guarding her dream closely after suffering catastrophic loss, Violet falls further into quietness, learning to speak only with her feet as she pursues a path to a career in dance. On the cusp of adulthood, she finally starts to find her voice.
But when a secret, all consuming affair with her older lover Theo threatens to send her world into a tailspin, will Violet find herself? Or will she succumb to the silence she knows so well?
This beautiful, poetic debut novel warns of the dangers of being a quiet person in a loud world and letting magnetic strangers pull your strings. Set on the Welsh coast, Unspeakable Beauty is an unsettling coming-of-age tale about the importance of learning how to take the lead and be yourself, of finding hope in the shadows, of letting your dreams bloom.
I asked Georgia is she’d be up for contributing to my writers’ Q&A series. And here’s her answers.
Where are you while you answer these questions, and what can you see when you look up from the page/screen?
I’m in my little writing room at home. When I look up, to the left I can see our garden and one of its tallest trees through a rain-blurred window. I also have a Cadbury’s Easter egg alongside me that I – as always – ate far more of than I’d intended. My baby just woke up with the widest of eyes and happy to have cuddles, so she is now on my lap, trying to pincer-grab pieces of paper from under my keyboard.
What motivates you to create?
This is quite difficult to pinpoint but I know I feel very restless and unproductive when I’m on a creativity hiatus. It kind of feels like when you encounter one of the first sunny days of the year and yet you find yourself sitting on the sofa with a big, stuffy jumper on, so you feel as though you’d better do something about it pronto. I’m just more content when I’m being creative.
What are you currently working on?
A few different projects. One of them is a YA novel that explores grief. Another novel I’m working on is slightly dark but also comedic, so that’s a lot of fun. Since having a baby, I’ve finally got around to drafting a children’s book. Plus, there’s a poetry collection I need to return to.
When do you work?
I have absolutely no structure at the moment, other than when my little baby happens to nap, or during certain windows in the evening, and I never know whether that’s for thirty minutes or two hours, so I catch the time while I can, which sometimes works out and sometimes doesn’t.
What was the last book you read?
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus was one of my recent reads. I’d never actually thought of cooking as anything related to chemistry before I read this, but now it seems so obvious – and strange not to have thought of it as an intricate science. Anyway, it was a thoroughly enjoyable book and through a unique lens, it highlights some of the many double standards affecting women in the sixties, but that’s only scratching the surface. It has strong and interesting, unconventional characters (including an unexpected and likeable dog), with sharp wit throughout. I’d definitely recommend it - and the Apple TV series!
Do you believe in the power of art to change society?
Definitely. I also believe it will probably always – sadly – be underestimated. Our level of empathy grows through the art we are exposed to, and through hearing those different perspectives. We can’t all live the same lives, but art can show us how different lives are lived. That understanding is what forms the basis of our opinions on so many important political topics in everyday society. Without art, we wouldn’t grow, and society would be stunted in its development. We need ideas to improve, to thrive and to feel free – because it’s not only about how we consume art, but also about having that space to be creative, express your feelings and use your voice, to assert your identity and to feel included in the world - because everyone’s thoughts and emotions are valid. My debut novel Unspeakable Beauty explores this through its protagonist, Violet Hart; a quiet girl who desperately needs to express herself and so ballet becomes her main language. Without dance to depend on, she wonders who she would even be.
Do you have any words of advice for your younger self?
Definitely. It’s probably what I’d tell a lot of young people. Don’t worry so much. Believe people when they say it will all be okay, or you’ll end up making sure it won’t be. And when people judge you, don’t take it to heart because you’re still growing as a person. Also, when it comes to writing, most ideas sound ridiculous until they’re even close to being fully formed, so ignore those inner doubts and just do it anyway.
What does the future hold for you?
Who knows? I mean, I know what I hope for: a few more of my books to be published - all different kinds, but I’ll keep on creating and see what happens… I’d definitely like an agent to represent my work, but only time will tell.
Gary Raymond is a novelist, author, playwright, critic, and broadcaster. In 2012, he co-founded Wales Arts Review, was its editor for ten years. His latest book, Abandon All Hope: A Personal Journey Through the History of Welsh Literature is available for pre-order and is out in May 2024 with Calon Books.