*scroll down for English - English to follow soon*
Oed diddordeb/interest age: 14+ (KS3/4)
Oed darllen/reading age: 14+
Rhybydd cynnwys: Yn ogystal â themâu ac iaith gref a all beri gofid i rai, ceir cyfeiriadau at orbryder, hunananafu ac ymosod corfforol yn y nofel hon.
Content warning: mature themes and language, and reference to some topics that could cause distress for some.
Y gyfres yn gyffredinol
Arloesol. Authentic. Dim ond rhai o’r geiriau dwi’n eu cysylltu â’r prosiect cyffrous yma. Hyd y gwn i, does dim byd o’i fath wedi cael ei wneud yn y Gymraeg, ac mae’n arwain y ffordd ar gyfer sut y dylid cyhoeddi a marchnata llyfrau i bobl ifanc wrth symud ymlaen. Rhaid clodfori’r defnydd o gyfryngau cymdeithasol fel Insta a phlatfformau fel AM i rannu pethau fel rhestrau chwarae sy’n gysylltiedig â’r nofelau, gan fod hyn mor berthnasol i bobl ifanc yn 2021 (dwi’n gwrando ar Adwaith/Fleetwood Mac wrth sgwennu’r adolygiad ’ma).
Babi Elgan Rhys yw’r gyfres, ac mae’n cynnwys 5 nofel unigryw am 5 person ifanc arbennig iawn. Yr hyn sydd wirioneddol yn gyffrous am y gyfres, fodd bynnag, yw bod awduron cyhoeddedig, profiadol wedi cyd-weithio a chyd ysgrifennu’r nofelau gyda phobl ifanc ac awduron newydd y dyfodol. Am syniad da, i gael awduron ifanc Cymru yn meithrin a mentora’r genhedlaeth nesaf o awduron ifanc. Drwy gydweithio yn y fath fodd, ’da ni’n sicrhau bod y straeon yn onest ac yn genuine, gan gyflwyno materion a phrofiadau go iawn mewn ffordd real a chredadwy (yn hytrach na chael awduron yn ysgrifennu am bynciau nad oes ganddynt unrhyw brofiad ohonynt).
Mae’r elfen o gydweithio rhwng yr awduron yn codi’r gwaith i’r lefel nesaf. Rhaid cofio hefyd eu bod wedi llwyddo i wneud hyn o dan amgylchiadau heriol mewn pandemig a dylai hyn fod yn destun balchder i bawb fu ynghlwm â’r prosiect.
Pwy yw’r Pump?
Mae’r gyfres yn dilyn bywydau pum ffrind ym Mlwyddyn 11 yn Ysgol Gyfun Llwyd sy’n rhoi sylw i rai o’r cymhlethdodau sy’n codi wrth fod yn berson ifanc yn yr oes sydd ohoni. Dilynwn hanesion Tim, Tami, Aniq, Robyn a Cat wrth iddyn nhw gwrdd, a dod at ei gilydd i ffurfio criw Y Pump. Dyma grŵp o bobl ifanc sydd wedi cael eu hymylu yn gymdeithasol braidd, gan nad ydynt efallai yn ffitio’r label o beth sy’n cael ei ystyried yn ‘normal’ (mae’n gas gen i’r gair yna!)
Caiff pob cymeriad eu nofel 20,000 o eiriau eu hunain (sy’n seis da ar gyfer nofel yn fy marn i - dim rhy fyr, dim rhy hir). Mae pob nofel yn sefyll yn gadarn ar eu pen eu hunain ond, yn debyg iawn i griw Y Pump, teimlaf fod y gyfres ar ei chryfaf pan maen nhw gyda'i gilydd.
Cymeriadau unigryw ac arbennig yw giang Y Pump, ac mae’r nofelau yn taflu goleuni ar rai o’r materion cyfoes sy’n bwysig i bobl ifanc heddiw, yn ogystal â bod yn ddathliad o’r amrywiaeth sydd i’w weld yng Nghymru fodern yr 21ain ganrif. Er y cyflwynir themâu fel iechyd meddwl, hil, rhywedd ac iselder i enwi ond rhai, llwydda’r nofelau i osgoi bod yn bregethwrol, a phrofiadau’r cymeriadau a’u perthynas gyda’i gilydd sydd wrth wraidd pob un.
Cyflwynir y nofelau ar ffurf y person cyntaf, ac mae’n hynod ddiddorol gweld y byd drwy lygaid y cymeriadau gwahanol, a sut maent yn rhyngweithio gyda’i gilydd. Mae pob cymeriad yn dod a phersbectif a dimensiwn arall i’r pair.
Cofiwch fod clip diddorol ar dudalen AM Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau, lle mae Manon Steffan Ros (mentor creadigol y prosiect) yn cadeirio sgwrs gyda rhai o’r awduron, gan drafod sut ddaeth y syniad i fodolaeth a rhai o’r prosesau cynllunio fu’n rhaid mynd drwyddynt er mwyn sicrhau bod llinyn o gysondeb yn rhedeg drwy bob nofel.
Tim
Dyma nofel gynta’r gyfres, sydd o safbwynt bachgen ifanc o’r enw Tim. Am amryw o resymau, bu’n rhaid i Tim symud ysgol, ac felly mae’n canfod ei hun yn ddisgybl newydd yn Ysgol Gyfun Llwyd. Mae Tim yn fachgen awtistig, ac er bod hyn yn dod â’i heriau ei hun, drwy gwrs y nofel, dechreua Tim sylwi ei fod yn llawer mwy ’na hyn, ac nad yw ei awtistiaeth yn ei ddiffinio. Yn hytrach na’i weld fel ‘problem,’ dechreuai ei weld fel rhywbeth sy’n ychwanegu at ei gymeriad, sy’n rhoi iddo bŵer arbennig i weld y byd drwy lygaid cwbl wahanol.
Gan nad oes gen i brofiad uniongyrchol o hyn, roedd hi’n hynod o ddiddorol gweld y byd mewn ‘lliwiau’ gwahanol, a dwi’n teimlo fod gen i well dealltwriaeth rŵan o safbwynt person fel Tim. Yn wir, roedd ei wedd ddi-flewyn-ar-dafod yn chwa o awyr iach, a dwi’n meddwl y bysa ni’n gallu elwa lot o fynegi ein teimladau yn blaen, yn onest ac yn fwy agored.
Wrth ddarllen am Tim yn trio dysgu sut mae swsio (cusanu), mi gesh i fy atgoffa o rai o brofiadau awkward fy teenage years, ac roedd hi’n gysur i wybod fod pobl eraill yn wynebu’r un pethau. We’ve all been there, math o beth.
Un o’r pethau gorau a chalonogol am nofel Tim, yw ei dwf personol drwy'r nofel. Y mae’n berson gwahanol iawn erbyn y diwedd, gyda grŵp o ffrindiau oes, a llawer o brofiadau newydd dan ei felt. Mae’r Tim yma yn berson sy’n llawer mwy sicr o’i hun, ac o’i le yn y byd, ac yn fachgen sy’n cydnabod ac yn ymfalchïo ynddo’i hun.
Roedd ei berthynas a’i rieni, yn enwedig ei fam, wedi bod dan straen ers peth amser, a theimlaf fod y ddau yn dallt ei gilydd yn llawer gwell erbyn y diwedd ac roedd hyn yn braf i’w weld.
Un o stand out lines y nofel i mi yw “Dwi jyst isie cariad, cariad heb boen”. O, petai hyn ond yn bosib....
Y farn
Yn y nofel gyntaf yma, gwelsom y byd drwy lygaid Tim, wrth iddo gwrdd â’i ffrindiau newydd a ffurfio perthnasau newydd. Cawsom ychydig o wybodaeth am y cymeriadau eraill, ond cafodd hyn ei raeadru’n ofalus – jest digon i wneud i ni fod eisiau darllen mwy amdanyn nhw.
Gobeithio wir y bydd y gwaith hyrwyddo yn sicrhau bod y nofelau’n cyrraedd y gynulleidfa darged, sef pobl ifanc, achos mae yma gyfres gref a modern iawn sy’n werth ei darllen. Byddwn i hefyd yn gobeithio y bydd athrawon uwchradd yn darllen y llyfrau ac yn cyflwyno’r rhain i’w disgyblion.
Llongyfarchiadau i’r awduron i gyd a gydweithiodd ar y gyfres ac a fu mor barod i rannu eu profiadau personol.
The series
Innovative. Authentic. Just a few of the words I associate with this exciting project. As far as I’m aware, nothing of its kind has been done in Welsh before, (which is crazy, ‘cause it’s 2021!) and this paves the way for how books should be published and marketed to young people going forward. The use of social media like Insta and cultural platforms such as AM to share things like playlists associated with the novels is a cracking idea, as it’s fresh and relevant in 2021. (I'm listening to Adwaith/Fleetwood Mac from the Spotify playlist whilst I’m writing this)
The series is Elgan Rhys’ baby, and contains 5 unique novels about 5 very special young people. What’s really exciting about the series, however, is that experienced writers have worked with and co-written the novels with five young people - the writers of the future. What a good idea, to have young Welsh writers nurturing the next generation. By working in such a way, they’ve ensured that the stories are honest and genuine, presenting real issues and experiences in a credible way (rather than having writers write about things they have no experience of).
This element of co-authoring raises the work to the next level IMO and you’ve got to hand it to them; they managed to do all this in the most challenging of circumstances in a pandemic. Everyone involved in this project should be very proud.
Who are Y Pump [the five]?
The series follows the lives of five friends in Year 11 at Ysgol Gyfun Llwyd and addresses some of the complexities that arise in being a young person in this day and age. We follow the stories of Tim, Tami, Aniq, Robyn and Cat as they meet for the first time and join together to form the Five. This is a group of young people who have been somewhat marginalized socially, as they don’t fit the ridiculous label of what is considered ‘normal’ (God, I hate that word!).
The characters get their own 20,000-word novel (which I think is a good length for a novel - not too short, not too long). The novels stand firmly on their own but, much like the gang themselves, the series is strongest when they’re together.
The five are unique and special people, and the novels shed light on some of the contemporary issues that are important to young people today, as well as being a celebration of the diversity that can be seen in modern 21st century Wales. Although themes such as mental health, race, gender, sexuality and depression are presented, the novels avoid being preachy, and it’s the personal experiences of the characters and their relationships with each other that is of real importance.
The novels are presented in first person, and it’s fascinating to see the world through the eyes of the different characters, and how they interact with each other. Each character brings a perspective and another dimension into the mix.
Remember that there’s an interesting clip on the Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau AM page, where Manon Steffan Ros (the project's creative mentor) has a chat with some of the authors, discussing how the idea came to be and some of the processes that they went through to ensure consistency.
Tim
This is the first novel, told from the point of view of a young teenage boy called Tim. For a number of reasons, Tim had to move school, and therefore finds himself a new pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Llwyd. Tim is autistic, and although this brings some challenges, throughout the course of the novel, Tim begins to notice that he’s much more than this, and that his autism does not define him. Instead of seeing it as a 'problem,' he begins to see it how it ‘adds’ to him as a person, and gives him an unique power to see the world through different eyes.
As I don't have direct experience of this, it was extremely enlightening to see the world in its different 'colours', and I feel that I have a better understanding of the world from the perspective of someone like Tim. Indeed, his very direct, matter-of-fact way of speaking was a breath of fresh air, and I think we could all benefit from expressing our feelings more openly and frankly.
Reading about Tim trying to learn how to kiss, I was reminded of my own teenage experiences - it was somewhat comforting to know that other people have faced the same things. We've all beenthere, type of thing.
One of the best things about Tim's novel, is his personal growth throughout. He’s a very different person by the end, with a group of lifelong friends, and many new experiences under his belt. This Tim is someone who’s much more certain of himself, and his place in the world.
His relationships with his parents, especially his mum, had been under pressure for some time, and I think that the two of them had a better understanding of each other by the end.
One of the novel's stand out lines for me is "I just want love, love without pain". Oh, if only this was possible....
The verdict
In this first novel, we saw the world through Tim's eyes, as he met his new friends and formed new relationships. We had smatterings of information about the other characters, but this was carefully given to us – just enough to make us want to read on.
I really hope that the promotional work will ensure that the novels reach their target audience, namely young people, because you have here a very contemporary, edgy series worth reading. I would also hope that teachers will read the books and introduce them to their pupils.
Gwasg/publisher: Y Lolfa
Cyfres/series: Y Pump
Cyhoeddwyd/published: 2021
ISBN: 978-1-80099-061-6
Pris: £5.99 yr un/each
WEDI MWYNHAU TIM?
Darllenwch y nofelau eraill yn y gyfres...
£5.99 yr un NEU
£25 am bocs set o 5
