A story set on a Welsh farm

Submitted: 24th February 2025

Cloudless by Rupert Dastur

Surrounded by sheep, with cheese, bread and coffee in a picnic basket and a flask of coffee, Rupert has taken me to a lovely farm to discuss his new book. Care to join?

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

The book!! (c) Rupert Dastur

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

The early inspiration for Cloudless was the parable of the Prodigal Son, which begins in a farm and largely concerns two brothers. When I was thinking about where to set my novel, Llandudno and the surrounding areas was the obvious choice; as children, my brother and I would visit our Nain and Tail who lived in a house not far from the West Shore and, not too far from them, our aunts, uncle and cousins managed a farm.

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

While I’m a big believer in using poetic licence when it comes to fiction, it was also extremely helpful to have a place I knew well to anchor my characters. Llandudno itself is a beautiful seaside town with an outstanding Regency promenade overlooking the sea. I was there again in January this year and the sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking!

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

Sunset (c) Rupert Dastur

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

Two of my favourite spots in the town – both of which feature in Cloudless – are the long pier that stretches out towards the sea, as well as the Great Orme (Y Gogarth). The latter offers extraordinary views of the landscape and is also believed to be the site of the oldest copper mine in Europe!

Great Orme (Y Gogarth). (c) Rupert Dastur

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

It’s a relatively straightforward walk up the main track, but visitors can also take the tramway in the drier months – it’s a more leisurely ascent and allows for an appreciation of the natural greens and blues, as well as the many sheep that roam the hills and – often – roads!

Tudno’s church and cemetery (c) Rupert Dastur

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

Nestled just beneath the peak, you’ll find St. Tudno’s church and cemetery which is the most stunning, awe-inspiring location – I’m amazed it’s not been used in films. The original church (from the 12^th century) is said to have replaced an earlier structure dating back to the 6^th century and was dedicated to St. Tudno – one of King Seithenyn’s sons whose kingdom was submerged by the sea (for his lack of piety, naturally!).

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

I love reading about the history of places and feel like they offer so much potential to enrich a sense of place for the reader. An earlier draft of my novel, I’d included a scene at this church, but for various reasons, including a sense that it was too much an intimate space – my Nain and Taid (and earlier family members) are buried there.

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

Billy Lal (c) Rupert Dastur

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

There are also so many places near Llandudno that hold importance for me and in small ways influenced aspects of the book. For example, Conway Castle – one of Europe’s most extraordinary fortresses that was build in the thirteenth century under King Edward I, led me to consider, more deeply, the complex relationship between Wales and England. The beach at Penmaenmawr – where my bother and I would spend time building enormous castles of our own with the fine, golden sand as the sea swept in – also slips into the novel.

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

Back in town, there’s also Billy Lal which we’d visit with a few pounds in our pockets, sweeping down the aisles with their wonderful toys and nick-nacks. Part of my reason for including these places in the novel was a desire to record the past, to capture a time of my life that was incredibly innocent and special; places hold memory and although they change and we change, there is a deep and beautiful emotional alchemy – a poetry, if you like – that goes on when we engage with spaces we love; in this regard, novels have the potential, like good travel writing, to reveal places emotionally; they create topographies imbued with feeling.

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

More sheep (c) Rupert Dastur

Bookmap of locations in Cloudless

One of the most important places in Cloudless is the farm where John, Catrin and their two boys grow up. I very loosely based this home on my aunt and uncle’s farm – although their own place is some distance from Llandudno itself. Mainly, I was keen to convey the feeling (yes, that word again!) of being in those wide, open spaces and how it feels to be surrounded by these ancient, undulating hills that sit so silent, the vast greens and blues enveloping our brief flickering selves.