BOOK GALLERY

Explore the captivating world of Myrna Combellack's literature. Here, you can browse through the stunning covers of her books, read excerpts, and discover the stories behind each title. Click on any book to learn more about its themes and characters, and immerse yourself in Myrna's literary universe.

Shorter Works & Archive

An Archive of Shorter Works: Poetry, Fiction, and Cultural Studies
Beyond her novels and definitive book-length translations, Dr Myrna Combellack has spent decades contributing to the cultural fabric of Cornwall and the wider academic world. This archive collects her shorter fiction, celebrated regional poetry, and groundbreaking peer-reviewed research papers exploring the preservation of the Cornish language, local history, and the arts.

Poetry & Broadcast Verse

These works highlights Myrna's creative lyricism, featuring pieces that caught the attention of BBC Radio 3 and legendary local poetry hubs like Peter Redgrove's Falmouth Poetry Group.

“Leeds, a Poem” (Cycle) — Broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 1975.
“Bella” — Published in European Judaism, no. 1, 1975.
“Lines from Jan, Itinerant Carrier, AD 1150” — Published in Bridge (Journal of the Falmouth Poetry Group, founded by Peter Redgrove), no. 2, 1979.
“Meditations upon Vogue House” — Published in Kevren, no. 42, December 1985.
“Crematorium” — Published in The Cornish Review, no. 27, Winter 1974.

Collected Short Stories

These early short stories showcase the foundation of Myrna's narrative voice, blending sharp observations of human nature with intellectual wit across international literary journals.

“Niobe’s Tears” — Published in The New Quarterly Cave (New Zealand), vol. 2, no. 4, 1977. (Later re-published alongside her novella, The Mistress of Grammar).
“Family” — Published in South West Review, no. 2, 1977.
“Primum Inter Pares” — Published in Pacific Quarterly, vol. 5, no. 2, April 1980.

Celtic Studies & The Cornish Language

As an academic at the forefront of the regional language revival, these peer-reviewed papers trace the modern evolution, history, and bilingual potential of Unified Cornish.

“Twelve Years’ Progress in Unified Cornish, 1967 – 1979” — Cornish Studies 6, 1979.
“Cornish Bi-lingualism in the Coming Decades” — Contact (Journal of the Council of Europe’s Bureau of Lesser-Used Languages), vol. 5, no. 3, Winter 1988/9.
“Cornish Reconjured or the Language that Wouldn’t Stay Dead” — Pacific Quarterly Moana, vol. 5, no. 4, October 1980.
“Cornish Reconjured: A Study in Literary Genesis” — Studia Celtica Japonica (Japan), no. 13/14, 1978/9.
“A Scholar’s Prayer” (Unified Cornish Edition) — Features tailored notes for the local journal An Baner Kernewek, vol. 2, no. 4, September 1978.
“A Scholar’s Prayer” (English Translation) — Anthology feature in British Poetry: A Short Anthology, Pacific Quarterly, vol. 3, no. 4, October 1978.

Essays in Medieval & Local History

Dr Combellack’s close textual analysis of early manuscripts, including the iconic Beunans Meriasek, alongside practical guides written specifically for local teachers and historians.

“Doctoring and Disease in Medieval Cornwall: Exegetical notes on passages in Beunans Meriasek” (with Frank Turk) — Cornish Studies 4/5, 1976/7.
“Towards an Understanding of Cornish Culture” — An Baner Kernewek, no. 44, May 1986.
“A Short Guide to Local Studies for Teachers” — Schools Newsletter (2nd ed.), Cornwall County Council, Autumn 1986.
“Cornish Studies for Schools” (Compilation & Introduction) — Published jointly by Cornwall County Council and the University of Exeter, 1987.
“Interested in Local History?” — Carharrack Parish News, no. 5, December 1986.

Arts, Music, & Cultural Policy Reports

A reflection of her active role steering the creative economy of the South West, documenting how the arts interact with regional economics and music composition.

“Composition and Culture in Cornwall” — Kevren, no. 44, Haf 1986.
“The Roots of Composition in Cornwall” — Cornish Scene, vol. 2, no. 2, Aug/Sept 1986.
“Musicians and Writers in Cornwall” — Published in The Economic Influences of the Arts and Crafts in Cornwall (Official Report), Cornwall County Council and South West Arts, 1986.
The Literature Reports — Feature essays written for the South West Arts Annual Report and Accounts (Three volumes: 1978/79; 1979/80; 1980/81).

Poetry & Broadcast Verse

These works highlights Myrna's creative lyricism, featuring pieces that caught the attention of BBC Radio 3 and legendary local poetry hubs like Peter Redgrove's Falmouth Poetry Group.

“Leeds, a Poem” (Cycle) — Broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 1975.
“Bella” — Published in European Judaism, no. 1, 1975.
“Lines from Jan, Itinerant Carrier, AD 1150” — Published in Bridge (Journal of the Falmouth Poetry Group, founded by Peter Redgrove), no. 2, 1979.
“Meditations upon Vogue House” — Published in Kevren, no. 42, December 1985.
“Crematorium” — Published in The Cornish Review, no. 27, Winter 1974.

Rare Transcribed & Performance Works

A peek into the vault—showcasing unique musical collaborations and intriguing, unfinished literary translations.

“A Scholar’s Prayer” (Choral Arrangement) — Unprinted Performance Work. A song composed with Jean Yeandell. Notably performed as a test piece for the prestigious Choirboy of the Year contest (Bristol, 1988) and the Cornish Eisteddfod (May 1989).
The Mystery of Pleasance Cove — Incomplete Translation Work. Dr Combellack’s English translation of the French novel Le Mystère de Plaisaince Cove by Royce Kendall, prepared for Presses des Oeuvres Littéraires.

BOOK GALLERY

Shorter Works & Archive

Poetry & Broadcast Verse

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