Hard Rain - Floods That Changed a Town with Gary Raymond
The Priory, Monmouth, NP25 3NX
Saturday 3rd October 2026
Hard Rain - Floods That Changed a Town
Gather Round: Monmouth Festival of Stories
In November 2025, Monmouth woke to catastrophic flooding that devastated homes, businesses and lives across the town.
Join Gary Raymond, author and presenter of BBC Radio Wales’ Arts Show, as he brings that extraordinary story to life—and explores what the floods revealed about Monmouth, its people and the forces that shaped what happened.
Gary’s deeply personal account of the floods, Hard Rain, will be published by Picador, and this event offers a fascinating insight into the inspiration behind the book, the events of November 2025, and the stories of community, resilience and solidarity that emerged from the disaster.
Gary is also the author of Abandon All Hope: A Personal Journey Through the History of Welsh Literature, How Love Actually Ruined Christmas, and the novels For Those Who Come After, The Golden Orphans and Angels of Cairo.
Gary’s books will be available to buy throughout the festival weekend—so come along, hear the stories, meet the author and take a piece of his work home with you.
Presented as part of Gather Round: Monmouth Festival of Stories.
For more events, visit gather-round.uk
Hosted at The Priory, Priory St, Monmouth NP25 3NX
Gather Round: Monmouth Festival of Stories
In November 2025, Monmouth woke to catastrophic flooding that devastated homes, businesses and lives across the town.
Join Gary Raymond, author and presenter of BBC Radio Wales’ Arts Show, as he brings that extraordinary story to life—and explores what the floods revealed about Monmouth, its people and the forces that shaped what happened.
Gary’s deeply personal account of the floods, Hard Rain, will be published by Picador, and this event offers a fascinating insight into the inspiration behind the book, the events of November 2025, and the stories of community, resilience and solidarity that emerged from the disaster.
Gary is also the author of Abandon All Hope: A Personal Journey Through the History of Welsh Literature, How Love Actually Ruined Christmas, and the novels For Those Who Come After, The Golden Orphans and Angels of Cairo.
Gary’s books will be available to buy throughout the festival weekend—so come along, hear the stories, meet the author and take a piece of his work home with you.
Presented as part of Gather Round: Monmouth Festival of Stories.
For more events, visit gather-round.uk
Hosted at The Priory, Priory St, Monmouth NP25 3NX
