Fflur Dafydd

Last updated
Fflur Dafydd photographed in Montreal, Quebec , Canada in the Botanical Gardens. Fflur Dafydd au festival Metropolis Bleu 2022.jpg
Fflur Dafydd photographed in Montréal, Québec , Canada in the Botanical Gardens.

Fflur Dafydd (born 1 August 1978) is a Welsh novelist, singer-songwriter and musician. Though mainly publishing in Welsh, she also writes in English. She contributes regularly in Welsh to Radio Cymru. [1]

Contents

Early life

Dafydd is the daughter of Welsh poet Menna Elfyn and a cousin of BBC broadcaster Bethan Elfyn. She grew up in Llandysul, a Welsh-speaking community, and although she received the majority of her education in Welsh, she chose to study English in higher education. She graduated in English from Aberystwyth University. While she was there she first came to prominence as a student in 1999, by winning the Literature Medal at the Urdd National Eisteddfod at Lampeter. This success led to the publication of Y Gwir Am Gelwydd (The Truth About Lies), a collection of 12 poems and five short stories.

After graduating from Aberystwyth, she gained an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia in 2000, [2] followed by a PhD on the poetry of R. S. Thomas from Bangor University in 2001.

Writer

Dafydd has written for stage, screen and radio, and her wide repertoire includes short fiction, journalism, lecturing, songwriting, screenwriting, poetry, novels, plays and films.

She was nominated for a D.M. Davies award at the Cardiff International Film Festival for her short film "Bathtime" (2002). [3]

In 2005 her first novel Lliwiau Liw Nos (Colours by Night) was published and shortlisted for the Prose Medal. It was followed in 2006 by her second novel Atyniad (Attraction), which won the Prose Medal at the National Eisteddfod in Swansea. [4]

In 2005 she was selected for the Scritture Giovani project for emerging European writers. She has also undertaken literary residencies in Helsinki (2006) and on Bardsey Island (2002). [5]

In 2008 she published her first English-language novel, Twenty Thousand Saints, inspired by six weeks as a writer-in-residence on Bardsey in 2002. On her choice of language, she said, "It started out as a translation of a Welsh-language novel, and after about a year or so, I decided that it really wasn't working – so I decided to start from scratch with a completely different story." This work won for her the Oxfam Hay Award. [6] [7]

In 2009 she won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for her novel Y Llyfrgell (The Library). [8] In the same year, she took part in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. The novel was adapted by Dafydd herself into a 2016 film, directed by Euros Lyn.

She publishes regularly in publications that include New Welsh Review, Welsh Writing in English Yearbook, Barn, Golwg and Planet. For some years Dafydd has edited the periodical Tu Chwith. Dafydd was also a television columnist for the Western Mail . She taught film theory and scriptwriting at the University of Aberystwyth and Trinity College, Carmarthen. Her scriptwriting has included work on the popular S4C soap opera Pobol y Cwm .

Bibliography

Fiction

  • "The White Trail" (Seren, 2011)
  • "Awr y Locustiaid" ("The Hour of the Locusts") (Y Lolfa, 2010)
  • "Twenty Thousands Saints" (Alcemi, 2008)
  • "Atyniad" (Attraction) (Y Lolfa, 2006)
  • "Lliwiau Liw Nos" (Evening Colours) (Y Lolfa, 2005)
  • "Elsewhere" (Scritture Giovani, 2005)
  • "Ffordd o Fyw" (A Way of Living) not yet published
  • "Heb Glustiau" (Without Ears) not yet published

Scripts

  • Parch (Rev) (2015-2018), TV drama series on S4C
  • Y Llyfrgell (The Library Murders) (2016), feature film
  • Diwrnod Dwynwen (Dwynwen's Day) (2003), written with others
  • Helfa Drysor (Treasure Hunt), (2006)
  • Brewys (unpublished play, performed at Chapter Arts, 2005)
  • Hugo (Sgript Cymru, 2003)

Poetry

  • "Fruit" (New Welsh Review, 2004)
  • "Enlli" (Tu Chwith, 2003)

Short Films & Animation

  • "Women of Mumbles Head" (Screen Gems, 2005)
  • "Martha Melys Gacwn a Capten Pigfain" (Cwmni Da, S4C, 2004)
  • "Clic" (Opus, S4C, 2003)
  • "Bathtime" (Cyfle & Sgrin 2002)

Articles

  • "Welsh Icons" (2007)
  • "This is I; there is nothing else": a comparative study of R.S. Thomas and Hugh MacDiarmid, Welsh Writing in English Yearbook (2006)

Musician

Dafydd described her sound as "a fusion of blues, soul and pop". [9]

She has released five albums to date:

As a singer-songwriter Dafydd has performed in many countries, and has been performing regularly in literary and music festivals and events throughout Wales, including larger events such as the National Eisteddfod and the Faenol Festival. [10]

Discography

Albums

Pethau Rhyfedd

  • 1. Annioddefol
  • 2. Dyn Tywydd
  • 3. Leicra Lan Lofft
  • 4. Pethau Rhyfedd
  • 5. Pobl Chips/Cân Gwenllian

Coch am weddill fy oes

  • 1. Leni
  • 2. Wardrob Gefn
  • 3. Ar ôl Heddi’
  • 4. Deall i'r Dim
  • 5. Mr Freestyle
  • 6. Byth Mynd i Newid
  • 7. Tu ôl i'r Gwair
  • 8. Sgidie Rhad
  • 9. Y Gwir am Gelwydd
  • 10. '93

Un Ffordd Mas

  • 1. 'Sa Fan 'Na
  • 2. Dala Fe Nôl
  • 3. Mr Bogota
  • 4. Y Gân Go Iawn
  • 5. Pan Oeddwn Fachgen
  • 6. Cocladwdldw
  • 7. Doeth
  • 8. Wedi Mynd
  • 9. Helsinki
  • 10. Y Drwg
  • 11. Tan yr Angladd
  • 12. Un Ffordd Mas

Byd Bach

  • 1. Pobol Bach
  • 2. A47 Dim
  • 3. Caerdydd
  • 4. Penrhiwllan
  • 5. Aberaeron
  • 6. Byd Bach
  • 7. Porthgain
  • 8. Y Llywbrau
  • 9. Abercuawg
  • 10. Yr Ymylon

Ffydd Gobaith Cariad

  • 1. Rhoces
  • 2. Ffydd Gobaith Cariad
  • 3. Ray o'r Mynydd
  • 4. Y ferch sy'n licio'r gaeaf
  • 5. Martha Llwyd
  • 6. Frank a Moira
  • 7. Y Porffor Hwn
  • 8. Brawd Bach
  • 9. Elfyn
  • 10. Rachel Myra

Singles/EPs

Dala Fe Nôl

  • 1. Dala Fe Nôl
  • 2. Doeth
  • 3. Dala Fe Nôl (edit)

Helsinki

  • 1. Helsinki
  • 2. Y Drwg

Caerdydd / Porthgain

  • 1. Caerdydd
  • 2. Porthgain

Related Research Articles

Dafydd ap Gwilym Welsh poet

Dafydd ap Gwilym is regarded as one of the leading Welsh poets and amongst the great poets of Europe in the Middle Ages.

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2006 to Wales and its people.

David James Jones, commonly known by his bardic name Gwenallt, was a Welsh poet, critic, and scholar, and one of the most important figures of 20th-century Welsh-language literature. He created his bardic name by transposing Alltwen, the name of the village across the river from his birthplace.

The Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors. Established in 1992, the awards are currently administered by Literature Wales, and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government and the Welsh Books Council.

Moelona Welsh writer, called Moelona

Moelona was the pen-name of Elizabeth (Lizzie) Mary Jones, a Welsh novelist and translator who wrote novels for children and other works in Welsh.

Elin Fflur Welsh singer-songwriter

Elin Fflur Llewelyn Harvey, known professionally as Elin Fflur, is a Welsh singer-songwriter, television and radio presenter.

Menna Elfyn FLSW is a Welsh poet, playwright, columnist and editor writing in Welsh. She has been widely commended and translated. She was imprisoned for her campaigning as a Welsh-language activist.

The Tir na n-Og Awards are a set of annual children's literary awards in Wales from 1976. They are presented by the Books Council of Wales to the best books published during the preceding calendar year in each of three awards categories, one English-language and two Welsh-language. Their purpose is "[to raise] the standard of children's and young people's books and to encourage the buying and reading of good books." There is no restriction to fiction or prose. Each prize is £1,000.

Gwyneth Glyn Welsh poet and musician

Gwyneth Glyn is a Welsh language poet and musician.

Llwyd Owen is a Welsh-language fiction author born in Cardiff in 1977. He lives in Cardiff with his wife and daughters and works as a translator when not writing fiction. As well as publishing six acclaimed Welsh language novels and one English language adaptation, he is also a published poet and photographer who presented his own television documentary on S4C on the Cardiff art scene in 2008.

Grahame Davies LVO is a poet, author, editor, librettist, literary critic and former journalist. He was brought up in the former coal mining village of Coedpoeth near Wrexham in north east Wales.

Angharad Tomos Welsh author and activist, born 1958

Angharad Tomos is a Welsh author and prominent language activist. She is a recipient of the Tir na n-Og Award.

Stwnsh Welsh childrens television strand

Stwnsh is a strand of Welsh-language children's television programming, aimed at children between the ages of seven and thirteen. Stwnsh was launched on Monday 26 April 2010, replacing the former Welsh-language children's strand, Planed Plant. Stwnsh is broadcast on the Welsh-language television channel S4C every weekday, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, and on Saturdays from 9:00am to 11:00am.

Manon Steffan Ros

Manon Steffan Ros is a Welsh novelist, playwright, games author, scriptwriter and musician. She is the author of over twenty children's books and three novels for adults, all in Welsh. Her award-winning novel Blasu has been translated into English, under the title of The Seasoning. In May 2021 she was described as "arguably the most successful novelist writing in Welsh at the moment".

Catrin Dafydd Welsh author

Catrin Dafydd is a Welsh author, scriptwriter and poet, who was awarded the Crown at the 2018 National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Guto Dafydd is a Welsh poet and novelist, who writes in the Welsh language. He has twice won the Crown at the National Eisteddfod of Wales and is twice winner of the Daniel Owen Prize for a novel.

Lleucu Roberts is a Welsh author.

Caryl Lewis is a Welsh novelist. She won the Wales Book of the Year in 2005 with her novel Martha Jac a Sianco, which was adapted into a film in 2008.

Meg Ann Elis, also known as Marged Dafydd or Margaret Dafydd, is a Welsh writer, translator and language activist. She stood unsuccessfully as a Plaid Cymru candidate for the Delyn constituency in the National Assembly for Wales election in 1999 and again in 2007.

Rhiannon Ifans is a Welsh academic specialising in English, Medieval and Welsh literature. She was an Anthony Dyson Fellow at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, in University of Wales Trinity St. David. She twice won a Tir na-n-Og prize for her work and won the literary medal competition at the Welsh Eisteddfod, for her 2019 debut novel, Ingrid, which was chosen for the Welsh Literature Exchange Bookshelf. In 2020, Ifans was elected as Fellow the Learned Society of Wales.

References

  1. "Hopkins and Whittaker on Bafta Cymru shortlist". BBC News . 5 September 2019.
  2. "Alumni D–F". Archived from the original on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  3. "Swansea University staff page". Archived from the original on 19 July 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  4. "BBC Arlein – Newyddion – Medal ryddiaith i Fflur" . Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  5. AM Heath, Authors' Agents site [ permanent dead link ]
  6. "Hay Award website". Archived from the original on 3 June 2009. Retrieved 28 May 2009.
  7. "Singer-songwriter wins book prize". BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  8. "BBC Arlein – Newyddion – 'Dewin llenyddol' yn ennill medal" . Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  9. Book Depository. "Book Depository: Millions of books with free delivery worldwide" . Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  10. "Bryn Terfel's Faenol (Vaynol) Festival 2007". Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2016.