Tegwen Bruce-Deans

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Tegwen Bruce-Deans
Born (2000-09-16) 16 September 2000 (age 24)
London, England
OccupationWriter
NationalityWelsh
Education Bangor University
Period2023–present
Notable awards

Tegwen Bruce-Deans (born 16 September 2000) is a Welsh writer writing primarily in Cymraeg. She is one of only two people to have won both the Urdd Eisteddfod Crown and Chair. [1]

Contents

Early life and education

Bruce-Deans was born in London, England, on 16 September 2000 and moved to the Welsh town of Llandrindod Wells when she was two years old. [2] Born into an English-speaking family who lived in the Lewisham area of London, she learnt Welsh after moving to Wales and being enrolled in Welsh-medium education by her parents. [3] [4] Bruce-Deans attended Cylch Meithin Llandrindod, Ysgol Trefonnen and Builth Wells High School, and graduated from Bangor University in 2022. [5] [6] Her dissertation at Bangor focused on the Welsh literary canon's underrepresentation of women writers. [4]

Career

In 2023, Bruce-Deans published Gwawrio, a collection of poems that explore themes such as feminism, self-love and modern life in Wales. The collection was her first solo publication, and was released as part of publisher Cyhoeddiaday Barddas' Tonfedd Heddiw series celebrating new voices in Welsh poetry. [4]

Under the pen name 'Gwawr', Bruce-Deans won the Chair (awarded for poetry) at the Urdd Eisteddfod held in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, in 2023. Her winning poetry sequence was titled 'Rhwng Dau Le' ('Between Two Places'), and was on the theme of 'river'. [7] [8] The following year, she was awarded the Crown (for prose) at the Urdd Eisteddfod held in Meifod, Powys. [1] Her crowning in 2024 made her only the second ever person to achieve the 'double win' of Crown and Chair at an Urdd Eisteddfod (the first being Iestyn Tyne for his wins in 2016 and 2019). [9]

Bruce-Deans cites writers Mererid Hopwood and Ocean Vuong as inspirations for her work. [4] [2] In 2024, she was one of five poets chosen to take part in the inaugural Pencerdd programme, which offers an opportunity to develop work in the ancient tradition of cynganeddu. [10]

Personal life

Alongside her writing, Bruce-Deans works as a researcher at BBC Radio Cymru. [8] She currently lives in Bangor. [6]

Bibliography

References

  1. 1 2 "Young Powys poet's amazing achievement as she becomes second-ever double winner". County Times. 2024-05-31. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  2. 1 2 "Ateb y Galw: Tegwen Bruce-Deans". BBC Cymru Fyw (in Welsh). 2023-06-05. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  3. ↑ "Competitors shine at Llanwrtyd Eisteddfod". Brecon & Radnor Express. 2023-10-13. Archived from the original on 2024-06-20. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  4. 1 2 3 4 ""I Still Get Imposter Syndrome When People Ask me How it Feels" Tegwen Bruce-Deans on Winning Big in Wales - Klat". 2024-08-13. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  5. ↑ "Past Powys pupil achieves 'double win' at Urdd Eisteddfod". Powys County Council. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  6. 1 2 Price, Stephen (2024-05-31). "Tegwen Bruce-Deans wins Eisteddfod yr Urdd Maldwyn 2024 Main Literary Award". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  7. ↑ "Announcing the names of the poets of the Pencerdd cohort 2024 – 2025". Literature Wales. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  8. 1 2 "Poet Tegwen crowned Chief Bard at Carmarthenshire Urdd Eisteddfod". South Wales Guardian. 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  9. ↑ Crump, Eryl (2019-05-31). "Gwynedd poet first to 'win the double' at the Urdd Eisteddfod". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
  10. ↑ "Announcing the names of the poets of the Pencerdd cohort 2024 – 2025". Literature Wales. Retrieved 2025-03-02.
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