Untitled - Literature Wales

The Welsh AcademyAnnual Report21National PoetIn April 2008, Gillian Clarke was appointedthe third National Poet of Wales, followingGwyn Thomas’s time in the post. She waswelcomed at hand-over events at CapelMoreia, Llanystumdwy, and at the NationalMuseum of Wales, Cardiff. As expected,Gillian’s appointment created a large amountof interest in the post both inside Wales andbeyond. Her reputation and stature as one ofBritain’s greatest living poets has significantlyenhanced the National Poet profile.As an English-language writer, GillianClarke worked with fellow poet MennaElfyn to translate into Welsh several of herfirst year commissioned works. Her officialevents included a bilingual evening heldin her home village, Talgarreg, with Welshlanguagepoets Dic Jones, Eurig Salisbury,Elin ap Hywel and Menna Elfyn translatingand discussing her work. Gillian later visitedGlasgow to read and discuss her work androle with writers Michael Schmidt andRobert Crawford.During the winter Gillian took part in theextraordinarily successful Poetry Live tour,in which she read to more than 100,000GCSE students right across Britain. Forthe first time in many years, Poetry Livecame to Wales, with a packed crowd ofyoung people enjoying a day of poetry atthe Wales Millennium Centre. Poetry Livecompleted its winter tour in Dubai in March2009 with a reading to 900 mainly Britishand Indian students. Other National Poetevents included readings at St James’sPalace, Merthyr Tydfil, Pontardawe, YsgolDyffryn Teifi, the Chichester Festival, CanolfanPenrhys, the Segovia Festival, the Senedd,and many more. Gillian was commissionedto write poems for Castell y Bere, the BevanFoundation, the Arts Council of Wales’strategic plan, Theatr Arad Goch’s newbuilding, labels for a new spring water,a public sculpture in Barry, Ynys Saffwomen’s refuge, the Senedd’s ChristmasCarol, Eisteddfod yr Urdd, the Royal Instituteof British Architects and the Inauguration ofBarack Obama. Gillian’s first year as NationalPoet certainly took literature and Walesto the world.Competitions& AwardsIn June the results of the 2008 AcademiCardiff International Poetry Competitionwere revealed at a floating ceremonyaboard cruise vessel Seren Y Bae. Rose Flintfrom Wiltshire sailed away with the first prizeof £5000 for her poem The Field. Judges wereJo Shapcott and U A Fanthorpe. Second prizewent to Cardiff poet Anna Wigley and ElaineGaston, from County Antrim, came in third.The winners were announced by NationalPoet of Wales Gillian Clarke. The five runnersupwere: Sue Butler from Hertfordshire, MarioPetrucci from Middlesex, Kathryn Simmondsfrom Hertfordshire, Judy Brown from Londonand Marlene Rosen Fine from New York.With continued financial sponsorship fromCardiff Council the 2009 Academi CardiffInternational Poetry Competition waslaunched in June 2008. The judges wereBarnsley poet and broadcaster Ian McMillanand Texas-based critic Kurt Heinzelman.Poet and lecturer Tiffany Atkinson fromAberystwyth continued in her role asfilter judge.The 2009 Rhys Davies Short Story Competitionwas launched in January 2009 with judgesStevie Davies, Niall Griffiths and Jon Gower.Winners will be announced in late 2009.BBC Radio Wales will record a selectionof the winners for broadcast.Once again Academi worked with Welshlearnersmagazine Lingo Newydd to mounta short story competition. The judge wasCatrin Dafydd. Winner was Malcolm Llywelynfrom Brecon. The announcement was madeat an event at Academi’s stand at theNational Eisteddfod.