Gwyn Thomas (6 July 1913 – 13 April 1981) was a Welsh writer, dramatist, Punch-columnist, radio broadcaster and raconteur, who has been called "the true voice of the English-speaking valleys".[1][by whom?]
Gwyn Thomas
Born
(1913-07-06)6 July 1913 Cymmer, Porth, Rhondda Valley
Gwyn Thomas was born in Cymmer, Porth in the Rhondda Valley, the youngest of 12 children, to coalminer Walter Morgan Thomas and his wife. His mother died when he was aged six, and he was consequently brought up by his sister, often with handouts from the local soup kitchen.[2]
After winning a scholarship, Thomas studied Spanish at the University of Oxford. Plagued by mysterious health problems, terribly poor and depressed, it was only after spending a summer and a term at the end of his second year at Complutense University of Madrid, thanks to a miners' scholarship, that he decided to complete his studies. Thomas was diagnosed at the age of 23 with a previously undetected thyroid malfunction that had been poisoning him for years, which was operated on to prevent his death.[3]
CareerEdit
On graduation, and wanting to be a writer, Thomas struggled to establish himself during the 1930s depression. He took on part-time lecturing jobs across England, while trying to get his novel Sorrow For Thy Sons published.[2]
He married his childhood friend Eiluned (Lyn) Thomas in Pontypridd Register Office on 5 January 1938. Failing to pass the British Army medical at the outbreak of World War II thanks to 20 years of smoking, he returned to Wales in 1940 and taught at the WEA. He then became a schoolteacher, first teaching French in Cardigan, and then Spanish and French at Barry Grammar School for 20 years.[4]
Approached in 1951 by a BBC Radio Wales producer to write for the radio, he returned to his childhood memories of 1920s South Wales to create the radio play Gazuka!, a celebration of a bizarre musical instrument.[5]
A prolific novelist and short-story writer, he became a regular on chat shows such as The Brains Trust, and after 20 years of teaching in 1962 he became a full-time writer and broadcaster, retiring with his wife to Peterston-super-Ely.
However, due to a combination of diabetes, heavy drinking and smoking, his health began to fail in the late 1960s. In 1981 Thomas collapsed and was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, where he died on 13 April, shortly before his 68th birthday.[2]
MemorialEdit
In 1993 Sir Anthony Hopkins portrayed Thomas in a BBC Wales television production, "Selected Exits", adapted by Alan Plater and based on his memoir A Few Selected Exits. Later that year Hopkins unveiled a bronze bust of Thomas in the foyer of the New Theatre, Cardiff, where he spoke about his personal experience of knowing the author, who had been a family friend. Thomas was further commemorated at an event in Memorial Hall, Barry on Saturday 21 November 2009, when Pride in Barry announced it was placing a Blue Plaque on the Old College Inn, Barry, where his old school classrooms used to be.
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Gwyn Thomas 6 July 1913 13 April 1981 was a Welsh writer dramatist Punch columnist radio broadcaster and raconteur who has been called the true voice of the English speaking valleys 1 by whom Gwyn ThomasBorn 1913 07 06 6 July 1913Cymmer Porth Rhondda ValleyDied13 April 1981 1981 04 13 aged 67 University Hospital of Wales CardiffOccupationSchool teacherNationalityWelshAlma materUniversity of Oxford University of MadridPeriod1930s 1970sGenreShort stories Radio plays Novels PlaysSpouseLyn nee Williams Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Memorial 4 Works 4 1 Novels 4 2 Short stories 4 3 Plays 4 4 Misc 5 Further reading 6 See also 7 References 8 External linksEarly life EditGwyn Thomas was born in Cymmer Porth in the Rhondda Valley the youngest of 12 children to coalminer Walter Morgan Thomas and his wife His mother died when he was aged six and he was consequently brought up by his sister often with handouts from the local soup kitchen 2 After winning a scholarship Thomas studied Spanish at the University of Oxford Plagued by mysterious health problems terribly poor and depressed it was only after spending a summer and a term at the end of his second year at Complutense University of Madrid thanks to a miners scholarship that he decided to complete his studies Thomas was diagnosed at the age of 23 with a previously undetected thyroid malfunction that had been poisoning him for years which was operated on to prevent his death 3 Career EditOn graduation and wanting to be a writer Thomas struggled to establish himself during the 1930s depression He took on part time lecturing jobs across England while trying to get his novel Sorrow For Thy Sons published 2 He married his childhood friend Eiluned Lyn Thomas in Pontypridd Register Office on 5 January 1938 Failing to pass the British Army medical at the outbreak of World War II thanks to 20 years of smoking he returned to Wales in 1940 and taught at the WEA He then became a schoolteacher first teaching French in Cardigan and then Spanish and French at Barry Grammar School for 20 years 4 Approached in 1951 by a BBC Radio Wales producer to write for the radio he returned to his childhood memories of 1920s South Wales to create the radio play Gazuka a celebration of a bizarre musical instrument 5 A prolific novelist and short story writer he became a regular on chat shows such as The Brains Trust and after 20 years of teaching in 1962 he became a full time writer and broadcaster retiring with his wife to Peterston super Ely However due to a combination of diabetes heavy drinking and smoking his health began to fail in the late 1960s In 1981 Thomas collapsed and was taken to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff where he died on 13 April shortly before his 68th birthday 2 Memorial EditIn 1993 Sir Anthony Hopkins portrayed Thomas in a BBC Wales television production Selected Exits adapted by Alan Plater and based on his memoir A Few Selected Exits Later that year Hopkins unveiled a bronze bust of Thomas in the foyer of the New Theatre Cardiff where he spoke about his personal experience of knowing the author who had been a family friend Thomas was further commemorated at an event in Memorial Hall Barry on Saturday 21 November 2009 when Pride in Barry announced it was placing a Blue Plaque on the Old College Inn Barry where his old school classrooms used to be In 2013 at the centenary of his birth he was compared with Kingsley Amis and Evelyn Waugh 6 Works EditNovels Edit The Dark Philosophers 1946 new edition 2005 7 The Alone to The Alone 1947 new edition 2008 8 All Things Betray Thee 1949 new edition 1986 The World Cannot Hear You 1951 Now Lead Us Home 1951 A Frost on My Frolic 1953 The Stranger at My Side 1954 A Point of Order 1956 The Love Man 1958 Sorrow For Thy Sons 1986 written 1936 The Thinker and the Thrush 1988 written 1949 Short stories Edit Where Did I Put My Pity 1946 Gazooka and Other Stories 1957 Ring Delirium 123 1960 A Welsh Eye 1964 with drawings by John Dd Evans new edition 1984 The Lust Lobby 1971 The Sky of our Lives 1972 Selected Short Stories 1984 new editions 1988 1995 Meadow Prospect Revisited 1992 Plays Edit The Keep 1962 Sap 1974 The Breakers 1976 Three Plays 1990 The Keep Loud Organs Jackie The Jumper Misc Edit A Hatful of Humours 1965 essays A Few Selected Exits 1968 autobiography new editions 1985 1993 High on Hope 1985 journalism Further reading EditParnell M 1997 Laughter from the Dark A Life of Gwyn Thomas Seren Books Poetry Wales Pr Ltd ISBN 978 1854111463 Leeworthy D 2022 Fury of Past Time A Life of Gwyn Thomas Parthian Books ISBN 978 1914595196See also EditOxford Book of Welsh Verse in English Welsh LiteratureReferences Edit New Theatre Cardiff Live Entertainment a b c Gwyn Thomas BBC Wales Archived from the original on 6 August 2010 Retrieved 16 August 2010 The Dark Philosopher LibraryOfWales org Retrieved 16 August 2010 Davies John Jenkins Nigel 2008 The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales Cardiff University of Wales Press p 863 ISBN 978 0 7083 1953 6 https www valeofglamorgan gov uk Documents Enjoying Visit 20the 20Vale Ambassador Pack Arts amp Crafts pdf bare URL PDF Thomas Huw 6 July 2013 Gwyn Thomas Centenary of Rhondda writer s birth BBC News BBC Retrieved 16 December 2015 Gower Jon 12 October 2012 The Dark Philosophers Novel by Gwyn Thomas Wales Arts Review Retrieved 24 June 2021 Gower Jon 26 June 2013 Books The Alone to the Alone by Gwyn Thomas Wales Arts Review External links EditBBC Wales on his life Thomas s comments after meeting Jacob Bronowski Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gwyn Thomas novelist amp oldid 1110063538, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
