Menna ElfynFRSLFLSW (born 1952) is a Welsh poet, playwright, columnist, and editor who writes in Welsh. She has been widely commended and translated. She was imprisoned for her campaigning as a Welsh-language activist.[1]
During the 1970s and 1980s, Menna Elfyn was a member and sometime official of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg. She was twice imprisoned for acts of civil disobedience.[2] She described the ordeal of being forced to speak in the English language to her parents when they visited her in prison.[1]
Elfyn has published ten volumes of poetry and a dozen more of children's books and anthologies. She has also written eight plays for the stage, six radio plays for the BBC, and two plays and several documentaries for television. She co-edited The Bloodaxe Book of Modern Welsh Poetry with John Rowlands, which won a Poetry Book Society recommendation.[3] She has won numerous prizes for her work, including a Creative Arts prize to write a book on sleep (Cwsg: am dro yn ôl).
When Elfyn issued her bilingual selected poems Eucalyptus, (Gwasg Gomer, 1995), Tony Conran described her as "the first Welsh poet in 1500 years to have her work known outside Wales." He gave similar praise to her second bilingual volume, Cell Angel (1996).[4]
Her work has been translated into 18 languages, including Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Lithuanian. She was Writing Director of the Masters Programme in Creative Writing at Trinity University College, Carmarthen, and a Literary Fellow at Swansea University.[5][6]
Cwsg: am dro yn ôl (illustrated by Sarah Williams) (Gomer Press, 2019)
Other works
Red Lady of Paviland A project with composer Andrew Powell, Musical Director Craig Roberts and the Burry Port Town Band, the centrepiece of which will be Menna and Andrew's new work 'Y Dyn Unig' (The Lonely Man).
Menna Elfyn (ed.) Cyfrinachau by Eluned Phillips (Honno, 2021)
Awards
Major Prize for Volume of Poetry (Stafelloedd Aros), Wrexham National Eisteddfod. (1977)
Member of the Gorsedd for contribution to Welsh Literature. (1995)
Poet Laureate for the Children of Wales (2002)
Creative Wales Award (2008)
Anima Istranza Foreign Prize for Poetry (2009)
Arts Council Prize for 'Aderyn Bach mewn Llaw'
Longlisted for book of the year, ' Cusan Dyn Dall/ Blind Man's Kiss
menna, elfyn, frsl, flsw, born, 1952, welsh, poet, playwright, columnist, editor, writes, welsh, been, widely, commended, translated, imprisoned, campaigning, welsh, language, activist, frslborn1952, nationalitywelshgenrepoetry, contents, background, published. Menna Elfyn FRSL FLSW born 1952 is a Welsh poet playwright columnist and editor who writes in Welsh She has been widely commended and translated She was imprisoned for her campaigning as a Welsh language activist 1 Menna ElfynFRSLBorn1952 age 70 71 NationalityWelshGenrepoetry Contents 1 Background 2 Published works 2 1 Poetry 2 2 Prose 3 Other works 4 Awards 5 References 6 External linksBackground EditDuring the 1970s and 1980s Menna Elfyn was a member and sometime official of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg She was twice imprisoned for acts of civil disobedience 2 She described the ordeal of being forced to speak in the English language to her parents when they visited her in prison 1 Elfyn has published ten volumes of poetry and a dozen more of children s books and anthologies She has also written eight plays for the stage six radio plays for the BBC and two plays and several documentaries for television She co edited The Bloodaxe Book of Modern Welsh Poetry with John Rowlands which won a Poetry Book Society recommendation 3 She has won numerous prizes for her work including a Creative Arts prize to write a book on sleep Cwsg am dro yn ol When Elfyn issued her bilingual selected poems Eucalyptus Gwasg Gomer 1995 Tony Conran described her as the first Welsh poet in 1500 years to have her work known outside Wales He gave similar praise to her second bilingual volume Cell Angel 1996 4 Her work has been translated into 18 languages including Italian Spanish Portuguese and Lithuanian She was Writing Director of the Masters Programme in Creative Writing at Trinity University College Carmarthen and a Literary Fellow at Swansea University 5 6 Elfyn lives in Llandysul Her daughter Fflur Dafydd is a writer and musician Published works EditPoetry Edit Mwyara Gwasg Gomer 1976 ISBN 978 0 85088 369 5 OCLC 877136990 Stafelloedd Aros Gwasg Gomer 1978 ISBN 978 0 85088 690 0 OCLC 877138151 Tro r Haul Arno Gwasg Gomer 1981 ISBN 978 0 85088 797 6 OCLC 16591556 Mynd Lawr i r Nefoedd Gwasg Gomer 1985 ISBN 978 0 86383 275 8 OCLC 14904018 Aderyn Bach Mewn Llaw cerddi 1976 90 Gwasg Gomer 1990 ISBN 978 0 86383 667 1 OCLC 831354680 Eucalyptus Gwasg Gomer 1995 Cell Angel Bloodaxe Books 1996 Cusan Dyn Dall Blind Man s Kiss Bloodaxe Books 2001 Perffaith Nam Gwasg Gomer 2005 ISBN 978 1 84323 456 2 OCLC 59352065 Perffaith Nam Perfect Blemish Bloodaxe Books 2007 ISBN 978 1 85224 779 9 OCLC 255911683 Er dy fod Gwasg Gomer 2007 book for learners learning a language Merch Perygl Cerddi 1976 2011 Gomer Press 2011 Murmur Bloodaxe 2012 Bondo Bloodaxe 2017 Edited with John Rowlands The Bloodaxe Book of Modern Welsh Poetry Bloodaxe 2003 Prose Edit Optimist Absoliwt Cofiant Eluned Phillips biography of Eluned Phillips Gomer Press 2016 Cwsg am dro yn ol illustrated by Sarah Williams Gomer Press 2019 Other works EditRed Lady of Paviland A project with composer Andrew Powell Musical Director Craig Roberts and the Burry Port Town Band the centrepiece of which will be Menna and Andrew s new work Y Dyn Unig The Lonely Man Menna Elfyn ed Cyfrinachau by Eluned Phillips Honno 2021 Awards EditMajor Prize for Volume of Poetry Stafelloedd Aros Wrexham National Eisteddfod 1977 Member of the Gorsedd for contribution to Welsh Literature 1995 Poet Laureate for the Children of Wales 2002 Creative Wales Award 2008 Anima Istranza Foreign Prize for Poetry 2009 Arts Council Prize for Aderyn Bach mewn Llaw Longlisted for book of the year Cusan Dyn Dall Blind Man s KissMenna Elfyn became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2015 7 References Edit a b John Briggs 2012 25 25 Vision Welsh Horizons Across 50 Years Institute of Welsh Affairs p 18 ISBN 978 1 904773 65 8 Menna Elfyn Poetry International Archives 11 November 2020 Retrieved 11 March 2021 Bloodaxe Books Retrieved 8 August 2017 Poetry International Rotterdam Retrieved 23 April 2017 British Council Retrieved 23 April 2017 University of Wales Trinity St David Retrieved 23 April 2017 Royal Society of Literature Current RSL Fellows Archived from the original on 1 March 2015 External links EditMenna Elfyn Website Menna Elfyn Profile at BBC Wales Menna Elfyn Profile at British Council Menna Elfyn Profile at Bloodaxe Books Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Menna Elfyn amp oldid 1127388705, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
