A young poet from Powys has become the second person ever to accomplish the “double win” after she was today announced as the winner of the Urdd Eisteddfod crown.
Tegwen Bruce-Deans, from Llandrindod Wells, was announced as this year's main prose writer on the penultimate day of the festival near Meifod on Friday (May 31).
Former Builth Wells High School pupil Tegwen won the chair at the Carmarthenshire Urdd Eisteddfod last year.
Speaking to S4C presenter Alun Williams after the crowning ceremony, Tegwen said: "It's a bit too much to take in. It was a big surprise.
"I didn't really expect anything this year. I really appreciate the kind words from the adjudicators.
"It's nice to put Powys on the map once again."
The requirements of this year’s crown competition were to compose a piece or pieces of prose with more than 2,500 words on the theme ‘Terfynau’ (limits / boundaries). Nineteen entries were received and the adjudicators, Elin Llwyd Morgan and Caryl Lewis, “enjoyed the process of selecting and discussing the pieces.”
Caryl Lewis was full of praise for the winning entry.
She said: “This is a simple but powerful story about a girl who is waiting for her lover at a train station with a message that is unlikely to please him. The style is poetic at times but not embarrassing, and the very last sentence speaks volumes.
“Without question, this is the most polished and sophisticated piece in the competition and the reader can sense that there is an experienced hand at the helm guiding us through the emotional journey.
“The author has a gritty voice and a natural talent for sensing the rhythm of a story. While reading, we were both completely immersed in the situation and forgot that we were judging. That is the talent of a writer - to create an illusion that we can believe, taking our thoughts to new places.”
In 2022 Tegwen graduated in Welsh from Bangor University. She now lives in Bangor and works for BBC Radio Cymru.
She published her first volume of poetry, 'Gwawrio' (dawn), as part of the series 'Tonfedd Heddiw' Cyhoeddiadau Barddas. Since then, she has joined the Talwrn Twtil team, and is one of five poets who are part of the Pencerdd project with Literature Wales and Barddas.
Her poetic work has appeared in several publications - but this is the first time that her prose work will appear in print.
Jeweller and silversmith Mari Eluned from Mallwyd created this year’s Crown. She said: “My intention was to create a crown with a contemporary feel which conveys the Urdd’s valuable contribution and agricultural communities, such as Maldwyn, and their importance to the future of our culture and language.”
The crown is given by the Montgomeryshire Branch of the Farmers’ Union of Wales.
The top three will be invited to take part in a course at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre, Literature Wales in memory of Olwen Dafydd. This is made possible through the Olwen Griffith Trust.
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