Youth Talwrn y Beirdd returns to Ceredigion

FOLLOWING the success of the Youth Talwrn y Beirdd (poetry competition) which was held for the first time between Ceredigion schools at the 2022 National Eisteddfod, the event will be returning again this year to celebrate the creative talents of the county’s pupils.

During June, resident poets visited the county’s seven secondary schools to encourage and inspire a group of pupils to compete at a youth poetry competition (Talwrn y Beirdd Ifanc)

The culmination of that was the Talwrn y Beirdd Ifanc competition, which was held in Cardigan Castle on Friday, 30 June 2023 on the weekend of Gŵyl Fawr Aberteifi, with Ceri Wyn Jones as the judge (y Meuryn).

The event was organised by Anwen Eleri Bowen, Ceredigion County Council’s Welsh in Education Support Officer, who said: “We are proud that our seven secondary schools are so keen to be part of the Talwrn and thank you very much to the poets for agreeing to mentor and work with the crew. The Talwrn offers valuable experiences to our pupils. It’s a golden opportunity for a small group of pupils have the company of a poet for a day to create creative work for a competition. It’s a chance to create creative writing individually and as a group, discuss and share opinions on other people’s work, refine the work together, and the culmination of this was seeing the work being developed into finished pieces, which we heard on Friday evening.”

“Such an experience develops the pupils’ confidence to share their work publicly and be ready for criticism and hopefully encourage them to offer their works to literary competitions at our local eisteddfodau. Many thanks to the schools and the poets for their co-operation.”

Councillor Wyn Thomas, Ceredigion Cabinet Member for Schools, Lifelong Learning and Skills, said: “Many congratulations to all the pupils who took part in the Talwrn y Beirdd Ifanc competition. This is a great opportunity for them to show their talents and sharpen their creative skills. It’s great to see the legacy of the Ceredigion National Eisteddfod in action here as this competition continues, offering invaluable opportunities to a prospective and talented poets. It was a pleasure to support Gŵyl Fawr Aberteifi and listen to the brilliant poetic pieces.”

The resident poets visited the following schools: Gwennan Evans – Ysgol Bro Pedr;  Endaf Griffiths – Ysgol Bro Teifi; Aneirin Karadog – Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron; Gwenallt Llwyd Ifan – Ysgol Henry Richard; Arwel Rocet Jones – Ysgol Penglais; Megan Lewis – Ysgol Penweddig; Hywel Griffiths – Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi.

Congratulations to Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron for winning the competition.