Fflur Dafydd (born 1 August 1978) is a Welsh novelist, singer-songwriter and musician. Though mainly publishing in

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

, she also writes in English. She contributes regularly in Welsh to Radio Cymru.

Early life

Dafydd is the daughter of Welsh poet Menna Elfyn and a cousin of BBC broadcaster

Bethan Elfyn Bethan Elfyn () is a Welsh radio and television presenter. Elfyn was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, was brought up in Newtown, Powys, and now lives in Cardiff with her husband, Clwb Ifor Bach Promoter and Works Manager Richard Hawkins. They had a ...

. She grew up in

Llandysul Llandysul is a small town and Community (Wales), community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Llandysul, Capel Dewi, Horeb, Ceredigion, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen an ...

, a Welsh-speaking community, and although she received the majority of her education in Welsh, she chose to study English in higher education. She graduated in English from

Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth University ( cy, Prifysgol Aberystwyth) is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The universi ...

. While she was there she first came to prominence as a student in 1999, by winning the Literature Medal at the

Urdd Urdd Gobaith Cymru () (known as the Urdd) is a national voluntary youth organisation, which claimed over 56,000 members in 2019 aged between 8 and 25 years old. It provides opportunities for children and young people across Wales to take part ...

National Eisteddfod The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

Lampeter Lampeter (; cy, Llanbedr Pont Steffan (formal); ''Llambed'' (colloquial)) is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales, at the confluence of the Afon Dulas with the River Teifi. It is the third largest urban area in Ceredigio ...

. This success led to the publication of ''Y Gwir Am Gelwydd'' (''The Truth About Lies''), a collection of 12 poems and five short stories. After graduating from Aberystwyth, she gained an MA in creative writing from the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

in 2000, followed by a PhD on the poetry of R. S. Thomas from

Bangor University , former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996) University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms ...

in 2001.

Writer

Dafydd has written for stage, screen and radio, and her wide repertoire includes short fiction, journalism, lecturing, songwriting, screenwriting, poetry, novels, plays and films. She was nominated for a D.M. Davies award at the Cardiff International Film Festival for her short film "Bathtime" (2002). In 2005 her first novel ''Lliwiau Liw Nos'' (''Colours by Night'') was published and shortlisted for the Prose Medal. It was followed in 2006 by her second novel ''Atyniad'' (''Attraction''), which won the Prose Medal at the

in Swansea. In 2005 she was selected for the Scritture Giovani project for emerging European writers. She has also undertaken literary residencies in Helsinki (2006) and on

Bardsey Island Bardsey Island ( cy, Ynys Enlli), known as the legendary "Island of 20,000 Saints", is located off the Llŷn Peninsula in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The Welsh name means "The Island in the Currents", while its English name refers to the "Islan ...

(2002). In 2008 she published her first English-language novel, ''Twenty Thousand Saints'', inspired by six weeks as a writer-in-residence on Bardsey in 2002. On her choice of language, she said, "It started out as a translation of a Welsh-language novel, and after about a year or so, I decided that it really wasn't working – so I decided to start from scratch with a completely different story." This work won for her the Oxfam Hay Award. In 2009 she won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for her novel ''Y Llyfrgell'' (The Library). In the same year, she took part in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa. The novel was adapted by Dafydd herself into a 2016 film, directed by Euros Lyn. She publishes regularly in publications that include ''New Welsh Review'', ''Welsh Writing in English Yearbook'', ''Barn'', ''Golwg'' and ''Planet''. For some years Dafydd has edited the periodical ''Tu Chwith''. Dafydd was also a television columnist for the '' Western Mail''. She taught film theory and scriptwriting at the

University of Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment ...

and

Trinity College, Carmarthen Trinity University College ( cy, Coleg Prifysgol y Drindod) was a Church University College in Carmarthen, Wales. The institution was founded in 1848 as the South Wales and Monmouthshire Training College, a teacher-training college. It change ...

. Her scriptwriting has included work on the popular S4C

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored ...

Pobol y Cwm ''Pobol y Cwm'' (''People of the Valley''; ) is a Welsh-language soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, ''Pobol y Cwm'' was originally transmitted on BBC One Wales an ...

''.

Bibliography

Fiction *"The White Trail" (Seren, 2011) *"Awr y Locustiaid" ("The Hour of the Locusts") (Y Lolfa, 2010) *"Twenty Thousands Saints" (Alcemi, 2008) *"Atyniad" (''Attraction'') (Y Lolfa, 2006) *"Lliwiau Liw Nos" (''Evening Colours'') (Y Lolfa, 2005) *"Elsewhere" (Scritture Giovani, 2005) *"Ffordd o Fyw" (''A Way of Living'') not yet published *"Heb Glustiau" (''Without Ears'') not yet published Scripts *''Parch'' (''Rev'') (2015-2018), TV drama series on S4C *''Y Llyfrgell'' (''The Library Murders'') (2016), feature film *''Diwrnod Dwynwen'' (''Dwynwen's Day'') (2003), written with others *''Helfa Drysor'' (''Treasure Hunt''), (2006) *''Brewys'' (unpublished play, performed at Chapter Arts, 2005) *''Hugo'' (Sgript Cymru, 2003) Poetry *"Fruit" (New Welsh Review, 2004) *"Enlli" (Tu Chwith, 2003) Short Films & Animation *"Women of Mumbles Head" (Screen Gems, 2005) *"Martha Melys Gacwn a Capten Pigfain" (Cwmni Da, S4C, 2004) *"Clic" (Opus, S4C, 2003) *"Bathtime" (Cyfle & Sgrin 2002) Articles *"Welsh Icons" (2007) *"This is I; there is nothing else": a comparative study of R.S. Thomas and Hugh MacDiarmid, Welsh Writing in English Yearbook (2006)

Musician

Dafydd described her sound as "a fusion of blues, soul and pop". She has released five albums to date: *''Pethau Rhyfedd'' (''Strange Things'') (2003) – released when she was part of the girl band Y Panics; she emerged as a solo artist in 2005, although she is supported by her regular band, Y Barf (The Beard), who, along with Dafydd on guitar and piano, comprised core members Rhys 'Y Barf' James (guitar), Iestyn Jones (bass), Jon Bradford Jones (drums) and Iwan 'Llangain' Evans (keyboard & sax). *''Coch am Weddill fy Oes'' (''Red for the Rest of my Days'') (2005) – her first release as a solo artist, it was recorded at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff *''Un Ffordd Mas'' (''One Way Out'') (2007) – her second solo album, under the name of ''Fflur Dafydd a'r Barf'' *''Byd Bach'' (''Small World'') (2009) – also released by ''Fflur Dafydd a'r Barf'' *''Ffydd Gobaith Cariad'' (''Faith Hope Love'') (2012) – made no mention of ''Y Barf'', although several of the musicians appearing on the album were members of the band As a singer-songwriter Dafydd has performed in many countries, and has been performing regularly in literary and music festivals and events throughout Wales, including larger events such as the National Eisteddfod and the Faenol Festival.

Discography

Albums

Pethau Rhyfedd *1. Annioddefol *2. Dyn Tywydd *3. Leicra Lan Lofft *4. Pethau Rhyfedd *5. Pobl Chips/Cân Gwenllian Coch am weddill fy oes *1. Leni *2. Wardrob Gefn *3. Ar ôl Heddi’ *4. Deall i'r Dim *5. Mr Freestyle *6. Byth Mynd i Newid *7. Tu ôl i'r Gwair *8. Sgidie Rhad *9. Y Gwir am Gelwydd *10. '93 Un Ffordd Mas *1. 'Sa Fan 'Na *2. Dala Fe Nôl *3. Mr Bogota *4. Y Gân Go Iawn *5. Pan Oeddwn Fachgen *6. Cocladwdldw *7. Doeth *8. Wedi Mynd *9. Helsinki *10. Y Drwg *11. Tan yr Angladd *12. Un Ffordd Mas Byd Bach *1. Pobol Bach *2. A47 Dim *3. Caerdydd *4. Penrhiwllan *5. Aberaeron *6. Byd Bach *7. Porthgain *8. Y Llywbrau *9. Abercuawg *10. Yr Ymylon Ffydd Gobaith Cariad *1. Rhoces *2. Ffydd Gobaith Cariad *3. Ray o'r Mynydd *4. Y ferch sy'n licio'r gaeaf *5. Martha Llwyd *6. Frank a Moira *7. Y Porffor Hwn *8. Brawd Bach *9. Elfyn *10. Rachel Myra

Singles/EPs

Dala Fe Nôl *1. Dala Fe Nôl *2. Doeth *3. Dala Fe Nôl (edit) Helsinki *1. Helsinki *2. Y Drwg Caerdydd / Porthgain *1. Caerdydd *2. Porthgain

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dafydd, Fflur 1978 births Living people 20th-century Welsh poets 20th-century Welsh women writers 21st-century British screenwriters 21st-century Welsh women singers 21st-century Welsh novelists 21st-century Welsh poets 21st-century Welsh women writers People from Ceredigion Academics of Aberystwyth University Alumni of Aberystwyth University Alumni of the University of East Anglia Alumni of Bangor University Welsh-language writers Welsh women novelists Welsh women poets Welsh-speaking musicians International Writing Program alumni Welsh magazine editors Welsh women editors British soap opera writers Women soap opera writers Welsh television writers British women screenwriters People associated with Trinity University College Welsh singer-songwriters British women television writers Welsh women academics