The post of National Poet of Wales ( cy, Bardd Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in May 2005 by

Academi Blackwater was an American private military company founded on December 26, 1996 by former Navy SEAL officer Erik Prince. It was renamed Xe Services in 2009 and known as Academi since 2011 after it was acquired by a group of private investors. ...

– the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers. The current holder of the position is

Hanan Issa Hanan Issa (born 1986/1987) is a Welsh- Iraqi poet, film-maker, scriptwriter and artist. She is the current National Poet of Wales. Biography Issa grew up in Cardiff, Wales. Her first solo publication was '' My Body Can House Two Hearts'', a ...

, who was appointed for a period of three years in July 2022.

Background

The National Poet of Wales acts as a cultural ambassador for the nation, creating works which promote the image of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

; works are read at ceremonial and official occasions. The post alternates between poets who write in English, and poets who write mainly 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 peop ...

, and is supported by the

Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts ...

’ Lottery fund. Iestyn Davies, Head of Communications at the Arts Council of Wales, said: "As a country renowned for its literary heritage it is fitting that Wales should have its own national poet, creating new works that celebrate our successes, comment on our failures and raise the profile of Wales through literature." To date the role has been held by five writers. Initially the role was funded for a single-year tenure, with

Gwyneth Lewis Gwyneth Denver Davies (born 1959), known professionally as Gwyneth Lewis, is a Welsh poet, who was the inaugural National Poet of Wales in 2005. She wrote the text that appears over the Wales Millennium Centre. Biography Gwyneth Lewis was b ...

becoming the first National Poet in 2005. Gwyn Thomas would succeed Lewis in 2006, remaining as National Poet until 2008. Later the length of tenure expanded, with

Gillian Clarke Gillian Clarke (born 8 June 1937) is a Welsh poet and playwright, who also edits, broadcasts, lectures and translates from Welsh into English. She co-founded Tŷ Newydd, a writers' centre in North Wales. Life Gillian Clarke was born on 8 J ...

holding the role for 8 years between 2008 and 2016, and

Ifor ap Glyn Ifor ap Glyn (born 1961) is a Welsh television presenter and Welsh-language poet.Poet Laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ...

References

External links

National Poet of Wales page on the Academi websiteNational Poet of Wales: Events 2008-09
Welsh literature Welsh poetry 2005 establishments in Wales * {{UK-poet-stub