![Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru, Glynebwy, 1958](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Eisteddfod_Genedlaethol_Cymru%2C_Glynebwy%2C_1958.jpg)
Thomas Llewelyn Jones (11 October 1915 – 9 January 2009) was a
Welsh language
Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
author. Over a writing career of more than 50 years, he became one of the most prolific and popular authors of children's books in Welsh. He wrote, and was generally known, as T. Llew Jones.
Biography
T. Llew Jones was born at 1 Bwlch Melyn,
Pentrecwrt
Pentrecwrt (or Pentrecourt) is a village in north Carmarthenshire, Wales on the A486 road halfway between Carmarthen and New Quay.
History
Pencastell is a bracken and tree-clad motte that can be seen on the hillside above Pentrecwrt.
The vill ...
,
Llandysul
Llandysul is a small town and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen and the village of Llandysul itself. Llandysul lies in sout ...
. Educated at Ysgol Gynradd Capel Graig and
Llandysul Grammar School
Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi was a bilingual (Welsh and English) comprehensive school in Llandysul, Ceredigion. It stood on the site of the previous Llandysul Grammar School. The school was established in 1984 following the re-organisation of education in ...
, he was a primary school teacher in various schools in
Ceredigion
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...
for 35 years before becoming a full-time writer, first at Tregroes Primary School and then at Ysgol Coedybryn near
Llandysul
Llandysul is a small town and community in the county of Ceredigion, Wales. As a community it consists of the townships of Capel Dewi, Horeb, Pontsian, Pren-gwyn, Tregroes, Rhydowen and the village of Llandysul itself. Llandysul lies in sout ...
where he became headmaster. He first came to prominence as a poet, winning the chair at the
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 ...
in 1958 and then again in 1959.
He continued to write poetry, for children often, but was best known as a writer of adventure and detective novels for children. Many of these are historical novels based on the exploits of people such as
Bartholomew Roberts
)
, type=Pirate
, birth_place = Casnewydd Bach, near Puncheston, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Kingdom of England
, death_place = At sea off of Cape Lopez, Gabon
, allegiance=
, serviceyears=1719–1722
, base of operations= Off the coast of the Americas ...
and
Twm Sion Cati. He published well over 50 books in total, including books for adults as well as children. Some of these are non-fiction titles, for example ''Ofnadwy Nos'' is an account of the wrecking of the
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
. Some of his books have been translated into English and a number have been adapted for television.
He was awarded an honorary MA degree by the
University of Wales
The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff ...
in 1977, and in 1991 he was awarded the
Mary Vaughan Jones Award
The Mary Vaughan Jones Award is a Welsh children's literature award. The ''Mary Vaughan Jones Trophy'' is awarded every three years to an author who has made a substantial contribution to children's literature over a number of years. It was estab ...
, given for outstanding contributions to children's literature in Wales. In March 2005, aged nearly 90, he won the chair in Cymdeithas Ceredigion's annual Eisteddfod.
Jones died aged 93 on 9 January 2009.
A new Welsh-medium primary school, Ysgol Gynradd Gymunedol T Llew Jones, in Brynhoffnant near Llangrannog, was named in his honour in 2012. It was built to replace four small primary schools in the villages of Blaenporth, Glynarthen, Rhydlewis and Pontgarreg.
He was the father of the political activist,
Emyr Llewelyn
Emyr Llywelyn Jones is a Welsh political activist, who was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Mudiad Adfer was established based on his philosophies, and those of Owain Owain and Professor J. R. Jones. Commonly known as Emyr Llywelyn, he is also ...
, international chess player,
Iolo Ceredig Jones
Iolo Ceredig Jones (2 August 1947-6th September 2021) was a Welsh former international chess player born in Llandysul. He is notable as the co-author of the only Welsh language chess manual, , which he wrote with his father, T. Llew Jones.
Jo ...
and Eira Prosser.
Chess
Jones was also a keen
chess
Chess is a board game for two players, called White and Black, each controlling an army of chess pieces in their color, with the objective to checkmate the opponent's king. It is sometimes called international chess or Western chess to disti ...
player, he wrote the only Welsh language chess manual together with his son, Iolo. He was one of the small group of
Welsh Chess Union The Welsh Chess Union ( cy, Undeb Gwyddbwyll Cymru) is the national chess federation for Wales. Formed on 19 June 1954 as a Union of Associations in South Wales and Monmouthshire, it was originally a part of the British Chess Federation (BCF). The ...
members and officials who instigated and fought for the secession of the WCU from the
British Chess Federation
The English Chess Federation (ECF) is the governing chess organisation in England. It is affiliated to FIDE. The ECF was formed in 2004 as one of the more localised successors to the British Chess Federation (BCF), an organisation founded in 1904. ...
(as it then was) in 1970 and its successful application to join the World Chess Federation (
FIDE
The International Chess Federation or World Chess Federation, commonly referred to by its French acronym FIDE ( Fédération Internationale des Échecs), is an international organization based in Switzerland that connects the various national c ...
) as an independent member. As well as holding several posts in the WCU, Jones founded and edited ''Y Ddraig'' which grew from the Dyfed Chess Association newsletter into the magazine of Welsh chess in the 1970s. He managed the Men's
1974 Olympiad team in
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...
which achieved Wales best-ever result and also the Women's team in the
1976 Olympiad in Israel. He was for many years Vice-President of the WCU.
Jones was heavily involved in Dyfed chess from the 1960s onwards, in founding and running the Dyfed Chess Association, its league, Cardigan Chess Club and the highly successful Dyfed Open Congress. At his death he was Life President of the Dyfed Chess Association. Over the board he was a keen and competitive player, but achieved his best results at postal chess, representing Welsh international teams with distinction.
Awards and honours
*1958 – Chair, Welsh National Eisteddfod, Ebbw Vale
*1959 – Chair, Welsh National Eisteddfod, Caernarfon
*1967 –
Tir na n-Og Award
The Tir na n-Og Awards (abbreviated TnaO) are a set of annual children's literary awards in Wales from 1976. They are presented by the Books Council of Wales to the best books published during the preceding calendar year in each of three awards cat ...
for ''Tân ar y Comin''
*1990 – Tir na n-Og Award for ''Lleuad yn Olau''
*1991 –
Mary Vaughan Jones Award
The Mary Vaughan Jones Award is a Welsh children's literature award. The ''Mary Vaughan Jones Trophy'' is awarded every three years to an author who has made a substantial contribution to children's literature over a number of years. It was estab ...
*2007 – Welsh Publishing Awards, "Best Seller – Poetry", for ''Geiriau a Gerais''
Bibliography
Books by T. Llew Jones
CDs
*''Lleuad yn Olau – Chwedlau Traddodiadol o Gymru'', November 2003, re-printed February 2005 (
Tympan
Tympan means skin, and is used in a variety of technical meanings.
Astrolabes
In an astrolabe, a tympan is a metal plate on which the coordinates of the celestial sphere (azimuth and altitude) are engraved in a stereographic projection. A tympan ...
)
Books edited by T. Llew Jones
*''Cerddi Gwlad Ac Ysgol'', October 1976, Gwasg Gomer
*''Tales the Wind Told'', August 1979, JD Lewis
*''Cerddi Bardd y Werin – Detholiad o Farddoniaeth Crwys'', January 1994, Gwasg Gomer
Books about T. Llew Jones
*Teifi, Siân ''Cyfaredd y cyfarwydd : astudiaeth o fywyd a gwaith y prifardd T. Llew Jones''
*''Cyfrol deyrnged y Prifardd T. Llew Jones'' (edited by Gwynn ap Gwilym)
References
External links
*(Welsh
Cronfa Goffa T Llew Jones T Llew Jones Memorial Fund.
Interview from BBC News on 11 October 2005*(Welsh
"Adnabod Awdur" brief biography and questionnaire.
Ysgol T Llew Jones Welsh Primary school
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, T. Llew
1915 births
2009 deaths
Chaired bards
People from Carmarthenshire
Welsh-language poets
Welsh-language writers
Welsh children's writers
Welsh novelists
People educated at Llandysul Grammar School
20th-century Welsh poets
20th-century Welsh novelists