Roland Glyn Mathias (4 September 191516 August 2007) was a Welsh writer, known for his poetry and short stories. He was also a literary critic, and responsible with Raymond Garlick for the success of the literary magazine ''Dock Leaves'' (published from Pembroke Dock County School, from 1949), which later, from 1957, became '' The Anglo-Welsh Review''. He edited it from 1961 to 1976. His other writing includes books on David Jones, Vernon Watkins and

John Cowper Powys John Cowper Powys ( ; 8 October 187217 June 1963) was an English novelist, philosopher, lecturer, critic and poet born in Shirley, Derbyshire, where his father was vicar of the parish church in 1871–1879. Powys appeared with a volume of verse ...

, and ''Anglo-Welsh Poetry 1480–1980'' with Raymond Garlick.

Early life

Mathias was born at Talybont-on-Usk, south-east of

Brecon Brecon (; ; ), archaically known as Brecknock, is a market town in Powys, mid Wales. In 1841, it had a population of 5,701. The population in 2001 was 7,901, increasing to 8,250 at the 2011 census. Historically it was the county town of Breck ...

Powys Powys ( , ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county and Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham County Borough, Wrexham to the north; the English Ceremonial counties of England, ceremo ...

, in 1915 and brought up mostly in England and Germany. He graduated in history from

Jesus College, Oxford Jesus College (in full: Jesus College in the University of Oxford of Queen Elizabeth's Foundation) is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship ...

. ''Days Enduring'' (1942) was his first poetry collection. He was a

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...

, and was twice gaoled in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

as a

conscientious objector A conscientious objector is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of conscience or religion. The term has also been extended to objecting to working for the military–indu ...

. His career was in teaching, in Wales and elsewhere in the UK, notably serving as Headmaster of King Edward VI Five Ways School, Bartley Green,

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, from 1964 to 1969. He retired to

in 1969 and died in 2007; buried at Aber Chapel on the outskirts of Talybont on Usk. His son, Jonathan Glyn Mathias, known as Glyn Mathias, is a well known political correspondent.

Honours and awards

The Roland Mathias Prize, a literary award, is administered by the

Brecknock Society and Museum Friends Brecknock Society and Museum Friends () is a Wales, Welsh historical society that promotes "the study and understanding of the Archaeology, History, Geology, Natural History, the Arts and Literature of Wales, especially the historic county of Breckn ...

and is named in his honour. There are collections of manuscripts and correspondence of Roland Mathias and of '' The Anglo-Welsh Review'' in the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...

.Archives Wales
National Library of Wales Roland Mathias Papers
an
Anglo-Welsh Review Archive
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References

Publications

*''Roland Mathias'' (1995) by Sam Adams *''The Collected Poems of Roland Mathias'' (2002) (ed. Sam Adams) *''The Collected Short Stories of Roland Mathias'' (2001) (ed. Sam Adams

External links

The Independent: Roland Mathias Obituary
1915 births 2007 deaths Welsh poets Welsh male short story writers Welsh pacifists Welsh conscientious objectors Welsh Christian pacifists Calvinist pacifists Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford People from Powys 20th-century Welsh short story writers {{Wales-writer-stub