David Gwyn Williams
Encyclopedia
Professor David Gwyn Williams, usually known simply as Gwyn Williams (1904-1990) was a Welsh
poet, novelist, translator and academic.
He was born in Port Talbot
and educated at the University College of Wales and Jesus College, Oxford
. As an academic he taught at Cairo
, Alexandria
, Benghazi
, and Istanbul
, eventually becoming Professor of English Literature. While in Egypt he befriended a number of expat writers including Lawrence Durrell
. On his retirement in 1969 he returned to Wales and concentrated on writing, producing a series of novels, translations of Welsh poetry into English, four travel books (including one in Welsh), and numerous other works. A fluent Welsh-speaker, he was a committed member of Plaid Cymru
.
Thanks to his friendship with John Ormond
, Williams also carried out work for the BBC
, presenting a well-regarded 1972 and 1974 series on Welsh history, The Land Remembers, and writing its accompanying books.
His autobiography
, ABC of (D.) G. W, was published in 1981, while his Collected Poems, 1936-86 were published in 1987. Williams died in 1990 in Aberystwyth
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
poet, novelist, translator and academic.
He was born in Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
and educated at the University College of Wales and Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College, Oxford
Jesus College is one of the colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is in the centre of the city, on a site between Turl Street, Ship Street, Cornmarket Street and Market Street...
. As an academic he taught at Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
, Benghazi
Benghazi
Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
, and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, eventually becoming Professor of English Literature. While in Egypt he befriended a number of expat writers including Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer, though he resisted affiliation with Britain and preferred to be considered cosmopolitan...
. On his retirement in 1969 he returned to Wales and concentrated on writing, producing a series of novels, translations of Welsh poetry into English, four travel books (including one in Welsh), and numerous other works. A fluent Welsh-speaker, he was a committed member of Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
.
Thanks to his friendship with John Ormond
John Ormond
John Ormond , was a Welsh poet and filmmaker.Ormond was born in Dunvant, near Swansea, and was educated at Swansea University.He joined the staff of Picture Post in 1945. He returned to Swansea in 1949 and, in 1957, began what was to be a distinguished career with BBC Wales as a director and...
, Williams also carried out work for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, presenting a well-regarded 1972 and 1974 series on Welsh history, The Land Remembers, and writing its accompanying books.
His autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, ABC of (D.) G. W, was published in 1981, while his Collected Poems, 1936-86 were published in 1987. Williams died in 1990 in Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
.