Gwyneth Lewis
Encyclopedia
Gwyneth Lewis is a Welsh
poet
, and was the first National Poet for Wales
.
speaking family, Lewis's father started teaching her English
when her mother went into hospital to give birth to her sister.
Lewis attended Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, a bilingual school near Pontypridd
, and then studied at Girton College, Cambridge
, University of Cambridge
, where she was a member of Cymdeithas Y Mabinogi and was awarded a double first in English literature and the Laurie Hart Prize for outstanding intellectual work. Lewis then studied creative writing at Columbia
and Harvard
, before receiving a D.Phil in English from Balliol College, Oxford University
, having written a thesis on eighteenth-century literary forgery on the work of Iolo Morganwg
.
Lewis was made a Harkness Fellow and worked as a freelance journalist
in New York
for three years. Lewis returned to Cardiff and worked as a documentary
producer and director at BBC Wales
.
Lewis left the BBC
in 2001 after she was awarded a £75,000 grant by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
to carry out research and to sail to ports that are linked historically with the inhabitants of her native city, Cardiff.
She later wrote the words which appear over the Wales Millennium Centre
which opened in November 2004, and in 2005 she was elected Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University
. The same year she was made the first National Poet for Wales
.
, commissioned and presented by Welsh National Opera
with pupils from Ysgol Capel y Cynfab, Cynghordy and Ysgol Cil-y-cwm. The Most Beautiful Man from the Sea is an oratorio
for six hundred voices, with music by Chew and Orlando Gough
. It was given its world premier at the Wales Millennium Centre
by the Chorus of Welsh National Opera and five hundred amateur singers.
and alcoholism
. Her personal battles inspired her first book Sunbathing in the Rain: A Cheerful Book on Depression; as well as the collection of poems Keeping Mum - Voices from Therapy.
Having agreed to change their lifestyles for their own good, Lewis and her husband bought the small yacht Jameeleh, and having taught themselves to sail set out to cross the Atlantic ocean
to Africa
. The journey inspired her 2005 book Two in a Boat - The True Story of a Marital Rite of Passage.
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
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and was the first National Poet for Wales
National Poet for Wales
The post of National Poet of Wales was established in May 2005 by Academi – the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers. The post is supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Lottery fund....
.
Biography
Born into a WelshWelsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaking family, Lewis's father started teaching her English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
when her mother went into hospital to give birth to her sister.
Lewis attended Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, a bilingual school near Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, and then studied at Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. It was England's first residential women's college, established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon. The full college status was only received in 1948 and marked the official admittance of women to the...
, University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
, where she was a member of Cymdeithas Y Mabinogi and was awarded a double first in English literature and the Laurie Hart Prize for outstanding intellectual work. Lewis then studied creative writing at Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, before receiving a D.Phil in English from Balliol College, Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, having written a thesis on eighteenth-century literary forgery on the work of Iolo Morganwg
Iolo Morganwg
Edward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
.
Lewis was made a Harkness Fellow and worked as a freelance journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
for three years. Lewis returned to Cardiff and worked as a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
producer and director at BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
.
Lewis left 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...
in 2001 after she was awarded a £75,000 grant by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts
NESTA
The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts is an independent endowment in the United Kingdom established by an Act of Parliament in 1998....
to carry out research and to sail to ports that are linked historically with the inhabitants of her native city, Cardiff.
She later wrote the words which appear over the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
which opened in November 2004, and in 2005 she was elected Honorary Fellow of Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
. The same year she was made the first National Poet for Wales
National Poet for Wales
The post of National Poet of Wales was established in May 2005 by Academi – the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers. The post is supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Lottery fund....
.
Music
Lewis has entered the world of music, in partnership with Richard Chew. Redflight/ Barcud was her first librettoLibretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, commissioned and presented by Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera
Welsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
with pupils from Ysgol Capel y Cynfab, Cynghordy and Ysgol Cil-y-cwm. The Most Beautiful Man from the Sea is an oratorio
Oratorio
An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
for six hundred voices, with music by Chew and Orlando Gough
Orlando Gough
Orlando Gough is a British composer, educated at Oxford, and noted for projects written for ballet, contemporary dance and theatre. Collaborators have included Siobhan Davies, Alain Platel, Shobana Jeyasingh and Ashley Page of The Royal Ballet. He is artistic director of The Shout, which he...
. It was given its world premier at the Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre
Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre located in the Cardiff Bay area of Cardiff, Wales. The site covers a total area of . Phase 1 of the building was opened during the weekend of the 26–28 November 2004 and phase 2 opened on 22 January 2009 with an inaugural concert...
by the Chorus of Welsh National Opera and five hundred amateur singers.
Personal life
Married to Leighton, a former bosun with the Merchant Navy, Lewis has had a well documented battle in the past with Clinical depressionClinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. Her personal battles inspired her first book Sunbathing in the Rain: A Cheerful Book on Depression; as well as the collection of poems Keeping Mum - Voices from Therapy.
Having agreed to change their lifestyles for their own good, Lewis and her husband bought the small yacht Jameeleh, and having taught themselves to sail set out to cross the Atlantic ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The journey inspired her 2005 book Two in a Boat - The True Story of a Marital Rite of Passage.
Prizes and awards
Current list of prizes and awards:- 1977 - Literary Medal at the Urdd Gobaith CymruUrdd Gobaith Cymrudde|200px|thumb|The Urdd logoUrdd Gobaith Cymru, literally, the Welsh League of Hope, but normally translated as the Welsh League of Youth, or merely referred to as the Urdd, is a Welsh-medium youth movement with over 1,500 branches and over 50,000 members...
- 1978 - Literary Medal at the Urdd Gobaith CymruUrdd Gobaith Cymrudde|200px|thumb|The Urdd logoUrdd Gobaith Cymru, literally, the Welsh League of Hope, but normally translated as the Welsh League of Youth, or merely referred to as the Urdd, is a Welsh-medium youth movement with over 1,500 branches and over 50,000 members...
- 1988 - Eric Gregory Award
- 1995 - Aldeburgh Poetry Festival Prize Parables and Faxes
- 1995 - Forward Poetry Prize (Best First Collection) (shortlist) Parables and Faxes
- 1998 - Forward Poetry Prize (Best Poetry Collection of the Year) (shortlist) Zero Gravity
- 2000 - Arts Council of Wales Book of the Year Award Y Llofrudd Iaith
- 2001 - National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) Award
External links
- Gwyneth Lewis personal website
- Bio at ContemporaryWriters.com
- Gwyneth Lewis profile at BBC WalesBBC WalesBBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
- Listen to Gwyneth Lewis reading her poetry - a British Library recording, 12 July 2010.