Rhydwen Williams
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Robert Rhydwenfro Williams (29 August 1916 – 2 August 1997) was a Welsh poet, novelist and
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
minister. His work is mainly written in his native
Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...
, and is noted for adapting the established style and context of Welsh poetry from a rural and bygone age to that of a modern industrial landscape, while retaining traditional prosody and metre.


Life

Robert Rhydwenfro Williams was born in Pentre, a village in the Rhondda in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
, on 29 August 1916.Davies (2008), pg 750. He was one of four children. Like most families in the area at that time, Williams' family worked in the
coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
industry but, after an
economic depression An economic depression is a period of carried long-term economic downturn that is the result of lowered economic activity in one or more major national economies. It is often understood in economics that economic crisis and the following recession ...
struck the area, his family moved to England in search of work, settling in the village of Christleton, in 1931. Williams stayed in England for some time, about ten years, before returning to
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
in 1941. Fortunately for Williams, he found more opportunities in Wales than he did in England, where he'd worked menial jobs; he was made pastor of a
Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
chapel in Ynyshir and was able to study, although intermittently, at both Swansea University, then known as University College of Swansea, and Bangor University. During
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 ...
, in the midst of the Liverpool Blitz, Williams served in a Quaker relief unit, having been a conscientious objector as both a pacifist and a
Welsh nationalist Welsh nationalism () emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Culture of Wales, Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self-determination, which includes Welsh de ...
. Additionally, for his gifted speaking voice, comparable with that of Welsh actor Richard Burton, he would often read poetry for the Welsh version of the Home Service on the
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and found popularity as a minister, despite his anti-war pro-Wales stance. As a member of the Cadwgan Circle,Guide to Wales, Welsh Literature
Go Britannia! website he mixed with fellow members J. Gwyn Griffiths, Pennar Davies and Gareth Alban Davies, and was especially close to J. Kitchener Davies. From this informal group of like-minded intellectuals, Williams developed a style of writing and literal ethic opposed to eisteddfodic tradition. Amongst his heroes were writers
Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley ( ; 26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. His bibliography spans nearly 50 books, including non-fiction novel, non-fiction works, as well as essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the ...
, W H Auden and
George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950) was an English novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to a ...
. Although Williams' poetry was not in keeping with the tradition of the National Eisteddfod, he was still embraced by it. In 1946, at Mountain Ash, he won the Crown competition for the poem ''Yr Arloeswr'' (English: ''The Pioneer'') and again in 1964 for ''Yr Ffynhonnau'' (English: ''The Springs''). Leaving Ynyshir in 1946 he travelled Wales, holding pastorates at Resolven and Pont-lliw near
Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
until 1959, before spending a year at Rhyl. Williams later moved from his ministry to accept a post at Granada Television in
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, presenting Welsh language programmes, in which his skills as a communicator came to the fore. He wrote television scripts; one about Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the first Welsh-language television play to be broadcast on a foreign network. Of all Williams' work, his trilogy ''Cwm Hiraeth'' is seen by many as his finest achievement;Davies (2008), pg 960. semi-autobiographical, the three books form a prose epic of life in the depression hit Rhondda through the eyes of the author's Uncle Sion, a poet and thinker. In the 1970s, Williams and his family lived in a
council house A council house, corporation house or council flat is a form of British Public housing in the United Kingdom, public housing built by Local government in the United Kingdom, local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing ...
at Coed yr Haf, in Ystrad Mynach, where he continued to be an active member of the Welsh political party Plaid Cymru. He suffered a stroke in 1981, which had a negative effect on his physical health for the remainder of his life. Nonetheless, despite his health, he continued to actively write and publish new material, serving an editor of Barn, a Welsh-language current affairs magazine, from 1980 until 1985. He died in
Merthyr Tydfil Merthyr Tydfil () is the main town in Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales, administered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. It is about north of Cardiff. Often called just Merthyr, it is said to be named after Tydfil, daughter of K ...
on 29 August 1997, at the age of 81, leaving behind his wife and son.


Major works


Novels

* ''Y Briodas'' (English: ''The Wedding'', 1969) * ''Y Siol Wen'' (English: ''The White Shawl'', 1970) * ''Dyddiau Dyn'' (1973) * ''The Angry Vineyard'' (1975) * ''Amser i Wylo: Senghennydd'' 1913 (English: ''Time to Cry: Senghenydd 1913'', 1986)


Poetry

* Barddoniaeth Rhydwen Williams: ''Y casgliad cyflawn 1941-1991'' (1991)


External links

*
British Film Institute profile


Bibliography

*


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Rhydwen 1916 births 1997 deaths Welsh television presenters Welsh conscientious objectors Crowned bards Welsh editors Welsh nationalists Welsh novelists 20th-century Welsh Baptist ministers People from Pentre 20th-century Welsh writers 20th-century British novelists 20th-century Welsh poets Alumni of Bangor University