Gwynedd Library Service is holding a very special poetry competition in the coming weeks.
Competitors are invited to write a poem inspired by the drowning of the village of Capel Celyn near Y Bala in 1965 in the two competitions on the theme of ‘Drowned Village’; a Welsh competition and an English competition.
The competition is held in conjunction with two other library services in areas in the UK where villages were flooded during the twentieth century; North Lanark in Scotland and Cumbria in England.
The bard, Twm Morys will be judging the Welsh competition, with the winning poem appearing in the summer edition of the Welsh poetry magazine – Barddas.
Scotland’s National Poet Liz Lochhead and Nicky Wire of The Manic Street Prechers will be judging the English competition, with the victorious poem turned into a song by the famous band from Scotland – Mogwai.
Councillor Ioan Thomas, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for libraries said:
“Gwynedd Libraries offer a variety of opportunities to Gwynedd residents, including this competition.
“This is a brilliant opportunity for anyone who already writes poetry, or just wants to give it a go to have their work judged by some of the greats of the poetry and music world.
“The poem can be romantic, melancholy, political or just plain spooky. The aim is to remind people of these stories, the cultural heritage that was lost, and the feelings in the community at the time.”
The competitions are open to all Gwynedd library members over the age of 14. Closing date 24 February.
You can submit your poem at any library in Gwynedd, or by e-mail to [email protected] citing ‘Drowned Village Poetry Competition’ in the subject heading. Remember to note your name, age, contact details and your library membership card number.
If you’re not already a member of your local library, you can join free of charge at any library in Gwynedd by taking proof of identification along with you.
For more information about Gwynedd Libraries, go to www.gwynedd.gov.uk/library
