Literary Bus Tour - Idris Davies in the Rhymney Valley

About

Literature Wales is delighted to announce a series of new Literary Bus Tours and Walks for 2011. We are taking to the roads, byways and footpaths to bring Wales’ literatures closer to the landscapes in which they are embedded. This year’s programme is more diverse than ever, comprising four bus tours and four walking tours located across the country from Snowdonia to the Brecon Beacons.

Idris Davies (1905-1953) announced himself as the voice of a generation, writing poetry which reflected the idealism and protest of people in the Welsh Valleys during the 1920s and 1930s. Born in Rhymney, he worked as a miner before losing his job during the strikes. Davies re-qualified as a teacher and found employment in London, returning to teach in the Rhymney Valley in 1947. 'The Bells of Rhymney' from his debut collection Gwalia Deserta (Dent, 1938) is well known after being set to music in 1957. T.S.Eliot described Davies' poetry as "the best poetic document I know about a particular epoch in a particular place", and it is this interconnectedness between verse and landscape which will be explored. Visits will be made to places that permeated Davies' life including his childhood home, workplaces and chapel. Lectures, readings and commentary will be provided by Daniel G.Williams and Nigel Jenkins from Swansea University.