Posted on 27 October 2015
A voice of Welsh rugby, an Ian Fleming biographer and a long-lost poem are among the highlights of this year's Dylan Thomas Festival.
Organised by Swansea Council and taking place at the Dylan Thomas Centre in the city's Maritime Quarter, the festival runs from today (the 27th of October) until the 9th of November.
This year’s festivities will kick-off with Dylan's Big Birthday Bash - a celebratory event marking the 101st birthday of the world famous poet.
Guests at this year's festival will include broadcaster and ex-Welsh rugby international Eddie Butler, who'll be on hand to talk about the Rugby World Cup and discuss his new book, Gonzo Davies Caught in Possession, on the 4th of November. Andrew Lycett, a biographer of stars including Dylan Thomas and James Bond creator Ian Fleming, will also be at the festival to reveal some of the secrets he's discovered along the way, and Professor John Goodby, of Swansea University, will be revealing a long-lost Dylan Thomas poem called A Dream of Winter on the 3rd of November.
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration, said:
"As the birthplace of Dylan Thomas, it is important Swansea does all it can to celebrate its links with our most famous son.
"The Dylan Thomas Festival has now been a key part of our annual events calendar for many years, giving local people and visitors to Swansea access to leading figures from arts and literature, local talent and educational workshops.
"This year will be no different because of the hugely varied amount of activities and guests that have been organised, helping to attract new audiences to the permanent Dylan Thomas exhibition, Love the Words, which offers visitors a great insight into the life and work of Dylan.”
Also forming part of this year's festival is a series of creative writing workshops focussing on different styles of writing. Other highlights will include local author Rebecca John, who'll join cultural historian Peter Stead on the 7th of November to discuss Clown's Shoes - her award-winning debut collection of short stories.
A night of 1940s entertainment will also take place, presented by the people behind Swansea's Bluestocking Lounge.
The festival will finish on the 9th of November with the opening of a new temporary exhibition called Lunch at Mussolini's: Ethel Ross and Dylan Thomas. The exhibition will include a series of photos taken of Dylan's Swansea, as well as a typescript for a sketch of his called Lunch at Mussolini's that he gave to Ethel in the early 1930s.
Visit www.dylanthomas.com/festival for more information and the chance to book tickets.