Fflur Dafydd

Fflur Dafydd is an award winning novelist, singer-songwriter and musician. Although predominantly publishing in Welsh, she also writes in English. She records in Welsh, and her work is regularly played on Radio Cymru.

Early life

Born in 1978, she is the daughter of Welsh poet Menna Elfyn. Dafydd grew up in Llandysul, a Welsh-speaking community, and although she received the majority of her education in Welsh, she chose to study English in Higher Education.

She studied at Aberystwyth University, graduating in English, and it was while she was here that she first came to prominence, in 1999, when as a student she won the Literature Medal at the Urdd National Eisteddfod at Lampeter. This success led to the publication of "Y Gwir Am Gelwydd" (The Truth About Lies), a collection of 12 poems and 5 short stories.

After graduating from Aberystwyth she gained an MA in Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia in 2000,^[1] followed by a PhD on the poetry of R.S. Thomas from Bangor University in 2001.

Today Fflur is highly successful in the very different fields of both literature and contemporary music, such that some people have failed to realise that this is one and the same person.^[2] She now lives in Carmarthen, but travels widely with her work.

Writer

Fflur has written for stage, screen and radio, and her wide repertoire includes short fiction, journalism, lecturing, songwriting, screenwriting, poetry, novels, plays and short films.

She was nominated for a D.M. Davies award at the Cardiff International Film Festival for her short film "Bathtime" (2002).^[3]

In 2005 her first novel – "Lliwiau Liw Nos" (Colours by Night) was published, followed in 2006 by her second novel "Atyniad" (Attraction), which won the Prose Medal at the National Eisteddfod in Swansea.^[4] Her first novel had in the previous year been short-listed for the Prose Medal.

In 2005 she was selected for the Scritture Giovani project for emerging European writers, and she has also undertaken literary residencies in Helsinki (2006) and on Bardsey Island (2002).^[5]

In 2008 she published her first English novel, "Twenty Thousand Saints", inspired by her experience as 6-week writer-in-residence on Bardsey in 2002. Regarding her choice of language, she said, "It started out as a translation of a Welsh-language novel, and after about a year or so, I decided that it really wasn't working – so I decided to start from scratch with a completely different story." This title won for her the prestigious Oxfam Hay Award.^[6][7]

In 2009 she won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for her novel "Y Llyfrgell" (The Library).^[8] In the same year, she was a participant in the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.

Bibliography

Fiction

• "Atyniad" (Attraction) (Lolfa Press, 2006)
• "Lliwiau Liw Nos" (Evening Colours) (Lolfa Press, 2005)
• "Elsewhere" (Scritture Giovani, 2005)
• "Ffordd o Fyw" (A Way of Living) not yet published
• "Heb Glustiau" (Without Ears) not yet published

Scripts

• "Diwrnod Dwynwen" (Dwynwen's Day) (2003), written with others
• "Helfa Drysor" (Treasure Hunt), (2006)
• "Brewys" (unpublished play, performed at Chapter Arts, 2005)
• "Hugo" (Sgript Cymru, 2003)

Poetry

• "Fruit" (New Welsh Review, 2004)
• "Enlli" (Tu Chwith, 2003)

Short Films & Animation

• "Women of Mumbles Head" (Screen Gems, 2005)
• "Martha Melys Gacwn a Capten Pigfain" (Cwmni Da, S4C, 2004)
• "Clic" (Opus, S4C, 2003)
• "Bathtime" (Cyfle & Sgrin 2002)

Articles

• "Welsh Icons" (2007)
• "This is I; there is nothing else": a comparative study of R.S. Thomas and Hugh MacDiarmid, Welsh Writing in English Yearbook, (2006)

She regularly publishes widely in a variety of publications, namely New Welsh Review, Welsh Writing in English Yearbook, Barn, Golwg and Planet, and for some years has been Editor of the periodical "Tu Chwith".

Fflur has taught film theory and scriptwriting at the University of Aberystwyth and Trinity College Carmarthen, and her scriptwriting has included work for the popular S4C series "Pobol y Cwm".

She currently lectures in creative writing at Swansea University, and is finishing her latest novel, Fflur is also a television columnist for the Western Mail, and features weekly in the weekender magazine.

Musician

Fflur herself describes her sound as "a fusion of blues, soul and pop"^[9]

She has released five albums to date:

• "Pethau Rhyfedd" (Strange Things) (2003) was released when she was part of the girl band Y Panics The Panics"

She emerged as a solo artist in 2005, although is supported by her regular band, Y Barf (The Beard) who, along with Fflur on guitar and piano, comprises core members Rhys 'Y Barf' James (guitar), Iestyn Jones (bass), Jon Bradford Jones (drums), and Iwan 'Llangain' Evans (keyboard & sax).

• "Coch am Weddill fy Oes." (Red for the rest of my days) (2005) was her first released as a solo artist. It was recorded at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.
• "Un Ffordd Mas" (One Way Out) (2007) was her second solo album, under the name of Fflur Dafydd a'r Barf.
• "Byd Bach" (Small World) (2009) was also released by Fflur Dafydd a'r Barf.
• "Ffydd Gobaith Cariad" (Faith Hope Love) (2012) made no mention of Y Barf, although several of the musicians appearing on the album were members of the band.

As a singer-songwriter Fflur has performed in many countries round the world, and performs regularly in literary and music festivals and events throughout Wales, including larger events such as the National Eisteddfod and the Faenol Festival.^[10]

Discography

Albums

Pethau Rhyfedd

• 1. Annioddefol
• 2. Dyn Tywydd
• 3. Leicra Lan Lofft
• 4. Pethau Rhyfedd
• 5. Pobl Chips/Cân Gwenllian

Coch am weddill fy oes

• 1. Leni
• 2. Wardrob Gefn
• 3. Ar ôl Heddi’
• 4. Deall i'r Dim
• 5. Mr Freestyle
• 6. Byth Mynd i Newid
• 7. Tu ôl i'r Gwair
• 8. Sgidie Rhad
• 9. Y Gwir am Gelwydd
• 10. '93

Un Ffordd Mas

• 1. 'Sa Fan 'Na
• 2. Dala Fe Nôl
• 3. Mr Bogota
• 4. Y Gân Go Iawn
• 5. Pan Oeddwn Fachgen
• 6. Cocladwdldw
• 7. Doeth
• 8. Wedi Mynd
• 9. Helsinki
• 10. Y Drwg
• 11. Tan yr Angladd
• 12. Un Ffordd Mas

Byd Bach

• 1. Pobol Bach
• 2. A47 Dim
• 3. Caerdydd
• 4. Penrhiwllan
• 5. Aberaeron
• 6. Byd Bach
• 7. Porthgain
• 8. Y Llywbrau
• 9. Abercuawg
• 10. Yr Ymylon

Ffydd Gobaith Cariad

• 1. Rhoces
• 2. Ffydd Gobaith Cariad
• 3. Ray o'r Mynydd
• 4. Y ferch sy'n licio'r gaeaf
• 5. Martha Llwyd
• 6. Frank a Moira
• 7. Y Porffor Hwn
• 8. Brawd Bach
• 9. Elfyn
• 10. Rachel Myra

Singles/EPs

Dala Fe Nôl

• 1. Dala Fe Nôl
• 2. Doeth
• 3. Dala Fe Nôl (edit)

Helsinki

• 1. Helsinki
• 2. Y Drwg

Caerdydd / Porthgain

• 1. Caerdydd
• 2. Porthgain

References

External links

• Fflur Dafydd's official website
• Fflur Dafydd on MySpace.com
• Interview with Fflur Dafydd