Dylan Thomas’ Writing Shed Sets Sail For Ireland

In partnership with the festival, British Council Ireland is delighted to bring the replica of Dylan Thomas’ famous writing shed across the Irish Sea to the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival from 12th-14th September 2014.

The shed will set sail on board the Stena Europe from Fishguard and makes the sea leg of its journey to Ireland courtesy of Stena Line ferries.

The shed – complete with curled pictures on the walls, boiled sweets on the desk and the poet’s jacket still hanging on the back of his chair – is on tour as part of Dylan Thomas 100, the year-long festival commemorating the centenary of the great Welsh writer’s birth.

The original shed sits above the Boathouse in the scenic seaside town of Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, where Thomas lived with his wife Caitlin (whose family hailed from County Clare), and where he penned some of his most famous works including Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night and his play for voices Under Milk Wood.

There will be a number of special events taking place in and around the shed for festival-goers to enjoy from creative writing workshops for teenagers delivered by award-winning Welsh and Irish poets, Poetry Take-aways, a Dylan Thomas Poetry Soapbox with a surprise line-up of readers and in honour of Dylan’s love for words, the public will be invited to invent their own new word to be added to the ‘Dictionary for Dylan’, which the shed is adding to wherever it goes.

Eoin Colfer and Aneirin Karadog, the Children’s Laureates from both Ireland and Wales, will also come together for a lively event in the new dlrLexIcon and the weekend finisheswith acclaimed poets Menna Elfyn, Nessa O’Mahoney and Nerys Williams discussing the man, his poetry and his legacy in a special event chaired by Siobhán Parkinson.

QUOTES:

Hannah Ellis (Dylan Thomas’ granddaughter):Given my grandparents’ connection with the country, I am really pleased to see the Dylan Thomas centenary and my grandfather’s work being celebrated in Ireland in this way. Ireland shares a language as well as a strong poetic tradition with Wales. Seamus Heaney had only recently agreed to be a Patron of Dylan Thomas 100, and offered these kind words about my grandfather:

“Hard to believe that these hundred years have passed. If ever there is a centenary worth celebrating, this is it. ‘The force that through the green fuse drives the flower’ still drives those uniquely powered poems.”

Michael White, Director – British Council Ireland: Michael White – Director, British Council Ireland:

“British Council Ireland is delighted to be part of the global celebrations for the centenary of Dylan Thomas’ birth and to bring not only the writing shed to the Mountains to Sea dlr Book Festival and Ireland but also acclaimed Welsh poets Menna Elfyn and Aneirin Karadog. Dylan Thomas is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century’s greatest writers and his poems remain as fresh and exciting today as they were when he wrote them. It is great to see his work being revisited by some and discovered for the first time by others in the UK and internationally.”