10 Facts About Rhydwen Williams

Robert Rhydwenfro Williams was a Welsh poet, novelist and Baptist minister.

Rhydwen Williams's work is mainly written in his native Welsh language, and is noted for adapting the established style and context of Welsh poetry from a rural and bygone age to that of a modern industrial landscape, while retaining traditional prosody and metre.

Robert Rhydwenfro Williams was born in Pentre, a village in the Rhondda in Wales, on 29 August 1916.

Rhydwen Williams stayed in England for some time, about ten years, before returning to Wales in 1941.

Fortunately for Rhydwen Williams, he found more opportunities in Wales than he did in England, where he'd worked menial jobs; he was made pastor of a Baptist chapel in Ynyshir and was able to study, although intermittently, at both Swansea University, then known as University College of Swansea, and Bangor University.

From this informal group of like-minded intellectuals, Rhydwen Williams developed a style of writing and literal ethic opposed to eisteddfodic tradition.

Rhydwen Williams later moved from his ministry to accept a post at Granada Television in Manchester, presenting Welsh language programmes, in which his skills as a communicator came to the fore.

Rhydwen Williams wrote television scripts; one about Dietrich Bonhoeffer was the first Welsh-language television play to be broadcast on a foreign network.

Rhydwen Williams suffered a stroke in 1981, which had a negative effect on his physical health for the remainder of his life.

Rhydwen Williams died in Merthyr Tydfil on 29 August 1997, at the age of 81, leaving behind his wife and son.