Guto skips walk to secure second Crown
DAD-OF-TWO PENNED WINNING POEMS INSTEAD OF A HIKE
GUTO Dafydd wanted to go on a long walk from Trefor to Pwllheli following the coast path but time was short so he wrote some poetry instead.
The series of poems that resulted won him the 2019 National Eisteddfod Crown.
The young poet was awarded the prize in an extremely strong competition which attracted 29 entries and the adjudicators, Manon Rhys, Ceri Wyn Jones and Cen Williams, praised the high standard of entries.
It was the second time the 29-year-old dad-oftwo from Pwllheli had stood in the main pavilion to the applause of the packed audience winning the Crown. Guto was the winner of the National Eisteddfod Crown in 2014.
During a whirlwind of media interviews immediately after the ceremony Guto said: “I wanted to follow the coast path from Trefor where I’m from to Pwllheli where I live earlier this year. But time was short so I wrote these poems instead. They are about the coastal villages and the myths and legends that abound on the Llŷn coast.”
The thrill of winning a major prize at the National Eisteddfod was just as great he added.
The Crown, sponsored by housing association, Grwp Cynefin, was presented
for a sequence of poems not in cynghanedd, of no more than 250 lines, on the subject of Cilfachau (inlets).
The £750 prize money was donated by John Arthur and Margaret Glyn Jones, Llanrwst.
Delivering the adjudication, Ceri Wyn Jones said: “This was a strong competition, and it’s a great shame that I won’t be able to talk about more than four poems, Fersiwn Arall, OS, Saer nef and the Priddyn Coch. It’s fair to say that these others were within grasping distance of the Crown, Mab for poems on losing a father and Non for a collection of poems on Brittany.”
Referring to the winning poet’s entry Mr Jones said: “You could say that Saer nef is verging on rejecting a self-conscious poetic style, in case it stifles his ability to have his say: it’s a chattier and direct style, sometimes raw and quite slapdash, sometimes deceptively elegant, but it all sounds so natural, even the less refined colloquial language.
“This different voice challenges, provokes and shakes us. It makes us laugh and cough. And even if not always serious, this, like OS, is a real poet.”
The four praised by the adjudicators meant coming to a final decision was a challenge. Manon Rhys wanted the prize to go to OS and Mr Jones wanted to share the prize with Saer Nef and OS.
To laughter from the packed pavilion audience he said: “But from the thinnest whisker ever seen in the history of thin whiskers Saer Nef is in front with OS, Priddyn Coch and Fersiwn Arall snapping at their heels.
“For poems which entertain us, make us feel uneasy and excite us this year’s Crown goes to Saer Nef and the three of us warmly congratulate the winner.”
Originally from Trefor Guto lives in Pwllheli with his wife, Lisa, and the children Casi and Nedw. He works for the Welsh Language Commissioner.
Guto won the Urdd National Crown in 2013, the National Eisteddfod the following year at Llanelli and the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize in 2016. PICTURES FROM THE MAES BY ARWYN ROBERTS He wrote the words for A Oes Heddwch, the National Eisteddfod’s opening concert in 2017. He has read his words in dozens of vestries, pubs, libraries, schools and halls and regularly discussed literature in a wide range of publications, on television, radio and online.
Guto has published a number of books including a volume of poetry and two novels. Ymbelydredd won the People’s Choice in the 2017 Welsh Book of the Year Prize.
The crown was made by Angela Williams at her studio in Caernarfon and features a two centimetre cube of pure bright copper presented to the Eisteddfod from the Great Orme copper mines in Llandudno for use in the Crown’s construction.