‘Time right for Wales to have poetry library’
THE organiser of a campaign to establish a National Poetry Library of Wales says he is confident that it’s time has come.
University lecturer Ben Gwalchmai points out that both England and Scotland have national poetry libraries, and argues that the lack of such an institution is letting Wales – known traditionally as the land of bards and song – down.
Mr Gwalchmai said he had been heartened by the fact that on the very day a petition calling for a National Poetry Library of Wales was launched, it received 50 signatures – enough to qualify for consideration by the Senedd’s Petitions Committee.
He said: “I expected it to take about two weeks to get 50 signatures and was very pleased that we reached that target on the first day.
“This campaign believes that this lack of a National Poetry Library of Wales is a gap in our cultural, national life.
“While the National Library in Aberystwyth is an excellent institution, the development of poetry and poetry publishing is not within its remit, which limits opportunities for poetry to blossom and grow in Wales.
“A dedicated National Poetry Library of Wales can be the archive for some of our oldest poetry, be the place of pilgrimage, study, and growth for our poets, and be an institution that bridges our poetic traditions in both Welsh and English.
“A National Poetry Library would be a place of research, of events, of celebration, and of significant economic development for poetry publishing – but most of all it would be a forever home for our oldest tradition.”
The petition is live on the Senedd website, where it will run until next June, after which it will be discussed by the committee.
Mr Gwalchmai said: “Poetry is flourishing all over Wales, and we have a greater diversity of poets than ever before in all parts of the country.
“I’ve been very fortunate in getting some seed funding from Manchester Metropolitan University, where I work.
“Over the next few months I’ll be firming up ideas about how the library would operate.
“In an ideal world it would have offshoots in north, south and mid Wales.
“While an important part of its remit would be as a lending library, it would be about more than that. It could be a real cultural hub with poetry readings and events staged by performance poets.
“Recently there have been some excellent video collaborations between poets and dancers. Having a dedicated National Poetry Library would enable all the strands to be brought together.
“At present the availability of poetry books in libraries across Wales is very patchy – it all depends on what individual councils have been prepared to spend.
“The magazine Poetry Wales, which has a very good reputation, was first published in 1965, but a full set of its editions cannot be accessed.
“I’ve come across an academic who has every edition but one.
“A resource like that, including back copies, should be easily accessible, and that will be one of the challenges for the project.”
Mr Gwalchmai said he had already enlisted the support of poets, publishers of poetry and MSs, who would go public in due course.
Together with other members of the campaign, he hopes to discuss the concept with Welsh Government ministers in the coming months.
“I have absolutely no doubt that the time for this has come – and I’m determined to make it happen,” he said.