My grandmother (or Nonna) Caitlin Thomas was born one hundred and four years ago on the 8th December 1913. To mark the date I would like to share this fascinating interview that she did with Vincent Kane in 1977. Throughout she is incredibly candid and amazingly honest as she details her weaknesses such as: her [...]
Of the many books I have read about Dylan Thomas, ‘My Father’s Places’ by his daughter Aeronwy, Hannah’s late mother, is undoubtedly one of the finest, being not only a valuable biography/autobiography but also an excellent work of literature. It is wonderfully well written, describing scenes and stories from the poet’s tempestuous life with a [...]
You may have seen the above article recently that was shared on our social media pages. The drama ‘Dominion’, that was filmed over three years ago, will finally be shown on the big screen. Initially, I was excited to hear the news and was looking forward to watching the film at long last. However, [...]
From Friday 3rd to Saturday 4th November, Dylan Thomas's home town will be welcoming festivalgoers for the annual Do Not Go Gentle Festival, which is now in its sixth year. The location is changing from the Uplands part of Swansea to the city centre but the warm and lively atmosphere remains the same, as does the high [...]
This is my final blog showcasing letters from Dylan Thomas’s Collected Letters, which are now available in two paperback volumes. This letter from October 1951 was written to Princess Marguerite Caetani explaining the enclosed manuscript ‘Llareggub. A Piece for Radio Perhaps’ that eventually became his play-for-voices, Under Milk Wood. Princess Caetani was a cultured and modern woman [...]
Not so long ago, I had an email from Dai Cwc, who’d been at school with me in Port Talbot. He’d been reading my last blog on the Majoliers, Caitlin’s literary rellies. “How come you got to kiss Liz Taylor in the Aberavon club house?” “You remember my uncle Arth?” I asked. “He was [...]
As part of my ‘Month of Letters’ blogs to mark the re-release of Dylan Thomas’s Collected Letters in two paperback volumes, here are two more letters that particularly interest me. They also, appropriately, seem to link well with another event this week, National Poetry Day. This year’s theme is Freedom. Below are two short letters to Vernon [...]
In celebration of the re-release of Dylan Thomas's Collected Letters in two paperback volumes, I am going to choose a few of my favourite letters and upload them to this blog over the next few weeks. Many thanks to the team at Orion for giving permission for this and allowing a sneak preview of some [...]
The following needs little introduction. It is a fantastic recording of my grandfather's broadcast Holiday Memory performed by the brilliant actor, Guy Masterson. Please enjoy a nostalgic recollection of an August bank holiday weekend with all Dylan Thomas's wonderful wordplay. Guy Masterson is an actor, theatre director and Olivier Award winning producer. His lineage in [...]
In last week’s blog, I explored the chain reaction of events that led to Dylan Thomas developing the one-sided and superficial image of being a randy letch and outrageous drunk. I would like to follow on from that and consider other fallouts that resulted from him dying young and being famous. In particular, how [...]
