News Archive

Gillian Clarke and Dic Jones in Ceredigion

Saturday 11 July 2009
Departure/Arrival point: Aberystwyth, Railway Station
Bilingual tour: English translation provided

Join us on this day trip which will focus on two of Wales’ most acclaimed contemporary writers: Gillian Clarke, National Poet of Wales and Dic Jones (also known by his bardic name Dic yr Hendre), current Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

Both writers live in Ceredigion and we will visit places in the area they know and love. The tour will start at Aberystwyth railway station at 9am. Gillian will join us for the entire day to discuss her work and read from her poems, while acclaimed writers and poets Ceri Wyn Jones and Idris Reynolds - both good friends of Dic Jones and highly knowledgeable about his work - will discuss Dic’s life and poetry (please note that due to illness, Dic Jones won’t be able to accompany us on the day).

The tour will take us to Trefenter, Tresaith, Tan-y-Groes and Pisgah and we will hear poems written about or influenced by these specific locations. We will also hear about other local poets who had an affect on the work of the writers, e.g. the Beirdd y Cillie poets. Lunch will be served at the beautiful National trust property Llanaerchaeron and the tour will end at Gillian’s favourite pub, the Glan-yr-Afon in Talgarreg, before returning to Aberystwyth Railway Station in the evening.

Ticket Price: £37.00 / £35.00 (Academi Members and Associates) price is per person/per tour. The price includes tea / coffee, lunch, coach travel plus all lectures, talks and readings.

Refunds for altered or cancelled bookings will only be available to those who notify Academi three weeks before the event.
Refunds will be subject to an administration charge.

Click here to download a booking form
For further information contact Academi:
029 2047 2266 / post@academi.org

 

Other forthcoming Literary Bus Tours

Lewis Jones in Clydach Vale, Saturday 19 September 2009
Departure/Arrival point: Cardiff
English language tour
 

No more extraordinary fictional response to the history of the south Wales coalfield has been written than Lewis Jones’s (1897–1939) Cwmardy and We Live. This tour includes a walk up the Clydach river past two lakes and up into the mountains as well as the site of the old Cambrian Colliery. We will visit the sites of Jones’s two homes in the village, including the one where the novels were written. The tour starts at the Heritage Park Hotel, where Dr Ben Curtis will talk about the social and political history of the valley and Dr John Pikoulis, Academi’s Co-Chair, will examine Jones’s personality in the light of Cwmardy.

Dafydd ap Gwilym in Ceredigion, Saturday 24 October 2009
Departure/Arrival point: Aberystwyth
Welsh language tour: No English translation provided

Dafydd ap Gwilym is one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time and amongst the leading poets of Europe in the Middle Ages. This tour will visit his alleged birthplace Brogynin, Llanbadarn Chapel (where Merched Llanbadarn was written) and we will take in the breathtaking medieval magic of Ystrad Fflur/Strata Florida Abbey. Dr Huw Meirion Edwards, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Welsh, Aberystwyth University, will guide this tour and transport you back in time to evoke the spirit of one of Wales’ heroes. You will even get a chance at trying your skill at cynghanedd over lunch at the Talbot in Tregaron.