Officers

Chief Executive: Lleucu Siencyn
Originally from Talgarreg, Cardiganshire. A graduate of English Literature from New College, Oxford. After brief periods travelling South America, she worked as researcher and scriptwriter for Welsh television companies. Formerly Literature Officer at the Arts Council of Wales before joining Literature Wales in 2002.

Deputy Chief Executive: Elinor Robson
Originally from Llandysul, Ceredigion.  She gained a degree in French from Sussex University, Brighton and also spent a year studying at Toulouse le Mirail University in France.  She completed an MA in Literature in European Cultures at Cardiff University.  After working for the National Assembly and as a Library Assistant at Cardiff University, she joined Literature Wales in 2004.

Events and Marketing Manager: Hollie Aldridge
Northern girl Hollie is originally from Wigan in Lancashire. Enticed by the seaside town of Aberystwyth she studied English Literature at the university, graduating in 2005. She then moved to the bright lights of Cardiff to study at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on their post graduate Arts Management course. Hollie joined Literature Wales in April 2006.

Senior Project Manager: Elena Schmitz
Originally from Osnabrueck in North Germany, Elena came to Cardiff in 2004 as part of her degree ‘Master In British Studies’ at Humboldt University, Berlin. Prior to this she gained an MA in English Linguistics/Literature and Communication Studies at Essen University and has worked for various arts organisations in Cardiff, including Wales at the Venice Biennale of Art and Wales Arts International. She was Chapter’s Visual Arts Officer for two years before joining Literature Wales in December 2008.

Services and Resources Manager: Petra Bennett
Born and raised in Cardiff. Educated at Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari. Graduated in German and Librarianship from University of Wales, Aberystwyth.  She enjoys travelling, especially to Berlin, is interested in photography, and is a keen reader of Welsh, English and German literature. Her latest passion is opera. Petra joined Literature Wales (formerly Academi) in 2000

Project Manager: Bronwen Price
Bronwen was born and brought up in Somerset, but her father’s side of the family is from Cardiff. She gained an Archaeology and Anthropology degree from Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and went on to study for an MA in European Prehistory at Cardiff University. After a few years teaching A Levels, she returned to Cardiff to study for a PhD in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of western Britain, which she recently passed with no corrections. Her first published work is a chapter in Prehistoric Journeys (Oxbow, 2007), with more forthcoming.

Accounts Officer: Mary Cassar
Mary returned to full time education as a mature student to obtain a Business Studies Degree. Having successfully completed the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) Professional Exams in 2005, she was awarded fellowship membership in 2010. She is an active member of the South Wales AAT Branch. She has three decades of accountancy experience, having worked in both public and private practice. Mary is fluent in Greek, and is currently learning Welsh.

Business and Data Manager: Ifan BrychanOriginally from Aberystwyth, Ifan moved to Cardiff in 1992. He returned to Higher Education in 1996 and received a degree in Philosophy and Political Philosophy from Sussex University in 2000. Following his travels in India, Ianto worked as a policy coordinator for Plaid Cymru and then a client manager for the Welsh Language Board. He worked freelance assisting public and third sector bodies with external policy during 2010-11 before joining Literature Wales in July 2011 to coordinate the process of establishing it as both a company and a charity. 

Gwynedd Literature Promoter: Gwen Lasarus James
Gwen hails from Llanfairpwlletc. Before joining Literature Wales as Gwynedd Literature Promoter in 2002, she has worked as an actress, performing on stage and screen. A writer of plays, poetry and prose, she published her first novel for young people in 2001, Sgribls Hogan Flêr (Lolfa) and in 2004 the sequel was published, Snogs a Sgribls Hogan Flêr (Y Lolfa).

South Wales Valleys Literature Development Officer: Louise Richards
Born in Windsor, but with family in Wales, Louise decided to return to the Fair Country in 1995. With a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration from Exeter Arts College, and a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education, she began a fulfilling career in Bookselling, Libraries, Literature and Arts Development. She joined Literature Wales in August 2007.

Events and Outreach Officer: Sarah Edmonds
Brought up on a farm near Monmouth, Sarah moved to Cardiff in 2004 to study English Literature and Cultural Criticism at Cardiff University. Since graduating she has worked in the library at the Cardiff School of Art and Design, delivered community arts workshops and organised the marketing and publicity at publisher Leaf Books. Alongside literature she is fascinated by folk tales, enjoys cycling and loves to learn new crafts. Sarah joined Literature Wales in May 2010.

Acting Schemes Manager: Catrin Davies
Originally from Tregaron, Ceredigion. A graduate of Fine Art from Kingston University. Catrin moved to Cardiff at the start of 2010 and worked as a guide for the Artes Mundi exhibition before joining Literature Wales later in the year.

Events and Marketing Officer: Casia Wiliam Casia’s home is in the Lleyn Peninsula. She graduated in English and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University in 2009 before moving to work for the translation company Testun in Cardiff. Casia’s main interests are writing and reading, cycling, travel and music. She joined Literature Wales in January, 2011.

Personal Assistant to the CEO: Georgia Ruth Williams
Raised on the Aberystwyth coast, Georgia Ruth graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge, with a degree in English Literature in 2009. A singer and harpist, she has performed at Green Man and often presents a night-time music show on BBC Radio Cymru. Georgia Ruth joined Literature Wales in 2011.

Children and Young People's Officer: Leusa Fflur Llewelyn
Leusa - who hails from Llanuwchllyn - joined Literature Wales in 2011, having spent time exploring North and South America. She graduated from Aberystwyth University in 2008 with a degree in Welsh and International Politics, before going on to earn her M.Phil for a study on the life and literature of T. Ifor Rees. Leusa's novel for children, Pen yr Enfys, is published by Y Lolfa (2011).

Accounts Support Officer: Emma Willmott
Emma joined Literature Wales in 2011. She comes from Tonypandy in the Rhondda Valleys, and graduated from Tonypandy Community College where she studied Maths and Psychology. 

Administrative Assistant: Juli Paschalis  For many years, Juli taught in Rhydfelen. Following the birth of her second child, she spent five years working as a freelance scriptwiter and translator for BBC and S4C, before joining BAFTA Cymru as an events co-ordinator. She then went on to work as an events organiser at St Fagans, where she stayed for 14 years. Juli joined Literature Wales in 2012.

Project Manager at Tŷ Newydd: Alys Conran Graduate in English Literature from The University of Edinburgh and with an MA Creative Writing from the University of Manchester, Alys also studied and worked in Barcelona, and speaks Spanish and Catalan. Returning home to Gwynedd, she trained in Youth Work and Community Development and has worked with all kinds of groups in Welsh and English. She now lives just under the Carneddau mountains and writes both poetry and prose. Her work has been published in anthologies and magazines in Wales and beyond.