Chronic Women
Chronic Women is a poetry project aimed at improving understanding of women’s health conditions and supporting ongoing work to address inequalities in healthcare and outcomes for women in Wales.
It was devised by Hanan Issa, the current National Poet of Wales, who was inspired by Welsh Government’s 10-year Women’s Health Plan for Wales, announced in December 2024. She worked with the first National Poet of Wales, Gwyneth Lewis, to develop the idea.
Both are among 14 women writers from Wales who have written poems inspired by their own lived experience of chronic health conditions and disability for a bilingual poetry anthology. The other poets are; Sioned Erin Hughes, Myfanwy Alexander, Mel Perry, Emma Smith Barton, Lal Davies, Bethany Handley, Nia Wyn Jones, Kandace Siobhan Walker, Rhian Elizabeth, Iola Ynyr, Durre Shawar and clare e potter.
The anthology, Chronic Women | Menywod Cronig (Honno Press) will be published in February 2026; 700 free copies will be distributed to GP surgeries and other health care settings across Wales.
The poets are also leading a series of 10 workshops with women, girls and NHS staff, around Wales in January and February 2026. The workshops use the anthology as a springboard for conversations and explore the role that poetry and creative writing can have in supporting women living with chronic health conditions.
A celebratory event, with readings from the anthology and writing resulting from the workshops, will be held at the Senedd on 17 March.
The Chronic Women project is designed and delivered by Llenyddiaeth Cymru | Literature Wales and run in partnership with Women’s Health Network (NHS Wales Performance and
Improvement); the Arts Teams at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Swansea Bay University Health Board; Gwasg Honno Press and with support from Books Council of Wales.
It is funded by the Arts Council of Wales Health and Wellbeing Lottery Fund, and the anthology has been made possible with support from the Books Council of Wales.