Three new River Residencies flow through communities in Wales

This year, the project has turned its focus to the ecological and cultural life of rivers, with three year-long residencies taking place along the Cleddau, Dee and Taff. The three resident writers will be:  Natasha Borton (The Dee), Hywel Griffiths (The Cleddau) and Nasia Sarwar-Skuse (The Taff).  

Running from March to December 2026, the residencies invite writers to work closely with local communities, exploring the connections between people, place, memory and the natural world. Each writer acts as a creative reporter, documenting the realities facing Welsh rivers while celebrating the people and organisations working to protect and restore them.  

The residencies will culminate in original creative works that blend community voices, environmental insight and artistic practice.  

Among the projects is Coleddu, led by writer Hywel Griffiths along the River Cleddau in Pembrokeshire. Drawing inspiration from the river’s landscapes, histories and communities, the residency is exploring the relationships between people and water, and the ways in which local stories can deepen connections to the natural environment.  

Along the River Taff, writer Nasia Sarwar-Skuse is leading The River as Archive, a project that views the river as a living record of ecological, cultural and political memory. Through creative writing workshops, storytelling events and conversations with ecologists, historians and folklore specialists, the residency is uncovering stories of industry, migration, environmental change and care while imagining new futures for the river and the communities that live alongside it. 

Meanwhile, The Dee a Fi is taking place along the River Dee and is led by Natasha Borton. Through creative engagement and local collaboration, the residency is exploring how waterways can powerfully connect communities and overcome human-made borders by reflecting on the river’s past, present and future as a vital environmental and cultural resource. 

Since the beginning of the year, all three writers have been busy embedding themselves within their communities. They have attended local festivals and events, spoken with residents about their experiences of living alongside the rivers, organised school visits to inspire young people through creative activities, and worked in a variety of community settings across their respective catchments. Through these encounters, the projects are gathering stories, memories, concerns and hopes that will help shape the final creative responses later this year. 

As the residencies continue, Literature Wales will be sharing updates, insights and opportunities to get involved. Follow the journeys of Coleddu, The River as Archive and The Dee a Fi via the #LlenMewnLle #LitInPlace hashtag on our Facebook and Instagram channels throughout the year, with each residency culminating in a substantial new creative work to be shared with audiences at the beginning of 2027, a lasting testament to the voices, places and rivers that have inspired them. 

Find out more on the project page: Llên mewn Lle | Lit in Place.