Hywel is a poet, novelist and geographer. He grew up near the village of Llangynog, Carmarthenshire. He works as a Reader in physical geography in the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University. He won the Urdd Eisteddfod Chair in Mon in 2004, and Carmarthenshire in 2007, the National Eisteddfod Crown 2008 and Chair in 2015 and his collection Llif Coch Awst won the Wales Book of the Year poetry category 2018. He is a member of the Gler team on Talwrn y Beirdd and the Deheubarth team in the Eisteddfod Ymryson. He has published four volumes of poetry and three novels for children.
