Carwyn Eckley wins the Rhondda Cynon Taf Chair

One of the youngest ever to win the Chair, his series of twelve poems is extremely personal responding to the loss of his father when he was a young child.

The Chair is presented for a poem or collection of poems in cynghanedd, of no more than 250 lines, entitled ‘Cadwyn’ (chain). The adjudicators are Aneirin Karadog, Huw Meirion Edwards and Dylan Foster Evans.

This was a very closely-run competition, with one adjudicator favouring another poet, but Brynmair’s collection came out top in the end.

In his adjudication, published in the Cyfansoddiadau a Beirniadaethau, Huw Meirion Edwards said, “This is the poet’s response to the harrowing experience of losing his father following an illness during the summer of 2002, while he was a young child. Two decades of grief and trying to cope with the loss have been distilled into these subtle and moving poems. The style is deceptively simple, almost bare in places, and the collection gains power as it progresses.

"Brynmair's voice is quiet and restrained. There’s confusion, anguish, guilt, understanding and a gradual coming to terms, love and hope – and it’s also a tribute to a father, mother and stepfather - but it’s all expressed in a tight and clear way. Every word has a purpose, and there’s hardly any need for comparisons or metaphors. 

"Brynmair is skilled in the art of ‘cerdd dafod’. There’s no revolutionary achievement drawing attention to itself; the pronunciation is surprisingly fluent, but never slick, and the language is contemporary."

Dylan Foster Evans said, "Brynmair's is a quiet but fascinating voice. Grief is the theme of this chain of poems and the poet traces his response to his father's death, taking the reader from the summer of 2002 up to New Year's Day 2024. He was a child in 2002, but this is not a child’s voice, but rather the voice of an individual looking back on past experiences and reflecting on the grieving process.

“His language is intimate, contemporary-mixed in terms of geographical influences and convincing. He doesn’t proliferate adjectives or images and the simplest lines manage to shake the reader, such as ‘dyna weld ei enw o’ at the end of the poem 'Mynwent Macpela'… We are in the presence of an exceptional poet, and these poems will stay in my mind for a long time."

Aneirin Karadog commented, "The absence of the father is omnipresent throughout the course of these sweeping poems. The loss, and the rush to hold on to memories, trying to run away from them as they bring the pain of grief with them, is intensified by the bare style and the clear absence felt from poem to poem. And that’s where the poet’s talent lies. His words are direct, without waste but loaded with meaning.

"Brynmair succeeds in conveying the heaviness of grief, the utter despair of grief, the tears of grief, and the compulsion to carry grief everywhere with us and then also try to comfort our fellow mourners, by being selective and bare in his expression... He manages to find the right words expressing twenty years of carrying the grief of a child, teenager and adult.

"I congratulate Brynmair for a collection that will remain long in the memory. It’s bittersweet to think that his father would be delighted that his son will be honoured with the Eisteddfod Chair here in Pontypridd."

Carwyn Eckley, 28, is from Pen-y-groes, Dyffryn Nantlle. He lives in Cardiff with his partner Siân and their dog, Bleddyn. He works as a journalist with ITV Cymru's Welsh Department, which produces Y Byd ar Bedwar and Y Byd y ei Le.

His interest in literature was ignited when his mother gave him a copy of Harry Potter as a very young boy, before becoming interested in Welsh poetry under the guidance of Eleri Owen at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, who was a great Welsh teacher. He studied Professional Welsh at Aberystwyth University and learnt cynghanedd with Eurig Salisbury. He won the Eisteddfod Rhyng-golegol Chair during his third year, before winning the Urdd Chair in 2020-21.

He is a member of the Caernarfon Talwrn y Beirdd team, Dros yr Aber with Rhys Iorwerth, Iwan Rhys and Marged Tudur, and they’ve won the series four times. He’s grateful to the other three members for their support, and especially to Rhys Iorwerth, his mentor and teacher. Beyond writing, football is one of his main interests – he’s a member of Clwb Cymric and follows the national team in Cardiff and in away games with the Dyffryn Nantlle boys. He also enjoys taking Bleddyn for a walk with Siân and the family.

This year’s Chair has been designed and created by Berian Daniel, with both the Chair and the financial prize donated by the pupils and community of Ysgol Llanhari, to celebrate the school and the Llanhari family’s contribution to 50 years of Welsh medium education in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Oak from an ancient forest, ironwork reflecting the industry of the valleys and coal, the 'Gold of the Rhondda', are the features in the Chair this year.

The tree has been cut in half and in the middle is a 'river' of pieces of coal submerged in resin with everything held in place by iron bars.

The three parts represent the Rhondda, Cynon and Taf rivers which give their name to the county which is home to the Eisteddfod this year. School pupils came up with the idea of creating a river of coal and the term 'Gold of the Rhondda'. Coal came from the earth of the valleys creating work and wealth. And although the industry has come to an end, its influence remains strong and the school wanted to see this reflected in this chair.

The wood came from a tree in woodland close to Iolo Morganwg's home in Cowbridge. The river of coal had to be perfect as every small piece was hidden by resin, and Berian experimented several times until it was right.

The Nod Cyfrin is created from iron, and there are elements of the nature, culture and industry of the Rhondda, Cynon and Taf valleys in the finished Chair. The inspiration for these have come from the school's pupils.

The Cyfansoddiadau a Beirniadaethau, which includes the full adjudication for this competition and the winners of all the other composition winners at this year’s Eisteddfod will be published at the end of the ceremony.

The Rhondda Cynon Taf National Eisteddfod runs until 10 August. For more information go to www.eisteddfod.wales.