Owain Rhys is the winner of the Wrecsam National Eisteddfod Crown
The Crown is sponsored by Elin Haf Davies and the monetary prize of £750 is presented by Prydwen Elfed Owens, in memory of her parents and her happy childhood years in Bwlchgwyn and at Ysgol Gwynfryn. It is presented for a ‘pryddest’ or collection of poems not in cynghanedd, of no more than 250 lines, on ‘Adfeilion’ (Ruins). The adjudicators are Ifor ap Glyn, Gwyneth Lewis and Siôn Aled.
The Crown was designed and produced by Neil Rayment and Elan Rowlands. These are the two who created the impressive Crown for the Rhondda Cynon Taf Eisteddfod in 2024, won by Gwynfor Dafydd for his series of poems on ‘Atgof’, ('Remembrance').
This year’s judges are Gwyneth Lewis, Siôn Aled, and Ifor ap Glyn, who will deliver their adjudication from the stage. He says, “Llif 2 opens with the simple couplet “When you forget / every day as you wake” – and it discusses living with someone suffering from dementia, namely the poet’s mother. It’s a quiet and sensitive treatment of what must be done to help the mother continue to live with dignity as her memory deteriorates.
“The collection presents a tender picture of a difficult situation faced by so many families today, and we sense the depth of the poet’s feelings toward his mother and her former strength. She is likened in turn to a trinity of strong women from our past – Rhiannon, Heledd, and Boudicca – and we share the poet’s sadness in now having to help her organise her own desk: “At first glance, / the desk was an unremarkable pile, / but scraping the surface / reveals a collapse.” The desk is a symbol of her memory.
This is a powerful and rich collection that gripped me on the first reading, with each subsequent reading revealing further layers to appreciate. In a strong competition this year, one could have discussed crowning Hafgan or Traed yn Dŵr, but Llif 2 is the most complete and consistent in its standard. Llif 2, therefore fully deserves the Crown of the Wrecsam National Eisteddfod. Congratulations.”
Gwyneth Lewis also praises the work in her adjudication, “The subject is firmly rooted in the poem, without being overdone. There are lovely touches here, such as the poet speaking of clearing the family archive and throwing family papers into a ‘museum box’. A clear, thoughtful, and tender lyrical voice runs through the poem, and Llif 2 has the ability to encapsulate experience in just a few words.
“Writing directly and with such economy of language is not easy. The poem ends triumphantly with the assertion that ‘this is not a poem / but little pieces of stars, / petals / on a white page, / just in case.’ There is exceptional emotional and verbal care here, and it is a joy to award the Crown to Llif 2. Congratulations to him/her.”
And like his fellow judges, Siôn Aled also praises Llif 2 – although he believes two other poets were also worthy of the Crown this year – saying: “‘Anguish’ or ‘agony’ are the words is the word that come to mind when reading Llif 2’s poems. They begin seemingly innocently, even romantically, in the style of folk verses, but even here, there’s a taste of the ache, and the mention of the ‘little border’ perhaps echoes another poem about aging. Sadly, it’s not graceful aging that awaits us through the rest of the poems, but the cruel aging of dementia.
“…I consider Hafgan, Llef 2, and Traed yn Dŵr all worthy of the Crown this year, but for such a solid body of craft and piercing expression, Llef 2 takes it in my opinion, and I’m glad that all three of us as judges agree on that. Warm congratulations to Llef 2, and I truly hope the work will be widely read.”
Owain Rhys is originally from Llandwrog, near Caernarfon, but has lived in the capital since he was fourteen. He now lives in Fairwater, Cardiff, with his wife, Lleucu Siencyn, and their children, Gruffudd and Dyddgu.
After working for Amgueddfa Cymru (National Museum Wales) for over twenty years, he now works in the field of community engagement and social value.
e was a member of the Aberhafren team, which won twice on the Radio Cymru programme Talwrn y Beirdd. He has also been successful in the National Eisteddfod competitions for englyn and englynion milwr (traditional Welsh poetic forms).
He holds a degree in archaeology and an MA in Museum Studies. He loves travelling around Wales and the world to see castles, ruins, and tombs.
He has been a fan of Wrexham Football Club since the 1970s and has experienced many disappointments (and the occasional triumph!) supporting them over the years.
Since 2010, he has been a member of the Governing Body of Ysgol Gymraeg Nant Caerau and takes great pleasure in seeing pupils from the Trelái and Caerau areas of Cardiff succeed, nurtured in the school’s inclusive and supportive environment. He is also the chair of the Cardiff branch of Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg (Parents for Welsh-medium Education) and a trustee on their National Board.
The Crown was designed and produced by Neil Rayment and Elan Rowlands. These are the two who created the impressive Crown for the Rhondda Cynon Taf Eisteddfod in 2024, won by Gwynfor Dafydd for his series of poems on ‘Atgof’, ('Remembrance').
The Crown is inspired by the ancient fossils discovered in Brymbo Forest—dating back over 300 million years to the Carboniferous period. During this era, layers of plant debris, combined with flooding caused by natural events, formed the rich coal seams that would one day shape the industrial legacy of Wrecsam. These fossils serve as the symbolic bedrock of the crown—representing the deep-rooted foundations of the region’s identity.
A repeating organic pattern taken directly from fossilised forms encircles the crown. Embedded within alternating patterns are key dates that mark significant milestones in Wrecsam’s history, which include the construction of Strode House near Brymbo in 1725, and the beginning of Wrecsam’s industrial revolution in 1782 with the opening of the Bersham Ironworks, followed by the establishment of Brymbo Ironworks a decade later, and the completion of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct in 1795.
Wrexham Football Club was founded in 1864, and 157 years later, in 2021, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney bought the club. Wrexham Lager was launched in 1882, and James Idwal Jones creator of the first historical atlas of Wales, was born in 1900. By 1913 10,000 workers were employed in the colliery.
At the centre of the Crown is a reimagining of the ‘Nod y Cyfrin’ symbol, originally designed for last year’s Eisteddfod, now featuring a rugged, stone-like texture to echo the geological inspiration. The word WRECSAM is proudly set across the Crown in a bespoke font that pays tribute to the iconic “Wrexham” Hollywood-style sign unveiled in 2021.
This year’s ceremony is supported by the James Pantyfedwen Trust, and the Eisteddfod is grateful to the Trustees and organization for their generous support.
The winning poems will be published on the Eisteddfod website following the ceremony and 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 Chairing Ceremony on Friday afternoon.
The Wrecsam National Eisteddfod is held in Is-y-Coed until 9 August. For more information go online, www.eisteddfod.wales.