Bryn Jones is this year’s winner of the Prose Medal, in a competition that attracted 16 entrants.
The theme for this year’s competition was a volume of creative prose of no more than 40,000 words on the subject “Border | Borders.” The judges were Aled Lewis Evans, Bethan Mair, and Elin Llwyd Morgan.
The medal was presented in memory of the Honourable Dafydd Hughes, who spent many happy years in Wrecsam with his family—Ann Tegwen, Catrin, Mari, Gerallt, and Ann Lloyd—and the monetary prize of £750 was sponsored by Bangor University.
Aled Lewis Evans said in his adjudication, “A volume of wide-ranging micro-literature, crafted with subtlety. There is heart, frustration, and true talent in this work. The author is immersed in everyday situations and has a broad-minded perspective. The work is divided into four sections, and the spoken language is evident and appropriate to the context. It’s clear the author understands the nuances of the medium, which speaks volumes. A skilful writer—entertaining, lively, and full of unfiltered expression. There is an ability here to get under the skin of a range of contemporary situations, as well as pieces that prompt us to question.
“There are pieces of all of us in this volume—with the subtlety of pieces like Ffotosynthesis. Place names and Welsh identity are prominent themes, and many of the pieces end with striking closing lines that anchor them. Everyday life in our contemporary society is elevated in this volume, along with the emotions and visions of ordinary people. I believe it will appeal to a wide range of readers. The irony of modern situations is presented plainly. The author is very versatile—one moment offering a very real view of chapels in Tŷ fy Nhad, but always with an awareness of both sides of every story.
We, the judges, have had a rewarding and memorable journey with a distinguished writer in a satirical and at times biting volume, but one that is also entirely artistic and original.”
Elin Llwyd Morgan added, “According to the author’s own definition, what we have here is ‘a collection of prose that cannot be labelled according to conventional forms.’ This is not self-praise. On the contrary, in the very first piece—Beirniadaeth—he tears apart his own work as if doing so from our perspective as judges, concluding: ‘To end on a positive note, it’s a blessing that Trilliw Bach is significantly under the word count allowed for the competition.’
“… the work as a whole is a delightful pick-and-mix that can be read in full or dipped into. Alongside humour and boldness, there is tenderness and genuinely poetic touches. I hope this will be a volume that makes a strong impression, as well as sparking much discussion. For that reason, and because my fellow judges and I kept returning to it again and again, Trilliw Bach takes the Medal this year.”
Bethan Mair noted in her adjudication, “Trilliw Bach wants us to see and hear it, and doesn’t care one bit if it offends or upsets while drawing attention to itself. This volume is irreverent, timely, throwing explosive material in all directions without concern for where the grenades land or who might be hurt, and it’s brimming with humour, writing talent, and excitement. The author has even written his own adjudication—perhaps to save us the trouble, or to ensure it gets one, in light of last year’s Eisteddfod events. It’s bold, occasionally abrasive, a sweet balm of tenderness at other times, but through it all, a writer from head to toe.
“Not every piece in the volume will appeal to everyone—in fact, I hope some will make readers feel very uncomfortable—but Trilliw Bach offers a vision of today’s Wales that must be shared. My fellow judges and I agree that this is the volume everyone will read, discuss, and weigh up in the weeks and months to come. Let Trilliw Bach be awarded the Medal.”
Bryn Jones was raised in a supportive household in Llanberis, and he regularly visits his close family who still live there. He has now settled in Bangor, living just a stone’s throw from the former site of Ysbyty Dewi Sant, where he was born.
He was educated at Ysgol Dolbadarn, Llanberis, where his interest in Welsh and English literature was sparked by a number of enthusiastic teachers. He received his secondary education at Ysgol Brynrefail, Llanrug, where he came under the influence of his Welsh teacher, the late Alwyn Pleming, who introduced him to the foundations of the Welsh language and the richness of its literature. In 1982, he graduated in Welsh from Bangor University, and benefited from attending creative writing lectures led by the late Professor Gwyn Thomas.
Bryn has spent his career in education. He began as a teacher at Ysgol Gynradd Llanfawr, Holyhead, in 1983, and enjoyed a happy period living in the town before being appointed Deputy Headteacher at Ysgol y Gelli, Caernarfon, in 1989.
In 1995, he began his role as a Lecturer in Education at the Normal College (later the School of Education at Bangor University). He considered it a privilege to work alongside kind and talented lecturers and was fortunate to earn a doctorate based on his research into bilingual education in Wales.
He is grateful for his early literary experiences in local eisteddfodau such as Eisteddfod Gadeiriol Llanrug (1983) and Eisteddfod Gadeiriol y Groeslon (1992, 1995), and he benefited from attending literary courses at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre during the 1990s. He is also grateful to Professor Gerwyn Wiliams for publishing some of his early creative writing in the literary magazine Taliesin.
Among his other interests are genealogy and outdoor activities, including mountain walking, cycling, and skiing. He also enjoyed skydiving—with a parachute! Recently, he has returned to writing and is looking forward to the publication of his first volume of prose, Cuddliwio.
His success follows that of another former Ysgol Brynrefail pupil, Eurgain Haf, originally from Penisarwaun, who won the Prose Medal in Rhondda Cynon Taf last year.
The full adjudication will be available in the Cyfansoddiadau a Beirniadaethau, published at the end of the Chairing Ceremony on Friday afternoon. Bryn’s winning volume will be available to buy at the end of this ceremony.
The Wrecsam National Eisteddfod lasts until Saturday 9 August. For more information go online, www.eisteddfod.wales.