Tudur Hallam wins the Wrecsam National Eisteddfod Chair
This is the second time the poet has received the Chair, following his success in the competition at the Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys National Eisteddfod in 2010.
The Chair is awarded for an awdl (a long poem in strict metre) or a collection of poems in full cynghanedd, using more than one of the traditional Welsh metres, up to 250 lines, on the theme “City”. The judges were Peredur Lynch, Llŷr Gwyn Lewis, and Menna Elfyn. The Chair is presented by the Farmers’ Union of Wales, and the monetary prize is sponsored by Coleg Cambria.
At the beginning of the adjudication in the Cyfansoddiadau a Beirniadaethau (Compositions and Adjudications) volume, the judges write, “This year’s theme is not unfamiliar in the history of the National Eisteddfod. One recalls the famous poem by TH Parry-Williams in Bangor in 1915. Then in Cardiff, in 1978—perhaps in the hope of receiving an equally masterful awdl—the theme for the Chair was ‘The City’. That year, the competition had to be withheld. And now, in the new city of Wrecsam, the same theme returns. But there is a difference this time: the definite article has been dropped, allowing the theme to be interpreted, quite legitimately, as a masculine noun with the old meaning of ‘fortress, stronghold’, as well as a feminine noun in its more modern sense.
“Another difference between this year and 1978: from the very beginning, it was absolutely clear to all three of us that the Chair would be awarded. At the top end, this was an exceptionally strong competition.”
In his individual adjudication, Peredur Lynch writes, “I was completely deceived by the opening cywydd of this awdl, and I believe that was the intention. We are in the company of a girls’ school football team from Carmarthenshire, and their coach is the poet. The girls from the West have just been beaten by a team from Cardiff—of all places!—in a cup final. The response is what one would expect from a brave coach from the West—cursing Cardiff to the skies, the women’s football team and the city itself! And yes, the troops need comforting and motivating to get their revenge.
“When I first read this lively opening to the awdl, I must admit my instinctive reaction was something like: ‘Very entertaining, but it’ll take more than a cheeky cywydd like this to win the National Chair.’ And then, turning to the second section, I was hit with a gut punch—the line: ‘Six months? Ten months? A little more?’
“Without warning, we are transported from the football pitch to Glangwili Hospital, where the poet receives a diagnosis of bone cancer and (it appears) metastatic cancer in the liver. I said earlier I was deceived. And life is a deceiver. One day, a football pitch full of challenge and bravado; the next, a world turned upside down.
“In deciding the winner, I kept returning to Y Gylfinir (The Curlew), again and again. So did my fellow judges. As Llŷr explains, we had an honest discussion about our motivations. Were we responding to the poem itself, or reacting with sympathy to the poet’s situation? The poem’s grip on us was the basis of our decision, and it held us for the following reason: While Pwyll and Breugel used all the resources of their brilliant creativity to craft notable awdlau, Y Gylfinir did something different. He sang a song from the deepest depths of his being, composing an awdl he never wished to write.”
Menna Elfyn said, “I hesitated for a long time before writing my response to Y Gylfinir. I reflected deeply. That’s because it is unlike any other awdl or poem I’ve seen win the Chair or the Crown at the National Eisteddfod. Other Prifeirdd have written about the death of family members or the tragic loss of friends or acquaintances, but this is the first time I’ve come across someone writing about their own condition and vulnerability—raw and without a trace of self-pity.
“The englynion milwr (a strict Welsh verse form) are so concise and serve as magnificent epigrams as the poet measures time and turns to interrogate words and time, yesterday and today, asking what a moment means in the order of a lifetime. In the final section, it becomes clear how essential poetry is to the poet—as vital as breath itself. His voice is quiet, tender, loving, and melodic as he paints a picture of life and a world that remains vivid and energetic to him.
“The closing image is beautiful: the poet doing small, seemingly insignificant but deeply important things, responding to the simplicity of a child’s life. We are left with the image of him being pulled from his thoughts by one of his children shouting, ‘Come on Dad: leave the bay to kick the ball / and drive it toward the horizon.’
“This is a poem that will undoubtedly be widely read, especially by those who are in need and hungry for poetry as balm for the heart in harsh times. That is what poetry should do—remind us of ourselves. And this poem certainly sends shivers down the spine, but also joyfully echoes what it means to live, from the mouth of a poet singing from the taut strings of his fine muse.”
Llŷr Gwyn Lewis added “When I first began reading Y Gylfinir, I felt fairly confident that I could, kindly and fairly, place the work near the top of the Second Class, and I would have fulfilled my duty. Then I continued reading into the second section and beyond, and reread the whole thing again and again, and that sense of duty and responsibility grew.
“The three of us adopted a somewhat Methodist attitude toward the work, as we accepted—almost without question—that this awdl is a truthful expression of real experience, not a product of imagination. That may be a sign of the power and honesty of the work and the way it completely convinced us (not that this kind of poetry needs to ‘convince’ at all).
“Common sense says one must try to be as objective as possible, to judge the poem on its own merits and worth, and to shut out everything else hovering around the edges of the page. Though it’s impossible to do that entirely, let it be known that it was not out of pity or sympathy that we reached our decision: it is the poem itself that demands the praise, the awdl itself that takes our breath away and draws tears—the poetry that endures.
“In truth, I would much rather Y Gylfinir had never had to write this awdl at all. He sang a song no one would ever wish to sing—but having sung it, he did so with clarity, memorability, and emotional power, drawing on all his gifts as a poet.
“I am completely certain and at peace in my mind that Y Gylfinir is the rightful winner of the Wrecsam Chair. We thank him for his courage, his honesty, and his message to us from such a terrifying and lonely place—a message that will, without doubt, bring comfort to others going through similar experiences. It will be a privilege to witness his chairing.”
Tudur Hallam lives with his wife, Nia, and their children Garan, Bedo, and Edwy in Foelgastell, Carmarthenshire.
He is Professor Emeritus at Swansea University, where he taught and conducted research in the field of Welsh.
Tudur wishes to thank his family and friends for all their expressions of love and support, especially over the past year.
In his community, he has enjoyed coaching rugby and football teams, including the Carmarthenshire under-14 girls’ football team. He would like to thank this year’s team members and his fellow coaches, Dean Williams and Steve Lewis, for their support.
In literary terms, Tudur owes a great debt to his teachers at Ysgol Gymraeg Rhydaman and Ysgol Maes yr Yrfa, his university lecturers in Aberystwyth, the talwrn teams he was part of, his colleagues and students in Swansea, his close friend Robert Rhys, and Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Winning the Urdd Literary Medal and Urdd Chair gave him the encouragement to pursue a career in literature.
In 2010, he won the National Eisteddfod Chair, and in 2019, he published a volume of poetry titled Parcio.
The inspiration for the 2025 Eisteddfod Chair comes from coal, football, aqueducts, and breweries, which represent the past, present, and future of Wrecsam.
Gafyn Owen and his business partner Sean Nelson conducted detailed research into the history and culture of the Eisteddfod’s host area before presenting their ideas.
The Chair incorporates four key landmarks associated with Wrecsam and important to local residents, Wrecsam’s coal mining history, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the city’s breweries and the local love for football
The back of the Chair reflects the arch of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, filled with three glass windows etched with the full name of the Eisteddfod. These windows also reflect the city’s churches and chapels—and possibly a window into the Eisteddfod’s future.
The top of the Chair is inspired by the roof shape of the Racecourse Ground, Wrecsam’s football stadium. These lines are subtle but strong enough to make an impression, nodding to the football element that has gained significant attention in recent years. The seat is covered in red fabric, representing the football team’s colours.
Another important element of the city’s heritage is the coal industry, and the Chair pays tribute to the tragic Gresford Colliery disaster of 1934. The designers used the wheel shapes from the mining memorial in Gresford to reinforce the Chair’s arms, symbolising how the local mining community supported one another after the tragedy.
Wrecsam’s historic breweries are world-renowned, and many of the city’s buildings and architecture reflect the industry’s influence over the years—including the tall chimney in the city centre. The front legs of the Chair follow the hexagonal shape of the chimney—again, subtly—acknowledging this history. It’s also noted that the modern Eisteddfod has been held in Wrecsam six times previously.
This year’s Chairing Ceremony is supported by the James Pantyfedwen Trust, and the Eisteddfod is deeply grateful to the trustees and the organisation for their generous support.
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 Wrecsam National Eisteddfod runs until 9 August. For more information go to www.eisteddfod.wales.