As the Tafwyl festival celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year, Swansea University's Academi Hywel Teifi will be sponsoring the festival's Llais (Voice) platform once again, and will present a series of virtual literary events for people of all ages.
The main digital festival events will take place on Saturday 15 May, with the week-long fringe events taking place between 8-16 May. All events are free, and all will be streamed online, with highlights broadcast on S4C.
Among the events to be presented by Academi Hywel Teifi, actor Andrew Teilo will be in conversation with his tutor, Dr Tudur Hallam, in Yr Actor a’i Sori (The Actor and His Story), discussing his desire to become a writer and how he produced a collection of short stories to gain an MA degree from the Department of Welsh at Swansea University. Andrew will discuss his creative journey into the world of the short story and introduce the audience to a few new characters and stories.
In the Hanes Cymry session, Dr Simon Brooks from the University's School of Management will present his volume Pwy yw'r Cymry? (Who Are the Welsh?), the first volume about the history of ethnic minorities in Welsh-speaking Wales published by the University of Wales Press in June. Dr Brooks will discuss the history of the Welsh language as a multi-ethnic language, considering the history of Welsh gypsies, the Irish in Wales, the multi-ethnicity of the countryside and racism against black people. Dr Brooks will be questioned by Dr Gwennan Higham, an expert on minority languages, multiculturalism and citizenship at Swansea University’s Department of Welsh.
Dr Gwenno Ffrancon, director of Academi Hywel Teifi, said: "Academi Hywel Teifi is delighted to be sponsoring Tafwyl’s Llais (Voice) platform once again this year. We wish the festival every success as it celebrates its fifteenth year, and look forward to enjoying the offer of discussions, conversations, music and more. Tafwyl is a special festival for promoting the Welsh language and celebrating our Welshness, and it is a privilege to have a platform at the festival to share the work and expertise of Swansea University's students, scholars, alumni and bright friends."