On Thursday 1 June at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Llandovery, Literature Wales announced that poet and scriptwriter, Nia Morais has been selected as the next Bardd Plant Cymru, taking the baton from the current post-holder, Casi Wyn, in September.
Bardd Plant Cymru (Welsh-language Children’s Poet Laureate) is a national role which aims to spark imagination and inspire the children of Wales through poetry. The project is led by Literature Wales with the support of the Welsh Government, S4C, the Welsh Books Council and Urdd Gobaith Cymru. It was established in 2000 and 17 poets have now undertaken the role. The role is awarded every two years to a Welsh poet who is passionate about ensuring that more children and young people discover the thrill and power of literature through the medium of Welsh.
About Nia Morais
Nia Morais is a writer and playwright from Cardiff. She writes for children and adults, and her work often focuses on self-image, mental health, and magic. Nia is currently Writer in Residence at Sherman Theatre and her first full play Imrie, co-produced by Frân Wen and Sherman Theatre, is touring Wales over the summer of 2023.
As Bardd Plant Cymru, Nia’s main objective is to ensure that there are more opportunities for children and young people to discuss and write about topics that are crucial to them, and rare in Welsh literature. She is passionate about proving that the Welsh language belongs to everyone, championing individuality and encouraging positivity and respect towards our self-image.
Nia Morais, Bardd Plant Cymru 2023-2-25 said: “I’m so proud to be Bardd Plant Cymru and I can’t wait to get started. I feel very excited to return to the world of poetry after some time away, and very grateful to be able to share my time with the young people of Wales.
I love working with young people – it’s very satisfying and I get a lot of inspiration from seeing what interests them. I love writing poetry and hope to be able to create great work with the young people of Wales.”
This announcement is the culmination of a recruitment process led by Literature Wales for both the Bardd Plant Cymru and Children’s Laureate Wales roles. Writers were welcomed to apply, and a shortlist was interviewed and delivered trial workshops for schoolchildren, who fed in their opinions to the selection panels. Joining two of Literature Wales’ staff members on the selection panel for Bardd Plant Cymru were Ciarán Eynon, Chaired Poet of the Urdd Eisteddfod 2022; Dafydd Lennon, poet and presenter of Cyw, S4C’s provision for children; Bethan Mai Jones, Head of the Children’s Books department of the Books Council of Wales. Trial workshops were held with pupils at Ysgol Ciliau Parc, Lampeter.
Literature Wales will announce the name of the next Children’s Laureate Wales at the Hay Festival on Friday 2 June.
Claire Furlong, Executive Director of Literature Wales said: “Being introduced to creative writing and reading early in life can instil a life-long passion for literature. The Bardd Plant Cymru and Children’s Laureate Wales projects introduce children and young people to exciting, talented, and inspiring writers at the top of their game. Both Nia and the new Children’s Laureate Wales have a clear vision for their tenure, and we look forward to seeing them make these roles their own. Not only are they fantastic role-models, they also gift children the tools to express themselves creatively and immerse themselves in the joyfulness words can provide.”
Bethan Mai Jones, Head of the Children’s Books department of the Books Council of Wales, and member of the Selection Panel said: “It was a joy to see Nia encourage and inspire the pupils so well whilst leading the workshop. From the very beginning, there were fresh and exciting ideas, and she made quite an impression as she encouraged the children to venture and play with the Welsh language. She has a strong vision and her passion for identity and encouraging others to respect their self-image is infectious. As a result, an enthusiastic response was had when the children experimented with composing short pieces of writing, and they were eager to share these with the rest of the class. We wish her the best and look forward to working together soon.”