Dic Jones facts for kids

Dic Jones (born Richard Lewis Jones) was a well-known Welsh poet. He was born on March 30, 1934, and passed away on August 18, 2009. He was also the Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. This is a very important cultural festival in Wales.

Life and Work

Dic Jones was born in a place called Tre'r-ddôl in Ceredigion, Wales. His father was a farmer. Dic Jones also became a farmer himself. He farmed about 85 acres of land at Fferm yr Hendre. This farm was in Blaenannerch near Aberporth. He once said about his life, "I farm for bread and butter; I write for some jam on it." This means farming was his main job. Writing was his passion and made life more enjoyable.

Early Writing Success

Jones started his writing journey at the Urdd eisteddfod. This is a special festival for young people in Wales. He was very good at a type of Welsh poetry called cynghanedd. This style uses special sounds and rhymes. He won the main poetry prize five times in his twenties.

In 1966, he won the top prize at the National Eisteddfod. This prize is called the Chairing of the Bard. He won it for a long poem called an awdl. His winning poem was titled "Cynhaeaf," which means "Harvest."

Life on Television

In 1968, a TV channel called HTV filmed Dic Jones and his family. This was one of the first "reality television" shows in Britain. They followed him, his wife Jean, and their three children. Their children were Delyth, Rhian, and Dafydd. The film showed their two-week holiday in San Antonio, Ibiza.

Becoming Archdruid

Dic Jones had a special bardic name, "Dic yr Hendre." In 2007, he became the Archdruid. This is the leader of the Gorsedd of Bards. The Gorsedd is a group of poets, writers, and musicians. They play a big part in the National Eisteddfod. He led the 2008 Eisteddfod in Cardiff. Sadly, he was too unwell to attend the 2009 event in Bala.

Published Works

Dic Jones wrote many books of poetry. Here are some of his published works: