Ifor ap Glyn facts for kids

Ifor ap Glyn (born in 1961) is a talented Welsh television presenter and Welsh-language poet. From 2016 to 2022, he held the special role of National Poet of Wales. This important position means he was the official poet for the whole country.

Early Life and Education

Ifor ap Glyn was born in London, England. He grew up in a family where Welsh was spoken, which helped him become a great Welsh-language poet. He later studied at Cardiff University in Wales. As an adult, he moved to different parts of Wales, living in Denbighshire and then Caernarfon.

A Career in Poetry

Ifor ap Glyn is mostly known for writing poems in Welsh. However, he has also written some poems in English. In 2018, he released a book called Cuddle Call? This book was special because it had both Welsh and English versions of his poems side-by-side.

He has won a very important poetry award called the Crown at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. This is a huge festival in Wales that celebrates Welsh culture. He won this award twice, first in 1999 and again in 2013! In 1999, he even performed at a concert to celebrate the opening of the Senedd, which is the Welsh Parliament.

In 2008, Ifor ap Glyn became the Bardd Plant Cymru. This means he was the Children's Poet Laureate for Wales for a year. He also had the chance to represent Wales twice at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in the USA. This shows how well-known his work is around the world.

From TV to National Poet

Before he became a famous poet and writer for plays, Ifor ap Glyn worked in television. He was a producer and wrote scripts for TV shows. He also worked a lot with a theatre company called Cwmni Dda. He was even in charge of making a documentary film called Cysgod Rhyfel (which means The Shadow of War) in 2014. This film looked at how conflict affects soldiers and their families.

On March 1, 2016, Ifor ap Glyn was chosen to be the National Poet of Wales. He took over from another great poet, Gillian Clarke. During his time as National Poet, he wrote poems in both Welsh and English. He wrote about many important events, like:

• The 20th birthday of the Senedd (Welsh Parliament).
• The 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
• When the Wales football team qualified for the Euro 2016 tournament.
• The 80th anniversary of the Mynydd Epynt eviction.
• The reopening of the home of the poet Hedd Wyn.
• The 2017 UEFA Champions League Final being held in Cardiff.

He also wrote poems to help people. He wrote for patients at Velindre Cancer Centre, to support a charity helping with the Indonesia Tsunami, and to welcome Syrian refugees to Wales.

Ifor ap Glyn was the National Poet of Wales for six years. His time in this role ended in 2022. He was followed by Hanan Issa, another poet whom Ifor ap Glyn greatly admired. He said she would bring "a fresh voice to the national conversation."

Works for Television

Ifor ap Glyn has also been a presenter on several television shows:

• Ar Lafar (2011)
• The Toilet: An Unspoken History (2012)
• Pagans and Pilgrims: Britain's Holiest Places (2013)