The event formed part of Barddoniaeth Colled | Poetry of Loss, a year-long project commemorating the First World War and Welsh poet Hedd Wyn, who was killed on the battlefields of Flanders in 1917 just a few weeks before he was posthumously awarded the Bardic Chair at the National Eisteddfod.
The evening in Brussels explored the life and work of Hedd Wyn and other poets of the First World War as well as presenting contemporary responses to their work. The line-up included: National Poet of Wales, Ifor ap Glyn; Flemish poet, critic and essayist Geert Buelens; writer and musician Gwyneth Glyn; poet and academic Nerys Williams; and multi-award winning novelist Patrick McGuinness. Literature Wales’ Chief Executive Lleucu Siencyn opened the event.
Photos from the evening can be viewed here:
Barddoniaeth Colled | Poetry of Loss is delivered by Literature Wales, funded by the Welsh Government’s Cymru’n Cofio Wales Remembers 1914-1918 First World War Centenary Programme, and in partnership with the Government of Flanders and Snowdonia National Park Authority.
Ahead of the event First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, said: “While the world lost a great Welsh talent when Hedd Wyn was killed aged just 30 years old, his legacy lives on in his poems and manuscripts. It is important to remember the sacrifice made by Hedd Wyn and his fellow soldiers, who were tragically killed on the battlefields of Flanders one hundred years ago. They will never be forgotten. I wish everybody involved in the event every success for a fascinating evening.”
Read our commemorative brochure below to discover more about the event at Passa Porta, the evening’s speakers, and the wider Poetry of Loss programme.