Representing Wales Cohort: 2025-2026

Freya Blyth is a British Greek Cypriot author based in Aberystwyth. Pre-covid, she was a librarian in the Middle-east. Freya is the owner of the multi-award-winning Bookshop by the Sea. She established The Aberystwyth Poetry Festival in 2023, and last year completed her Masters in Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. Freya is interested in exploring themes of feminine spirituality whilst developing her pamphlet of poetry.

"I’m looking forward to making new connections with authors across Wales, and developing my professional skills beyond an organiser of literary events."

Rhiannon Fielder-Hobbs is a poet from Carmarthenshire. She has also lived in London, Birmingham and the South Wales Valleys, all of which have a piece of her heart.

Rhiannon’s work has been published in Poetry Wales, The New Welsh Review, Modron Magazine and Black Bough Poetry.
In 2022 she featured on the, Just Another Poet’s “Seren Esgynnol” series. She has an MA in Creative Writing from UWTSD and has worked as a freelance writer. Diagnosed with dyscalculia as a young child, Rhiannon is passionate about access to education and the arts for all.

Rhiannon’s experience and recovery from severe maternal mental illness features frequently in her poetry, alongside explorations of feminist Welsh identity, progressive faith engagement and activism.

Rhiannon is also a singer, and a lover of jazz music.

"It will be invaluable to have a dedicated mentor. I'm also really looking forward to getting to know the other members of the cohort and developing my writing community and support network."

Gwenno Gwilym lives in Dyffryn Ogwen and enjoys writing in Welsh and English (and often a combination of the two). She gained an MA Creative Writing (English) degree with Distinction from Bangor University in 2022 and her poems have been published by Poetry Wales, Arachne Press, Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp and Barddas, among others. Gwenno was BBC Radio Cymru's Poet of the Month in 2024 and her first novel, ‘V + Fo’, was published by Gwasg y Bwthyn in November 2024.

"I look forward to having the opportunity to share my work regularly and get feedback from other writers. I'm also looking forward to seeing what everyone else has on the horizon."

Paz Koloman Kaiba is a writer, poet, and theatre maker, who’s work navigates the territories of class, solidarity, and survival, threading together raw realism with elements of surrealism, humor, and the uncanny. A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Aberystwyth University, Paz’s writing emerges from the intersections of identity, sexuality, faith, and resistance.

Paz was an Artist in Residence with National Theatre Wales’ City Socials program, working with Ukrainian refugees to explore displacement and belonging. Previous work includes A Proper Ordinary Miracle, created with Wrexham’s homeless community, and The Mute Messiah, a darkly comedic verbatim play about Britain’s benefits system. In 2024, Paz was a Platform Artist at the Hay Festival, presenting The Mute Messiah to critical acclaim.

Paz’s writing is a blend of the real and the surreal, the ordinary and the extraordinary. It is at once tender and unflinching, confronting systemic injustice with dark humor and a deep empathy.

"I am taking this programme as a unique opportunity to dive into a new direction as a writer, specifically by exploring prose writing and the craft of writing a novel. I’m also thrilled to engage with a cohort of fellow writers, all coming together in a space that’s both supportive and creative. The opportunity to share, listen, and learn from a group of like-minded individuals feels vital to my growth as a writer. The feedback, the camaraderie, the collective energy—it’s all part of the creative process I’m excited to dive into."

Mike is the son of working-class Irish immigrants who took two, sometimes three, jobs to buy his uniform to attend Grammar school. It was there that he fell in love with poetry. Although not successful at school, trade union sponsorship led to a successful academic career, a PhD from the University of Bath, visiting scholarships and Chair of international research committees. Mike has lived in Torfaen in South Wales for over 30 years where he attended a creative writing course as a treat to himself on his 70th birthday. He wrote his first poem a few weeks later. He is a member of Newport Stanza affiliated to the Poetry Society, publishing poems in its first anthology Wire: Elemental Emergency (2023); Fragments of Memories, Zero Dark Thirty Publishers (2024) and in At This Place, Poets at Barnabas (2024). He was shortlisted in the Allingham Festival Poetry Competition (2023) and received a Highly Commended place in the Poet of Pontypool competition 2022. Mike is hard of hearing. His poems are often inspired by this lived experience together with his membership of the Irish diaspora.

"Writing is so often a lonely and uncertain process. I am delighted by the prospect of involvement in a structured programme that offers the chances to learn from others to improve the quality of my work. Recognition that I have enough potential to be a part of this prestigious programme has already given my confidence a much-needed boost. This is also a great opportunity to seek insights into how to address the challenges faced by new writers to become more widely published and have their voices recognised."

Krystal S. Lowe is a Bermudian, Wales-based author, poet and screenwriter whose work explores themes of intersectional identity, mental well-being, and empowerment. Through her extensive career as a dancer and choreographer she has had the pleasure of intertwining her writing with movement to create dance theatre works for stage, public space, and film.

Krystal has written short films including ‘Daughters of the Sea’ for Ffilm Cymru, BBC Arts, BBC Cymru, and Arts Council Wales; ‘Somehow’ for Music Theatre Wales; ‘Complexity of Skin’ for the Space for BBC’s Culture in Quarantine; and ‘Seven’ for Ffilm Cymru and BFI Network Wales. Alongside her screenwriting Krystal self-published a bilingual children’s book ‘Whimsy’ which sits in libraries in Wales and Bermuda. She has written articles for Wales Arts Review’s collaboration with The Guardian, People Dancing’s Animated Magazine, and contributed to Parthian Books’ ‘Woman’s Wales?’.

Intent on sharing the joy of writing with young people, Krystal facilitated creative writing workshops for Literature Wales for their Cymru Ni programme and wrote a bilingual poem for Booktrust Big Welsh Rhyme Time 2025. Krystal is passionate about integrating access and keen to develop her bilingual writing practice. This year she has written her first bilingual play ‘Aderyn’, commissioned by the inaugural Heart of Wales Fringe Theatre Festival in Llandovery.

"I'm really looking forward to developing my relationships with other Welsh writers and the literature sector as a whole, to build my confidence in my own writing and strengthen my understanding of structures of writing."

Nadheem is a writer, poet, and facilitator based in Cardiff. He is passionate about bringing accessibility to the arts. Currently facilitating poetry sessions at a café championing queer and neurodivergent voices, he strives to bridge the gap between artistic expression and community engagement. He utilises his lived experience as a migrant to create welcoming spaces where creativity is encouraged regardless of skill or certain expertise. He has performed spoken word at events like "You're Invited" at the Cabaret in WMC, the "South Asian Heritage Month Showcase" at Chapter arts, and "The Acoustic Afternoon" for Trans Pride Cardiff. He writes for the sake of connection, by exploring diaspora, injustice, and the dramatic nature of life.

"I am hoping to bring structure to my writing, and be mentored on how to wholeheartedly tap into my potential and tackle creative anxiety. I am looking forward to the writing residentials, to meeting and interacting with my cohort, to collaborative working and gaining insights into the writing industry in Wales. Overall, I am looking forward to dedicating intentional time and space to support and nourish my writing practice, and learn and grow with others in similar stages of their writing career."

Grace O'Brien (she/they) is a Disabled/Neurodivergent, Working-Class, Welsh-Irish multidisciplinary from Rhymney in South Wales; she is a writer, actor, producer and is Artistic Director of Purple String Productions. She gained a 1st Class degree in Drama from The University of Exeter before studying at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Her acting credits include Stella (Sky 1), The Snow Queen (Sherman Theatre) and Welsh BAFTA-winning crime drama 35 Diwrnod (S4C).

As a writer, she participated in Sherman Theatre's Fresh Ink project for participants from lower socio-economic backgrounds and was granted a micro-bursary for freelancers from Theatr Clwyd, which she used to launch her company. Her writing project 'The Welsh Lxdies' has been in development since 2019 and is inspired by the Welsh Lady in Henry IV Part 1 who has no lines herself but only exists in stage directions and the perspectives of others. 'The Welsh Lxdies' is a bilingual, episodic reclamation of Womanhood, Welshness, Sexuality and Identity. The play had scratch runs at The Other Room (2022), VAULT Festival London (2023) and recently undertook R & D supported by The Arts Council of Wales for further development.

Grace participated in Literature Wales' 'Reinventing the Protagonist' course in association with Disability Arts Cymru and her writing genres largely consist of poetry, spoken-word, playtexts, memoirs and narrative fiction (sometimes all at once!).

"I am really looking forward to being immersed in writing! I am especially excited about having goals, deadlines and a structure (otherwise I oscillate between writing ten poems in a day to not writing for 3 months!). I'm so excited to learn about publishing in Wales via the workshops and hearing stories from successful writers who inspire me."

Claire Pickard grew up in Southern England but has lived in mid-Wales for over 15 years. She has an MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and a DPhil in English Literature from Oxford University.

Claire writes for the New Welsh Review and the TLS. One of her short stories won first prize in the Frome Festival Short Story Competition. She has completed a draft of her debut novel and is currently working on a collection of short stories.

"I hope the relationship with my mentor will enable me to hone and refine my literary voice and sharpen my editorial skills, while enabling me to craft some short stories that can become the basis of a collection."

Silvia Rose is a writer, tutor and freelancer, born and raised in the mountains of Eryri. Her writing ranges from prose to poetry to creative non-fiction and is largely inspired by her Welsh and Serbian roots, travel and myth. Silvia studied Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia before traveling for a number of years and working as an English teacher. Since moving back home to Wales, she has self-published her first collection of poetry, 'Spell into Being', been selected as one of Literature Wales' Emerging Welsh Writers, shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Short Story Award, and published in various anthologies, including Honno's 'Lipstick Eyebrows'.

Alongside her role as Co-Director of Inclusive Journalism Cymru, Silvia runs writing workshops helping people to develop their creative projects. She is currently working on a folkloric “Mediterranean Gothic” semi-autobiographical novella based on her time living in Granada, Spain - which she plans to have published as her first full length piece.

Silvia loves reading dark, juicy contemporary fiction, film, exploring new places and bringing people together. Heaven is strong coffee on a sunny balcony.

"I hope this opportunity will propel me on to the next level of my writing career, giving me contacts in the industry, and crucially, confidence in myself. Using the traction from publishing my first novel, I see myself contributing regularly to a range of Welsh and UK-based outlets, and taking part in international residencies and cultural exchanges, representing Welsh literature abroad and bringing back inspiration from diverse communities."

Based in the dark depths of rural Radnorshire, Ivy Femke Taylor can usually be found dissolving in a bathtub or aggressively singing along to Cheekface. She attended Aberystwyth University where she received a BA and MA in History, then spent the next ten years bouncing between careers with increasing levels of dissatisfaction. A former political campaigns organiser, journalist, third sector worker, carer, and county council desk jockey, she has finally found purpose as a creative writer and layabout. She volunteers with TransActual as a community submissions editor, and helped organise the first ever Powys Pride in 2022. Her main interests are swimming, navel gazing, and Dungeons & Dragons.

"I am most excited about the mentor and peer support aspect of the programme. Writing can be such a lonely pursuit, and while I am a solitary creature by nature, it’s not always healthy. Having the opportunity to break out of my own bubble, and to connect with other talented writers in a mutually supportive environment is absolutely priceless. It’s good for your art, and it’s good for the soul."

Lowri Hedd Vaughan (she/they) is a Regenerative Practitioner from Anglesey and passionate about the restoration of natural living systems. Her poems and short essays cover eco-feminism, relationality, resistance and transcendence. Her work has been published, exhibited and performed locally and nationally. ‘Blodeugerdd Y Stamp: Dweud y drefn pan nad oes trefn’ (Laying down the law when there is none); Triangle Project: Pontio in 2021; digital art magazine ‘Celf ar y Cyd:Cynfas #11’; International collaboration Counterpoint; Literature Across Frontiers; Creiriau live events and more. Lowri was Radio Cymru's poet of the month in August 2024. Between her community facilitation work with a climate change organisation, GwyrddNi, caring for her family and sea and mountain adventures, she hopes to publish a pamphlet of poems and complete her first novel....sometime!

"Every opportunity I have had to attend workshops and spaces with other writers has been transformative for me. The biggest challenge I have is having enough time to be able to immerse myself in the work of writing. There is often an evening here or a morning there and it is difficult to maintain the stream of thought that way. A mentor, peers and regular sessions will offer more structure, more inspiration and more accountability as I draft chapters of my novel and assemble a collection of poems."

Steffan Wilson-Jones is a writer and theatre producer from the Clwyd Valley, now living in Cardiff. He enjoys all kinds of writing, with great enthusiasm for unexpected narrative structure, Welsh identity, dark and political comedy. Steff currently works for Theatr Cymru as an Assistant Producer. He has also studied for an MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, where he was challenged to write about all kinds of subjects in many forms. His work, 'Smoking Area' was filmed as a short film in conjunction with the MMU Acting School. Steff has also worked as an Assistant Producer on the film ‘Y Sŵn’ by Roger Williams, and as a Script Editor on Pobol y Cwm. Steff loves writing in Welsh and English, composing, playing the piano, running, and singing in a choir. He is currently working on a novel and a musical. Steff is very interested in writing about relationships, Welsh politics, spirituality, religion and bilingualism, as well as investigating dark and taboo subjects through dark and absurd humour. He looks forward to writing more and more in the future, and building his skills as he develops as a writer.

"I think this programme will be a valuable experience in order to make connections with other writers, develop my craft, and be guided by experienced writers throughout the journey. The scheme will enable me to develop as a writer, and the masterclasses will be an invaluable insight into the industry in Wales and beyond, and a great way to develop as a writer and as a person in the same way. I can't wait to start!"

Gruff is a creative multi-media practitioner who works mainly in the field of drama and design. Gruff grew up in Dolgellau before moving to London to study Graphic Design and Communication at Chelsea College. He spent fifteen years in the city working as a designer. He has now settled in Cardiff where he works as a Creative Director at the BBC, responsible for the corporation's production and creative systems.

He won the Drama Medal at the National Eisteddfod 2022 in Tregaron with his first play 'Nyth'. Since then he has gone on to collaborate with Theatr Cymru and Theatr Clwyd to write 'Maes o Law' for the Ha/Ha show at the Pontypridd National Eisteddfod. He has written several episodes of the popular drama series Pobol y Cwm and part of Rondo's new writer development programme.

He won the best artwork award for his visual work on Sŵnami’s latest album and he has recently been working on creative design for Eden, Gwasg y Bwthyn and Barddas. He was responsible for the visual direction of Curiadau, the first anthology of its kind in Welsh by writers from the LGBTQ+ community launched in 2023. He is also a member of Welsh Book Council Publishing Development Sub-Committee.

"I hope the Representing Wales programme will give me confidence to develop my writing into a new medium, connect and share with a creative community, contributing and receiveing ideas and feedback, and benefit from the experience of an experienced mentor to develop my craft."