Twm Ebbsworth crowned winner of 2022 Denbighshire Urdd Eisteddfod main literary award

In a ceremony sponsored by Grŵp Cynefin at the 2022 Urdd Eisteddfod in Denbighshire today (Friday, 3 June), Twm Ebbsworth from Ceredigion was crowned as the festival’s Chief Prose Writer.

Osian Wynn Davies from Llanfairpwll, Anglesey (and winner of the playwright award) in second place and Elain Roberts from New Quay, Ceredigion taking third place.

Shan Lloyd Williams, Grŵp Cynefin’s Chief Executive, said: “Huge congratulations to Twm, and of course Osian and Elain. We are so proud  to have sponsored such a colourful and vibrant ceremony with real anticipation as to who the winner of a competition with such a high standard was.”

“Grŵp Cynefin offers much ‘More Than Housing’ – grants, partnerships, support, opportunities, employment and supporting a festival as dynamic as the Urdd Eisteddfod, on our doorstep, is very important to us. We are passionate about sustaining our Welsh-speaking communities and supporting our young people. I thank the Urdd for the opportunity to make a contribution to such a special event.”

The task this year was to write a piece or pieces of prose over 2,500 words on the theme ‘Llen/Llenni’ (cover/covers). Seven entries were received, and the judges, Sian Northey and Gwenno Mair Davies “really enjoyed reading every one of them.”

Sian Northey was full of praise for the winning entry: “We were in complete agreement that the first prize, and the Denbighshire Eisteddfod crown, is awarded to Pysgodyn Aur – a mature and skilled writer who led us on a wild and unusual journey. It was a very unusual piece, it was surreal and full of dark humour which appealed to the both of us from the very first reading. Congratulations.