Papurau Aneirin Talfan Davies,

Papers of Aneirin Talfan Davies, 1911-1980, consisting of diaries, 1956-1980; papers relating to his work with the BBC, including letters and scripts, [1940s]-[1970]; correspondence, drafts and notes reflecting his literary activities, including his lectures, books, articles, libretti and his editorial duties on Barn (there is comparatively little of his poetry present), 1941-[1979]; material such as letters, radio scripts and articles relating to literary figures such as Dylan Thomas, David Jones and T. Rowland Hughes, 1937-1973; correspondence and minutes of meetings, in connection with Llyfrau'r Dryw / Christopher Davies (Publishers) Ltd., Yr Academi Gymreig, The Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music, the Welsh Arts Council, and a number of bodies within the Anglican Church in Wales, 1971-1977; letters from various prominent Welsh literary figures and successive Archbishops of Wales, 1972-1980; several volumes of press cuttings, 1911-1977; and personal papers, 1963-1974.

Aneirin Talfan Davies, OBE, MA (1909-80), was a writer and broadcaster. He was born in 1909 in Felindre, Henllan, Carmarthenshire, the son of the Rev. William Talfan Davies (1873-1938); his younger brother was Alun Talfan Davies, QC (1913-2000). He attended Gowerton Grammar School, but left aged 14 to become a pharmacist's apprentice. While working in London he became interested in literature and theology. He ran a pharmacy in Swansea from 1938 until 1941, when it was destroyed during an air raid. He began a new career with the BBC, reading and editing the Welsh-language news on radio. After the War he joined BBC Wales in Cardiff, becoming Head of Programmes,1966-1970, until his retirement. He was active in the Church in Wales as a writer and lay preacher and was involved with a number of cultural and literary bodies within Wales. His literary output included radio scripts, free metre poetry, literary criticism, mainly on English literature and theology, and lyrics and libretti with Arwel Hughes (1909-1988). He edited the magazines Heddiw and Barn, and contributed columns to Barn and the Western Mail. With his brother Alun, he co-founded Llyfrau'r Dryw, Llandybie (now Christopher Davies (Publishers) Ltd.). He wrote and edited many books including Eliot, Pwshcin, Poe (Llandybie, 1942), Yr Alltud (London, 1944), Gwyr Llên (London, 1948), Munudau Gyda'r Beirdd (Llandybie, 1954), Crwydro Sir Gâr (Llandybie, 1955), Dylan: Druid of a Broken Body (Denbigh, 1964), Gyda Gwawr a Bore (Llandybie, 1970) and two anthologies of his poetry, Y Ddau Lais (London, 1937) and Diannerch Erchwyn (Swansea: C. Davies, 1975). He married in 1936 and had two sons, Owen and Geraint. He died in 1980.

Original box order has been retained.

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Deposited by his son Mr Geraint Talfan Davies, Cardiff, 1981.

Aneirin Talfan Davies, OBE, MA (1909-80), was a writer and broadcaster. He was born in 1909 in Felindre, Henllan, Carmarthenshire, the son of the Rev. William Talfan Davies (1873-1938); his younger brother was Alun Talfan Davies, QC (1913-2000). He attended Gowerton Grammar School, but left aged 14 to become a pharmacist's apprentice. While working in London he became interested in literature and theology. He ran a pharmacy in Swansea from 1938 until 1941, when it was destroyed during an air raid. He began a new career with the BBC, reading and editing the Welsh-language news on radio. After the War he joined BBC Wales in Cardiff, becoming Head of Programmes,1966-1970, until his retirement. He was active in the Church in Wales as a writer and lay preacher and was involved with a number of cultural and literary bodies within Wales. His literary output included radio scripts, free metre poetry, literary criticism, mainly on English literature and theology, and lyrics and libretti with Arwel Hughes (1909-1988). He edited the magazines Heddiw and Barn, and contributed columns to Barn and the Western Mail. With his brother Alun, he co-founded Llyfrau'r Dryw, Llandybie (now Christopher Davies (Publishers) Ltd.). He wrote and edited many books including Eliot, Pwshcin, Poe (Llandybie, 1942), Yr Alltud (London, 1944), Gwyr Llên (London, 1948), Munudau Gyda'r Beirdd (Llandybie, 1954), Crwydro Sir Gâr (Llandybie, 1955), Dylan: Druid of a Broken Body (Denbigh, 1964), Gyda Gwawr a Bore (Llandybie, 1970) and two anthologies of his poetry, Y Ddau Lais (London, 1937) and Diannerch Erchwyn (Swansea: C. Davies, 1975). He married in 1936 and had two sons, Owen and Geraint. He died in 1980.

Title supplied from content of fonds.

A hard copy of the catalogue, in Welsh, is available at the National Library of Wales.

September 2003.

Compiled by Rhys Jones for the ANW project. The following sources were used to compile this description: NLW, Rhestr o Bapurau Aneirin Talfan Davies (Schedule of Aneirin Talfan Davies Papers); Davies, Aneirin Talfan, Yr Etifeddiaeth Dda (Llandybie, 1967); Stephens, Meic, Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales (Oxford, 1986);

Usual copyright laws apply.

Action: All records deposited at the National Library of Wales have been retained..

Accruals are not expected.

Further papers relating especially to Llyfrau'r Dryw/Christopher Davies are in his brother's papers: National Library of Wales, Papurau Alun Talfan Davies (Alun Talfan Davies Papers).

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales