Past Powys pupil declared Chief Bard at Urdd Eisteddfod

06 June 2023

A past Powys pupil has won a prestigious award at the 2023 Urdd Eisteddfod, the county council has said.

Last week, Tegwen Bruce-Deans from Llandrindod Wells was declared Chief Bard, winning the Eisteddfod Chair, at the Carmarthenshire Urdd Eisteddfod.

Tegwen was born in London, moving to Llandrindod when she was two years old. She is a past pupil of Ysgol Trefonnen and Builth Wells High School (now known as Ysgol Calon Cymru) and graduated in Welsh from Bangor University. She now works as a researcher for BBC Radio Cymru.

Under the pseudonym 'Gwawr', Tegwen competed alongside 11 other poets who were tasked with composing a poem or a series of poems in strict metre or vers libre, of no more than 100 lines on the theme 'River'.

Cllr James Gibson-Watt, Leader and Cabinet Member for an Open and Transparent Powys, said: "Congratulations must go to Tegwen for such a fantastic achievement. The Chief Bard is one of the most prestigious awards at the Urdd Eisteddfod and it's amazing to have a Powys pupil taking home the Eisteddfod Chair.

"With the Urdd Eisteddfod being held in Montgomeryshire next year, I look forward to hopefully seeing another Powys name taking home the title."

 

Photo: Tegwen Bruce-Deans, Chief Bard of the 2023 Carmarthenshire Urdd Eisteddfod.

Photo Credit: Urdd Gobaith Cymru