Welsh market town set to host bilingual literary festival

A bilingual literary festival will see a mid Wales town come to life as Welsh readers, writers and poets come together next month.

Amdani, Fachynlleth will take place on 31 March – Sunday 2 April in the market town of Machynlleth in a weekend of events that celebrate Welsh culture, cooking and travel.

The idea for the festival was the brainchild of Wynnstay Hotel owners Charles Dark and Sheila Simpson and was inspired by the life of late Welsh historian, author and travel writer, Jan Morris.

Machynlleth has hosted some of Wales’ most-loved events over the years including classical music festival Gwyl Machynlleth in the Tabernacle, the Folk Festival and the popular Comedy Festival.

Following the success of such festivals, the team at the Wynnstay Hotel saw a gap in the market for one focusing on travel.

The bilingual festival will bring together readers, writers, poets and artists from across Wales and will draw in visitors from over the border.

Powerful

Opening the festival on March 31 will be art historian Peter Lord and historian of music, Rhian Davies with a lavishly illustrated talk in the company of book designer Isobel Gillan and harpist Rhian Bebb.

In the evening Swper Y Beirdd / Poetry for Supper will bring together a powerful host of poets to chase away the winter blues and welcome Spring with events from Grug Muse, Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch and Judith Musker Turner and music by Gwilym Morus Baird.

Author Carwyn Graves will be among those to attend the weekend and will recount some of the tasty highlights of his travels researching his latest book, Welsh Food Stories along with writer Simon Brooks who will talk about the history of ideas in Welsh-language culture.

Tickets are £5 per person, per event and can be purchased via Eventbrite or bought directly from Pen’rallt, Senedd-dy and Literary Cat Bookshops in Machynlleth.