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DYLAN

THOMAS

A Year of Celebration

n 2012 the Welsh the Welsh fishing village membered in the United 1950s. The seventeenth
Government an- where he lived and worked States with a number of annual Dylan Thomas Fes-
nounced that 2014 for many years. His wife is dedicated events to cele- tival takes place from 27
J would be a Year of buried in the same grave brate the poet. October to 9 November to
throughout
and her name appears
Celebration coincide with the dates of
the world for the cente- on the reverse side of the In Swansea, a focal point his birth and death.
nary of the birth of poet cross. On 1 March 1982 a for the celebration, is the
and writer Dylan Thomas. sculpted green Penryhn Dylan Thomas Museum From childhood he strug-
Born on 27 October 1914 in memorial stone with an considered to be the most gled all his life from bron-
the industrial seaport city inscription from his poem important building from chitis and asthma. In later
of Swansea, he has been Fern Hill was unveiled his lifetime as the house years he acquired a repu-
hailed as one of the most in Poet's Corner in West- where he was born and tation which he fostered
important poets of the minster Abbey, London. A lived for twenty-three as a "roistering drunken
twentieth century whose replica of the Westminster years. A separate project and doomed poet". He
lyrics rank among the most Abbey plaque is placed in is a new statue cast in died intestate with assets
powerful and captiva- St. Martin's Church. bronze to be placed near of around £100. His trou-
ting of modern poetry. He the house where he lived. bled and Bohemian-style
wrote poetry while still at Dylan Thomas' work and In 2004 the Dylan Thomas marriage was fuelled by
school and later worked as stature as a poet are exten- Prize was created in his alcohol and infidelity, but
a journalist before moving sively documented and honour and awarded to the the relationship survived.
to London. In 1934 his first chronicled by scholars, best published writer in In a memoir published in
volume was published; literary critics and com- English under the age of 30. 1982 Caitlin described her
then Collected Poems was mentators, including his In 2005 the Dylan Thomas relationship with Dylan
published in 1952. Among biographers. He disliked Screenplay Award was es- as "predominantly a drink
his many works the voice being regarded as a pro- tablished. Administered by story because without the
play Under Milk Wood is vincial poet and decried the Dylan Thomas Centre, first-aid of drink it could
one of his best known. In any notion of "Welshness" the Prize is awarded at the never have got onto its
1937 he married Caitlin in his poetry, noted for its annual Swansea Bay Film rocking feet". Prophetic
Macnamara and they had lyricism, and said to be in- Festival. The Dylan Tho- words attributed to the
two sons and a daughter. fluenced by other writers mas Theatre in Swansea poet: "The day will come
including William Butler is also a reputed cultural when the name Dylan
He died in New York on 9 Yeats and the verbosity of landmark. Thomas will be echoed
November 1953 during an James Joyce. from shore to shore. Only
extensive literary and lec- To mark the centenary of I won't be around to
turing tour and his body To honour his work, life his birth, the Dylan Tho- hear it."
was returned to Wales for and legacy, an eclectic mix mas Centre held a newly
burial. A lengthy obituary of events took place at ma- upgraded exhibition. It Ita Margtit
by his fellow Welsh poet jor venues across the home displayed unique items
and long-time friend, Ver- town of Swansea's famous and memorabilia associa-
non Watkins, appeared in son. They included talks, ted with his writings and
The Times of London on workshops, exhibitions a black-and-white collec-
10 November 1953. His fi- and performances of his tion of photographs, some
nal resting place is marked work to honour probably dating from the late 1930s
with a simple wooden the most famous and cele- when he was newly mar-
cross in the churchyard of brated writer that Wales ried and another set taken
St. Martin's, Laugharne, ever produced. He is re- in New York in the early

Culture 37