Geraint Bowen (poet) explained

Dr. Geraint Bowen (10 September 1915 – 16 July 2011) was a Welsh language poet, academic and political activist.

Born in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, he was the son of Thomas Orchwy Bowen and Ada Bowen nee Griffiths,[1] the brother of the poet Euros Bowen and nephew of the Carmarthenshire minister David Bowen.[2]

Bowen was brought up in New Quay, Cardiganshire, after his father, Orchwy, became the minister there at Towyn chapel. From grammar school at Aberaeron, he went on to study at University College, Cardiff. After graduating in 1938 in economics and politics, he went on to take an MA in Celtic Studies at the University of Liverpool. Bowen's doctoral thesis was a study of recusant literature in south-east and north-east Wales, and he wrote extensively on this subject and other aspects of Welsh religious history during his academic career. Amongst works published by Bowen were an edition of the recusant Robert Gwyn's Gwssanaeth y gwyr newydd (1970), an edition of Y Drych Kristnogawl (1996) and a history of the Welsh Mormons during the nineteenth century, Ar Drywydd y Mormoniaid (1999). Despite his interest in religious literature and history, he was an avowed atheist.

He was an outspoken Welsh nationalist, and during the Second World War became a conscientious objector, working in farming as an alternative to military service. He stood against Labour, as Plaid Cymru candidate for Wrexham in the 1950 General Election.[3] In 1944, he came to live with his parents in Towynfa[4] in New Quay, where Dylan Thomas was temporarily living in house called Majoda; it has been speculated that Bowen's father, Orchwy, was the inspiration for the Reverend Eli Jenkins in Under Milk Wood.[5]

In 1946, Bowen won the bardic chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales in Mountain Ash, for his "Awdl Foliant i'r Amaethwr",[6] In 1977 he became editor of Y Faner,[3] and from 1978 to 1981 he presided over the Eisteddfod ceremonies as Archdruid. As Archdruid he was heavily involved in the campaign to force the government to create the promised Welsh-language television channel S4C.[7]

He was also a campaigner against the dumping of nuclear waste and was chairman of the campaign group MADRYN (Welsh: Mudiad Amddiffyn Dulas Rhag Ysbwriel Niwcliar) in the early 1980s.[8] [9]

In 1947, he married the author, translator and activist, Zonia Margarita North.[10] They had two sons and two daughters.[3]

Works

Poetry

Autobiography

Books

Notes and References

  1. FreeBMD, marriage on December 1900 Pontypridd
  2. s2-BOWE-DAV-1874. BOWEN, DAVID ('Myfyr Hefin '; 1874 - 1955), minister (B) and editor. Glyn Rhys. Hughes. 2001.
  3. News: Stephens . Meic . Meic Stephens . Geraint Bowen: Archdruid of Wales who campaigned against nuclear dumping and championed Welsh-language television . . 5 August 2011 . London.
  4. 1945 Register of Electors
  5. See D.N. Thomas (2002) The Dylan Thomas Trail, pp60-61, Y Lolfa, with a photo of Orchwy Bowen. See also: Jasper Rees (2014) T. James Jones on Dylan Thomas, August, Wales Arts Review.
  6. Web site: Winners of the Chair. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019. 6 March 2020. 13 February 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210213204407/https://eisteddfod.wales/archive/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair. dead.
  7. Book: Carn. 1976. Celtic League. 36.
  8. Book: Peace News for Nonviolent Revolution. 1983. Peace News, Limited. 10.
  9. Web site: Postcard . . 7 June 2023.
  10. [:cy:Zonia Bowen]

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