The Children's Poet Laureate is a joint scheme between S4C, The Welsh Books Council, The Welsh Academy, The Welsh Language Board and Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Its aims are to raise the profile of poetry amongst young people and to encourage them to create and enjoy poetry. Former laureates are Dewi Pws Morris, Twm Morys, Ifor ap Glyn, Caryl Parry-Jones, Gwyneth Glyn, Mererid Hopwood, Tudur Dylan Jones, Ceri Wyn Jones, Menna Elfyn, Mei Mac and Myrddin ap Dafydd.
The Children's Poet Laureate for 2011-13 is Eurig Salisbury
It has been announced from the stage of the Urdd Gobaith Cymru National Eisteddfod in Swansea, that the next Wales’ Children's Poet Laureate is Eurig Salisbury, from Aberystwyth.
Eurig will hold the post of Wales’ Children’s Laureate for two years. On behalf of the scheme’s partners, Lleucu Siencyn, Acting Chief Executive of Llenyddiaeth Cymru Literature Wales says: "Wales’ Children’s Laureate is an established post, and over the years thousands of children from all over Wales have enjoyed poetry sessions with some of Wales’ finest poets. Every Laureate feels that the year flies by, and through extending the term of the Laureate we hope to develop the scheme and introduce new elements. Over the coming two years, as well as visiting schools, Eurig will take part in activities such as S4C’s Calon Cenedl campaign and Welsh Book Council’s Communities Reading scheme. Extending his time in the post will give even more children the opportunity to enjoy poetry with Eurig."
Eurig was born in Cardiff, but the family moved to Llangynog near Carmarthen when he was six years old. He was educated at Ysgol Gynradd Melin Gruffudd,Ysgol Gynradd y Dderwen and Ysgol Gyfun Bro Myrddin, before studying Welsh and Film and Television Studies at Aberystwyth University.
Eurig is a Research Fellow at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies and the partners are thankful to his employers for releasing him periodically from his work to fulfil this role.
His interest in poetry started while studying the works of Dic Jones, Gerallt Lloyd Owen and others at school. He taught himself to 'cynganeddu' (write poetry in strict meter) aged 13, with the help of Myrddin ap Dafydd's Clywed Cynghanedd. He won the Chair at the Urdd National Eisteddfod in Dengigh in 2006, and has come second three times running for the Chair at the National Eisteddfod.
He has published a collection of poems, Llyfr Glas Eurig (Eurig’s Blue Book) and a collection of children’s poetry - Sgrwtsh!.
Eurig says: "It’s a great honour to be asked to work with Wales’ little poets. I was a little poet myself once, even though I didn’t realise at the time, and I used to really enjoy reading silly poems. To be honest, the poems I most remember are those of my predecessor. Dewi Pws’ poems are full of fun, and my aim is to make sure that Wales’ children have the same amount of fun with me over the next two years. But I do hope that my hair will not follow the same route as Mr Pws’ by the end of my term at Wales’ Children’s Laureate!"
Past Children's Poets Laureate