Between the 8th of June and the 6th of July, poet and broadcaster Ifor ap Glyn (‘The Toilet – an Unspoken History’; ‘Pagans and Pilgrims: Britain’s Holiest Places’; ‘Dylan Thomas-a Poet at War’) will be walking from Cardiff to his home in Caernarfon, doing a gig each time he stops, in the company of local poets or musicians, with the proceeds going to a local charity – 24 in total.

On the fourth week of his trek, he’ll be with us in Barmouth. Come down to the Dragon Theatre, by 8pm on Thursday the 29th of June – for a trilingual evening of poems, and a song or two with Ifor and artist and poet Audrey West! Audrey was born in Jamaica, and probing the impact of slavery on today’s society is an important theme in her work. This will be a unique opportunity to hear poems in Welsh Wnglish and Jamaican with translation supplied as necessary.

The next day Ifor will head north to Llanbedr – but why undertake such a long walk? According to Ifor, ‘this was something I originally wanted to do to round off my time as National Poet of Wales (2016-22). I liked the idea of performing in some unfamiliar venues such as the Blue Scar Club in Pontrhydyfen, or the Magic Lantern in Tywyn – but it would also be a chance to revisit places that have some personal significance for me. My father had family in Barmouth – and I’m looking forward to appearing at the Dragon Theatre again!’

But there is another reason for walking 270 miles from Cardiff to Caernarfon, as Ifor explains: ‘Sha thre/ Am adra’ means ‘heading for home’ and I’ll be walking until I reach my home in Caernarfon. However millions of people are currently walking similar distances: from Syria to Lebanon, from Eritrea to Sudan, from Ukraine to Poland, in the hope that they too will find a home at their journey’s end’.

“As well as supporting local good causes along the way, I’m also keen to draw attention to the plight of these refugees and you can support the work of the Welsh Refugee Council by following this link and making a donation:”
    Ofor ap Glyn

Thursday 29th June 2023 @ 7pm

Admission to the event is free but we will be taking a collection at the end, the proceeds of which will go to the Dragon Theatre.