Osian wins Urdd Eisteddfod 2018 chair

Osian Owen: Winner of the Urdd Eisteddfod chairThe winner of the Urdd Eisteddfod at Brecon and Radnor 2018 is Bangor University student, Osian Owen, from Felinheli. He competed under the pseudonym, Afallon.

He is a proud former pupil of Ysgol y Felinheli, Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen, Caernarfon and Ysgol Glanaethwy. He is currently studying at the School of Welsh, is hoping to graduate in July, and then go on to pursue a Masters degree in Creative Writing from September.

Adjudicators Gruffudd Antur and Mari Lisa said: "Afallon has created a sequence of five poems, and is a poet who has successfully expressed and touched us with his imagery.”

Osian said that he is fortunate to have been mentored by some of Wales' best writers during his time at Bangor University, and is currently attending ‘cynghanedd’ lessons in Galeri Caernarfon under the tutorial of poet Rhys Iorwerth.

Poetry is a fairly recent interest to Osian, whose main interest has always been prose, becoming third in the competition for the Urdd crown last year.

He won his first chair in November of last year, and ‘did the double’ – the crown and chair - at the Lampeter Inter-colleges Eisteddfod in March.

He says that he does not have the slightest idea of ​​what he wants to do after graduating. He has a real interest in writing, reading, and politics, but is currently living one day at a time!

Publication date: 1 June 2018