Meic Stephens


Meic Stephens was a Welsh literary editor, journalist, translator, and poet.

Birth and education

Meic Stephens was born on 23 July 1938 in the village of Treforest, near Pontypridd, Glamorgan. He studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, graduating in 1961, at the University of Rennes, Brittany, and the University College of North Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd.

Career

From 1962–1966 he taught French at Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire. In Merthyr Tydfil he established the Triskel Press and in 1965 he began the periodical, Poetry Wales. He learnt Welsh as an adult, and became a member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Cymraeg and of Plaid Cymru.
After working for the Western Mail for almost a year, from 1967–1990 Stephens was literature director of the Welsh Arts Council. Before retiring he was professor of Welsh Writing in English at the University of Glamorgan. He was also a visiting professor in the English department of Brigham Young University.
Stephens is credited as the first person to create the Cofiwch Dryweryn graffiti near Llanrhystyd, Ceredigion. This painted slogan has come to be regarded as an unofficial 'national landmark' commemorating Capel Celyn, a Welsh speaking village near Bala, that was destroyed by the construction of the Llyn Celyn reservoir in the early 1960s.

Writings

Stephens wrote many articles about literature in Wales for the Western Mail, as well as obituaries of eminent Welsh people for The Independent. He took a particular interest in the life and work of Rhys Davies, the novelist and short story writer, and founded and served as secretary of the Rhys Davies Trust, which promoted the writing of short fiction in Wales.
Stephens' works include:
Stephens was honoured as a Fellow of Aberystwyth University in 2018.

Death

Stephens died in Cardiff on 2 July 2018. He had four children, his son Huw Stephens is a radio presenter.