This year’s Annual Cymdeithas Waldo Lecture will be held on Aberystwyth University campus on Friday, September 27 and will be delivered by Menna Elfyn from Carmarthen. Menna is well-known for her series of poetry volumes usually containing translations of the original Welsh poems.
A volume entitled ‘Bloedd’ (Shout) containing translations into Arabic is her latest. As a result she receives regular invitations to read her work at literary events across the world. Another volume of her own work entitled ‘Parch’ (Respect) will soon be published by Bloodaxe.
She is also working on a volume of translations of Waldo’s poetry hopefully to be published next year. Indeed her translation of the poem ‘Preseli’ was read by Siôn Jenkins at a concert held at Pisga Chapel, Llandysilio, on Friday, May 10. It was at the concert the first performance of composer Eric Jones’ treatment of the poem ‘Preseli was sung by Côr Cymysg Crymych.
No doubt Menna will have much to say about Waldo’s mind-set following her efforts to interpret his thoughts and possibly some family anecdotes about the poet himself.
The lecture will be held at Tŷ Trafod on the Penglais Campus. Refreshments will be served at 4 o’clock and the lecture will begin at 5 o’clock. It is advisable to book your seat beforehand as mentioned on the advert below.
A volume containing all the lectures delivered so far will also be on sale.
Cymdeithas Waldo opposes the development at Brawdy
Cymdeithas Waldo has added its voice to oppose locating huge radar dishes at Brawdy near St Davids.
As part of an international agreement between Britain, Australia and the United States it is proposed to locate what is known as ‘Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability’ (DARC) on the St David’s peninsula.
The purpose of the 27 radar dishes, measuring 15 metres in width and 27 metres in height, will be to find and destroy ‘enemy’ satellites in space.
It is envisaged this could lead to several dangerous scenarios:
- create tons of debris circulating in space thus increasing the likelihood of accidents.
- endangering the health of people living in close proximity to the sources of radiation such as this radar camp and hence increasing the risk of developing cancerous ailments and other related illnesses.
- as it is obvious one of the main aims of the project is to ensure the military supremacy of the United States in space, it would undoubtedly increase the possibility of space wars and hence the world would be even more less safe than it is at the moment.
The pressure group PARC against DARC has already taken a lead in forming an opposition and will lobby the authorities not to give the development any planning permissions.
It was a comparatively easy decision for Cymdeithas Waldo to add its voice to the opposition on considering Waldo’s convictions as a pacifist and what the peninsula means in the context of our patron saint, David.