Home / Arts and Entertainment / Ex-Journalist's Abuse Poem Claims Top Eisteddfod Prize
Ex-Journalist's Abuse Poem Claims Top Eisteddfod Prize
4 Aug
Summary
- Former BBC journalist Martin Huws won a prestigious poetry prize.
- His winning poem focused on themes of abuse and violation.
- Disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards also submitted a poem.
Martin Huws, a former BBC journalist, has been awarded a prestigious prize at this year's National Eisteddfod. His winning entry was a free-verse poem that bravely tackled themes of abuse and violation. Huws described achieving this recognition at Wales' largest cultural festival as a dream come true, accompanied by a £750 reward.
The competition saw 41 poets submit works on the theme "Adnabod" (knowing or recognition). This year's Eisteddfod is being held in Llantwd, Pembrokeshire, marking 850 years since the event's inception. The festival's integrity is maintained as entries are submitted under pseudonyms, with judges unaware of the poets' identities until the announcements are made.
Adding a layer of controversy, disgraced newsreader Huw Edwards submitted a poem intended as a tribute to his father and to counter a "poisonous narrative." However, actress Sera Cracroft, a survivor of child sexual abuse, voiced criticism of Edwards' participation, stating it would have been "catastrophic" had he won.
