Rebecca Thomas wins Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for novel 'Ynys Gwales' at National Eisteddfod

Cardiff author Rebecca Thomas was awarded the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod for her Welsh-language novel "Ynys Gwales," written while she was artist‑in‑residence on Bardsey Island (Ynys Enlli). The prize, supported by the James Pantyfedwen Trust, includes a medal, £5,000 and publication of the winning work. Judges Meinir Wyn Edwards, Llwyd Owen and Lleucu Roberts praised the novel’s imaginative retelling of the Second Branch of the Mabinogi, its vivid storytelling and blend of myth, fantasy and human emotion. Thomas, a historian and Cambridge graduate, has previously won the O'r Pedwar Gwynt essay competition and published several other novels.