Llanelli Authors
Huw Edwards John Edwards Joyce Mollet Benita Afan Rees
Here are a few local authors who have written books about Llanelli
Huw was raised in Llangennech, Llanelli, the son of Hywel Tefi Edwards (d. January, 2010), who was a former Professor of Welsh specialising in 19th century history and the National Eisteddfod. Huw’s mother taught English at Llanelli Girls’ Grammar School and Huw attended Llanelli Boys’ Grammar School between 1972 and 1979. He went to the University of Wales in Cardiff and graduated with a first class honours degree in French. He is married with five children, is a classical pianist and organist and is a Welsh speaker.
He has said he always wanted to be a virtuoso concert pianist but by the age of 14 or 15-years-of-age he realised he would never be as good at playing the piano as he would like to be and decided to become an academic instead. After graduating from the University of Wales in Cardiff, he almost stumbled into journalism by chance after a friend recommended he try his hand at presenting on the commercial radio station, Swansea Sound. When he was just 25-years-old, in 1987, he was given the opportunity to serve as parliamentary correspondent for BBC Wales and co-hosted a full general election programme for BBC Wales/S4C. This led to his appointment as the BBC's youngest-ever political correspondent in 1988.
In May, 1999, Huw became a household name when he took up the position of presenter on BBC One’s Six O’Clock News. Following Michael Buerk’s decision to retire from BBC's Ten O’Clock News, Huw was selected as the anchorman for the corporation's flagship news programme in September 2002.
An accomplished author, Huw’s latest book Capeli Llanelli, Our Rich Heritage, was published by Carmarthenshire County Council, Libraries and Heritage Section. Huw attended the Llanelli Festival in 2010 and signed copies of his book and delighted the crowds by walking amongst them posing for photographs and signing autographs.
Huw signing copies of his latest book at the 2010 Llanelli Festival
Joyce is a remarkably talented author and photographer, and the older sister of Caroline DeAbreu, past Chairwoman of the Llanelli Historical Society.
Joyce has written many articles about Llanelli women, including, Lizzie Charles a missionary from Caroline Street, author and prolific writer Helen Watney, Lady Howard Stepney ‘Lady Bountiful’ and First World War nurse Mary Jane Hughes.
Her book With a Camera in My Pocket, The Life and Times of a First World War Nurse is a local best seller.
Joyce was born in Llanelli and was educated at Bigyn School, Llanelli Girls’ Grammar School and Coleg Harlech. Graduating from the University of Sussex with honours in Economics and History Joyce gained a Master of Education degree from the University of Leeds. She has taught in schools in London, Bradford, New Zealand and California, and was a lecturer at Manchester College of Education.
After 40 years away from her home town of Llanelli, Joyce returned to her roots and has immersed herself in a wide range of interests including her two passions, local history and photography. She contributed material to the Meiros Publications CDRom “Cilymaenllwyd - From Gentry Home to Nursing Home” that she gathered while researching the lives of the Llanelli Stepney and Stepney-Howard families and that of Jane Rees of Cilymaenllwyd, her husband, Alexander Raby Junior, and their daughter Helen, who married (1) David Lewis Junior of Bank House, Llandeilo and (2) Alfred Watney, Iron and Coal Master of Colebrook House, Pontyberem, formerly of Wandsworth.
Joyce was awarded Licentiateship of the Royal Photographic Society in 2010. The Photographic Society was formed in 1853 with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as patrons and was granted the use of the title 'Royal', by decree, in 1894. The Society's mission is 'to promote the Art and Science of Photography'. Our warm congratulations go to Joyce who deserves this award.
John was born at Gatygarn, Llanelli, in 1927, and has lived in the town all his life, apart from his time in the Royal Navy. He was educated at New Dock Elementary School and Llanelly County School, where he became President of the Literary and Debating Society. After completing his Higher School Certificate he volunteered for the Royal Navy in 1944, at the age of seventeen, and was appointed to the staff of Admiral Patterson, East Indies Fleet, serving in HMS Cumberland, Sussex and Norfolk.
In 1947, he entered the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he graduated in French, took an Honours degree in History and was Editor of the College newspaper. He began his teaching career at Gowerton Grammar School and was, for twenty-five years, Head of the History Department at Ysgol y Strade, Llanelli.
In 1953, John married Margaret Davies, the daughter of Glamorgan cricketer and Test Match umpire, Dai Davies.
In 1971-72 he returned to Aberystwyth and gained a Master’s degree in Education. In 1976 the biography of his father-in-law was his first major publication and he also wrote school text-books and articles for various magazines in both Welsh and English.
John took early retirement in 1982 and became very active in the work of the WEA in Llanelli and many other educational, cultural and sporting organisations in town. However, it is his services to the WEA that have been of particular importance and his editorship of Miscellany. The first edition of Miscellany published in 1986, was produced by members of the WEA and edited by John, who remained editor for six years, until the editorship passed to Greg Wilkinson. He took up the reins again three years later and remained in post until 2004.
In 1988, John wrote Remembrance of a Riot, the 1st edition of which was printed in 1988 by Graham Harcourt (Printers) Ltd., Swansea and published by Llanelli Borough Council. The 2nd edition was published by Llanelli Civic Society, designed by Clive Davies Design and printed by Harcourt Litho, Swansea. The book tells the story of the Llanelli Railway Strike Riots which took place on 19th August, 1911 and lasted two days. The strike started on Thursday evening and by Saturday night two young men had been shot dead by the military. In his book, John set out the facts, as accurately as he could, from a wide variety of sources and the book was a best seller.
John has travelled extensively in Europe and North America and made frequent broadcasts and television appearances. He was founder-President of the Llanelli Writers’Circle and edited its annual magazine Athena.
He is a life-member of Llanelli Cricket Club, a life-member of Llanelli Bowling Club and a keen supporter of the Scarlets.
In 2000 John was an Honorary President of the National Eisteddfod of Wales at Llanelli and author of Llanelli Story of a Town. Originally written in Welsh, his book was commissioned by Carmarthenshire County Council as a gift to the National Eisteddfod 2000 at Llanelli.
Benita is the author and editor of several CDRoms about Llanelli, including:
Llanelli – Birth of a Town;
Cilymaenllwyd – from Gentry Home to Nursing Home;
James Davies' 1897 Llanelly Directory;
Llanelli Trade Directories & Local Guides;
Loughor Boating Club;
The Life and Times of Ebenezer Morris
Melin Mynach
Old Llanelly – John Innes' book plus new material
Parc Howard – From Mansion to Museum
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Page updated Friday September 10, 2010