Video Odyssey: WoweFest: The Welsh Connection

Featuring Manon Steffan Ros, Gareth Twamley & Iwan Steffan 

From architecture to Scouse voices, Liverpool is inextricably connected to Wales and owes a debt to the creativity of its people. WoWFEST 2024 celebrates Welsh writing talent with one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary Welsh novelists, Manon Steffan Ros, and the hugely popular poet, Gareth Twamley, with host Iwan Steffan of TikTok fame. 

Expect a combination of scintillating conversation and shining performances from these talented Welsh artists representing a mixture of literary styles, bringing you the word from Wales its original form and translated into English. 

Manon Steffan Ros is a novelist, scriptwriter and columnist. She works primarily through the medium of Welsh, but her works have been translated to English, Catalan, Arabic, Polish, Spanish and French. As well as her books for adults, Ros has found great acclaim in her children’s writing.  Manon is an award-winning writer, many times over; she has won the drama prize at the Eisteddfod twice in 2005 and 2006, and her play, Mwgsi, won a National Theatre Wales award in 2018. Her novel Blasu won the Fiction Prize of the 2013 Wales Book of the Year, Llyfr Glas Nebo (or as it is called in English ‘The Blue Book of Nebo’) was shortlisted for Welsh Book of the Year, and she has won the Tir Na N’Og prize for children’s fiction five times.  

Gareth Twamley is a poet, spoken word practitioner and actor from Cardiff with a background in performing arts. Since 2017 he has been an integral part of the Welsh grassroots poetry scene, performing at local venues and UK festivals. He is known for his eclectic writing style and strong delivery, ranging from punk and political to uplifting and soulful. Gareth has appeared in numerous TV shows and had roles in two feature films; he has ghost-written lyrics for local singers and hip-hop artists and continues to write bespoke poetry for weddings, funerals and other events. He devised and presented a regular open mic event, Lyrical Miracles, and curated and presented the popular Word Asylum events. Gareth has published work in books by Culture Matters and Frequency House, and his debut collection Punkture will be arriving later this year. 

Iwan Steffan embarked on a transformative journey from Wales to Liverpool in 2008 to forge a new path, becoming one of Liverpool’s most influential figures in the process. Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Iwan ventured into the digital realm, launching his maiden TikTok account, which now has 130,000 followers and has garnered a remarkable 10 million video views. Leveraging his fame as a TikTok ambassador, Iwan recently secured a coveted role as a kid’s TV presenter and is planning to unveil paranormal TV shows and radio programs (to be released by the end of 2024). In his spare time Iwan is a freelance content creator, managing social media accounts for over 60 businesses in Liverpool and conducting TikTok masterclasses and content days for clients. 

Saturday 4th May, 7:30pm 

Video Odyssey, Toxteth TV, 37-45 Windsor St, Liverpool L8 1XE 

£5 

*These are difficult times. We know some people may struggle to afford full price tickets. If you would like to attend this event but can’t afford to, please contact info@writingonthewall.org.uk. All queries will be treated in confidence.   

If you would like to purchase a gifted ticket for someone who can’t afford it, please buy directly from the event page and we will offer your ticket out.    

Y Cysylltiad Cymreig  

Yn gynnwys Manon Steffan Ros, Gareth Twamley a Iwan Steffan. 

O ein pensaernïaeth i ein lleisiau Sgows, mae cysylltiad annatodol rhwng Lerpwl â Chymru ac mae arno ddyled i greadigrwydd ei phobl. Ymunwch â ni wrth i ni ddathlu talent ysgrifennu Cymreig gydag un o’r nofelwyr cyfoes Cymreig o fri, Menon Steffan Ros, a’r bardd hynod boblogaidd, Gareth Twamley, gyda gwesteiwr Iwan Steffan o enwogrwydd Tik tok. 

Disgwyliwch gyfuniad o sgwrs wefreiddiol a perfformiadau disgleiriedig gan yr artistiaid Cymreig dawnus yma.Bydd eu perfformadiau yn dod â‘r gair i chi o Gymru yn ei ffurf gwreiddiol ac yn Saesneg, am gymysgedd hwyliog o arddulliau llenyddol.  

Mae Manon Steffan Ros yn nofelydd,newyddiadurwr a sgriptiwr. Mae hi’n gweithio’n ganolog trwy’r iaith Gymraeg , ond mae ei waith wedi cael ei gyfiethu i Saesneg, Catalan, Arabeg, Pwyleg, Sbaeneg a Ffrangeg. Yn ogystal â’i llyfrau i oedolion, mae Ros wedi cael clod mawr yn ei waith ysgrifennu plant.Mae Manon yn awdur gwobrwyedig , sawl waith, ddwywaith yn yr Eisteddfod yn 2005 a 2006, a’i ddrama, Mwgsi , yn ennill gwobr Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru yn 2018. Ennillodd ei nofel Blasu y wobr ffuglen o’r Llyfr y Flwyddyn Cymreig 2013 , Llyfr Glas Nebo ar y rhestr fer Llyfr y Flwyddyn Cymreig 2013 , mae hi hefyd wedi ennill y wobr Tir Na N’og ar gyfer ffuglen plant pum waith.  

Mae Gareth Twamley yn fardd,ymarferydd y gair llafar a actor o Caerdydd gyda cefndir yn y celfyddydau perfformio. Ers 2017 mae o wedi bod yn ddarn hanfodol o’r sîn barddoniaeth Grasrŵts Cymreig, a perfformio mewn mannau lleol a gwyliau DU. Mae’n anabyddus am ei arddull ysgrifennu eclectig a’i chyflwyniad cryf,amrywio o pync a gwleidyddol i ddyrchafol a llawnenaid. Ymddangoswyd Gareth mewn sawl sioe teledu a ddwy rol mewn ffilmiau nodwedd;wedi ysbryd ysgryfennig ar gyfer cantorion lleol, artistiaid hip-hop ac yn parhau I ysgrifennu barddoniaeth bwrpasol ar gyfer priodasau,angladdau a digwyddiadau eraill .Dyfieiswyd a chyflwynodd meic agored rheolaidd, Lyrical Miracles, yn ogysal a’r digwyddiadau poblogaidd Word Asylum. Mae Gareth wedi cyhoeddi ei waith mewn llyfrau gan Culture House a Frequency House , a mi fydd ei casgliad cyntaf cyhoeddus “Punkture” allan hwyrach flwyddyn yma. 

Iwan Cychwynnodd Iwan Steffan are ei daith drawsnewid o Gymru I Lerpwl yn 2008 i ffurfio llwybr Newydd, a throi yn un o ffigyrau dylanwadol Lerpwl yn y proses. Ymhlith y cyfnod clo COVID-19, mentrodd Iwan mewn I’r byd digidol,lawnsiodd ei cyfrif Tiktok, sydd nawr gyda 130,000 o ddilynwyr a golygfeydd fideo 10 miliwn rhyfeddol. Trosolodd ei enwogrwydd fel llysgennad Tiktok, ac yn ddiweddar sicrhauwyd rol fel cyflwynnydd teledu plant ac cynllunio I ddadorchudio sioeau teledu a radio( I eu rhyddhau erbyn diwedd 2024). Yn ei amser rhydd mae Iwan yn cyfrannwr crëwr content , rheoli cyfryngau cymdeithasol ar gyfer dros 60 o fysnesau yn Lerpwl a cynnal dosbarthiadau meister Tiktok a dyddiau content ar gyfer cwsmeriaid.