# Event Details - **Event Name**: R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026 - **Event Start and End Date**: Fri, 25 Sep, 2026 at 02:00 pm – Sun, 27 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm (+01:00) - **Event Description**: Join us to celebrate the life and work of R S Thomas with poetry, talks and music over a weekend in his former parishAbout this EventThe 2026 R S Thomas Festival at St Michael’s Church, Eglwysfach, celebrates the legacy of the church’s famous former vicar-poet over three days of poetry, talks, walks, and music. This year’s festival takes particular inspiration from the wildlife and natural environment of the Dyfi valley, so significant to R S Thomas. It brings together new and established poets to compete in the ever-popular poetry competition.At its heart, the festival is a community-led event – the result of the hard work, enthusiasm, and collaboration of people in and around Eglwysfach — and aims to raise funds for the upkeep of St Michael’s Church.This year’s festival is held in affectionate memory of its remarkable founder, Joy Neal, who died in December 2024. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events4/banners/d8c47850-abb9-11f1-8ed1-0da50d238dff-rimg-w1200-h675-dcc8c8d8-gmir.jpg Agenda🕑: 02:00 PM - 04:00 PMFriday 25th September: Walk, Talk and Tea Info: Walk, Talk and Tea in the company of Richard Suggett, David Billingsley, Owen Shiers and Nicola Roberts. Join us for an expert-led walk exploring the landscape that inspired R. S. Thomas during his time as vicar of Eglwysfach. The route takes in Ynys-hir, Furnace, and the rugged Foel Fawr, with historical insights and poetry readings along the way. Please note that the walk includes uneven terrain and some steep sections. Participants are advised to wear suitable footwear and weather appropriate clothing.🕑: 06:00 PM - 07:30 PMFriday 25th September: Owen Shiers: "Singing the Land"Info: ''Singing the Land - Welsh Folk Poets & The Oral Tradition'' Local musician and social historian Owen Shiers presents a musical "TED talk" which examines the connection between people, the land, poetry and song. 🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMSaturday 26th September: Morning Prayer in St Michael's ChurchInfo: This service of Morning Prayer will be led by the Bishop of St Davids, the Right Reverend Dorrien Davies, and the preacher will be the Archbishop of Wales, the Most Reverend Cherry Vann. This event is not ticketed.🕑: 01:30 PM - 02:30 PMSaturday 26th September: "As the buds opened": RS Thomas's early writing Host: Professor Tony Brown and Professor Jason Walford DaviesInfo: An illustrated conversation between Jason Walford Davies and Tony Brown ( from the R. S. Thomas Research Centre, Bangor University) on the early work of R.S., including his first unpublished collection, “ Spindrift “, and his unpublished prose stories, as well as some less familiar poems from the early collections of the 1940s and 1950s.🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PMDivine Landscape and PoetryHost: Roger WagnerInfo: Artist and poet Roger Wagner will speak about the link between landscape and poetry, the theme of his recent book "The Farther Away: Poems and Images".🕑: 06:00 PM - 07:30 PMSaturday 26th September - Concert: "Poems of Stillness"Host: Sophie Rudge (harp and soprano)Info: The programme will include Hilary Tann's "Seven Poems of Stillness" featuring archive recording of R S Thomas reading his own poetry. The concert will be followed by refreshments in the church.🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:30 AMSunday 27th September Holy CommunionInfo: Service led by the Reverend Lynn Rees, Priest in Charge of Bro Padarn LMA. This service is unticketed.🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PMSunday 27th September - Menna ElfynHost: Menna ElfynInfo: "Parch a Bri mewn Barddoniaeth: Reverence and Praise in Poetry". Menna is a leading and award winning Welsh poet, playwright, columnist and editor. She has published fourteen volumes of poetry, written plays for stage and radio and many books. 🕑: 01:30 PM - 05:00 PMSunday 27th September: Poetry CompetitionHost: Menna ElfynInfo: Judges: Menna Elfyn & Professor Tony Brown. Poets are invited to submit one or two unpublished poems, each no longer than approximately 30 lines, inspired by quotations selected by the competition judges. Poets will read their poems during the course of the afternoon. For further information, please contact anita.heisterbach@gmail.com. A full copy of the programme , including the poetry quotations, is available to download from the St Michael's Church website: http://www.eglwysfach.co.uk/english.html - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/machynlleth/r-s-thomas-literary-festival-and-poetry-competition-2026/100001984299523290 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, festivals, contests, music, entertainment, concerts, live-music - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 1 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 4 hours - Location: St Michael's Church - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 6.13, max: 54.88, currency: GBP ## Event venue details - **city**: Machynlleth - **state**: WA - **country**: United Kingdom - **location**: St Michael's Church - **lat**: 52.543007 - **long**: -3.937496 - **full address**: St Michael's Church, Eglwys Fach, Machynlleth, United Kingdom ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026 - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events8/banners/fc7e70d82274407f8cf84525f651adaa70ebddae813474a0d7ff78bc5864fbdb-rimg-w449-h492-dc787878-gmir.jpg?v=1778441067 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026 being held? - **A:** R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026 takes place on Fri, 25 Sep, 2026 at 02:00 pm to Sun, 27 Sep, 2026 at 06:00 pm at St Michael's Church, Eglwys Fach, Machynlleth, United Kingdom. - **Q**: Who is organizing R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026? - **A:** R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026 is organized by Amanda Gibbon. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** R S Thomas Literary Festival and Poetry Competition 2026 is ideal for festival lovers, culture enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a vibrant, immersive community experience. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Machynlleth, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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