My friend and colleague Siôn Eirian, a playwright, scriptwriter and poet, has died aged 66, following a short illness.
Siôn was born in Hirwaun, a village in Cynon Valley, South Wales, to James Eirian Davies, a poet and Methodist minister, and Jennie (nee Howells), a Welsh politician and magazine editor. They later moved to Brynamman, on the south side of the Black Mountain, and then Mold, in Flintshire, where Siôn attended Maes Garmon school before continuing to Aberystwyth University, completing an honours degree in philosophy (1975). He studied as a postgraduate at the Welsh College of Music and Drama, of which he later became a fellow. It was there that he met his future wife, Erica New – they married in 1980.
Siôn was charismatic, intelligent, witty, hugely talented, kind and generous. He was also – particularly in his younger years – a gentle, yet wild, poet: the youngest ever to win a bardic crown at the National Eisteddfod, at the age of 24. He was passionate about his country, his politics, and writers and writing, and was instrumental in establishing the Welsh branch of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain in the late 1980s. He was convinced that every nation should nurture, support and encourage its artists, and was committed to establishing and cementing professional standards and practices for writers in Wales. Many current writers owe Siôn a huge debt of gratitude for the endless hours of negotiation in which he took such an intelligent, active part.
He wrote in English and Welsh with equal dexterity and style, contributing original work and adaptations to theatre, television and radio, winning many awards. His stage plays include Kipper (1983), Wastad ar y Tu Fas (1986), Epa yn y Parlwr Cefn (1994), the musical Nia Ben Aur (2003), Garw (2014), Woman of Flowers (2018) and Yfory (2017).
He created and wrote the TV series Bowen a’i Bartner (1984-88), Mwy na Phapur Newydd (1990-94), Pen Talar (2010) and also wrote for many years for the series Pobol y Cwm. His screenplays include Noson yr Heliwr (A Mind to Kill, 1990) and Gadael Lenin (1993). Published works include poetry, and the groundbreaking novel Bob yn y Ddinas (1979), portraying Cardiff lowlife in the late 1970s. Siôn had energy, integrity and humanity in spades.
He is survived by Erica, and by his brother, Guto.
