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 Tik Tok 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. 

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

Saturday 4th May, 7:30pm 

Tickets: £5 

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Toxteth TV, 37-45 Windsor Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom