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Culture award 2016 winner

Owen Sheers from Abergavenny is a poet, playwright and author. Owen won the Wales Book of the Year title in 2005 with his prose “The Dust Diaries”. He wrote a novel in 2007 called “Resistance” as an alternative history novel which was adapted into a film.

In 2011, Owen wrote the script for “The Passion”, a 72 hour production in Port Talbot by National Theatre Wales, directed by and starring Michael Sheen. Sheers won Wales Book of the Year again in 2013 with “Pink Mist”. He wrote the play “The Two Worlds of Charlie F” which was performed by real soldiers.

In 2014 his poem “Mametz Wood” was staged by National Theatre Wales in ancient woodland near Usk and described as one of the most innovative productions to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

In 2015, his second novel “I Saw a Man” was published and he joined Swansea University as Professor in Creativity where he plays a key role in nurturing creativity among staff, students and the community.