Rebecca Thomas has won the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize at the National Eisteddfod of the Garreg Las. The prize is awarded for an unpublished novel of no fewer than 50,000 words, and nine entries were submitted this year.
The winning work is called Ynys Gwales, with Drycin as Rebecca Thomas’s pseudonym. The winning novelist receives a medal and £5,000, donated by people from the Preseli area in memory of Martin and Meryl Lloyd, Cilgerran.
More stories from the National Eisteddfod
Rebecca Thomas is a historian, novelist and writer from Cardiff.
She attended Ysgol y Wern and Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf before going on to study history at the University of Cambridge.
She returned to creative writing after completing her doctorate in 2019, publishing her first young adult novel, Dan Gysgod y Frenhines, in 2022, and her first essay, Cribo'r Dragon's Back, in 2021, which won in the O'r Pedwar Gwynt essay competition.
She went on to publish another historical young adult novel, Y Castell ar y Dŵr, in 2023, and two children's novels, Anturiaethau'r Brenin Arthur and Anturiaethau'r Afanc, in her role as writer in residence at Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.
Her first adult novel, Y Tŵr, was published in 2025.
In summer 2025 she spent a period as artist in residence on Ynys Enlli, where she wrote Ynys Gwales.
What did the judges say?
The judges this year were Llwyd Owen, Lleucu Roberts and Meinir Wyn Edwards.
Delivering the judging from the stage, Meinir Wyn Edwards said the winning work was a
nofel uchelgeisiol sy'n rhoi gwedd newydd ar ail gainc y Mabinogi.
Ynys Gwales mae'n hawlio'n sylw o'r dechrau.
Hanes Llŷr a'i deulu o bysgotwyr sydd yma, a Morfudd, ceidwad Ynys Gwales, ac ar ddechrau'r nofel daw'r saith milwr a oroesodd y brwydro yn Iwerddon dan arweiniad Bendigeidfran i dafarn Moelros i chwilio am yr ynys, gan gludo pen y cawr gyda nhw.
Mae'r sgwennu'n llifo, a'r awdur yn feistr ar adrodd stori fywiog ac ennyn chwilfrydedd y darllenydd.
Mae yma ddychymyg byw ar waith ac mae Ynys Gwales wedi ein cyffroi ni'n tri.
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According to Llwyd Owen:
Gyda Game of Thrones a Lord of the Rings yn tanio dychymyg gwylwyr teledu a darllenwyr ar draws y byd, dyma nofel ffantasi sydd ag un droed ar y ddaear, er bod gweledigaeth amlwg Drycin yn gwneud i'r holl hanes hedfan.
Lleucu Roberts added:
Dyma nofel a lwyddodd i hudo gyda'i chyfuniad o ffantasi chwedlonol brydferth a'r emosiynau hynod ddynol sy'n rhychwantu'r canrifoedd maith rhyngom a phobl o'r un cig a gwaed â ni.
Llongyfarchiadau i'r awdur ar lunio nofel hudol, emosiynol, sydd wedi gwneud i ni ryfeddu at ei ddawn dweud, ac sy'n aros yn y cof.
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