Huw Edwards, a former newsreader, entered a poem in the National Eisteddfod poetry competition, competing under the pseudonym “Y Gelyn” (The Enemy). Edwards announced his participation in a post on his Substack blog earlier this week, stating he had written a poem for the first time and drawn inspiration from the cultural festival. The competition allows participants to submit work anonymously, with judges unaware of entrants’ identities until winners are announced.
Edwards was convicted in 2024 of accessing 41 child sexual abuse images, including seven classified as the most serious category. He received a six-month suspended sentence and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for seven years. In his statement regarding the Eisteddfod entry, Edwards characterized the poem as a tribute to his father, intended to counter what he described as a “poisonous narrative” promoted by media coverage.
Actress Sera Cracroft, known for her role in the Welsh soap opera Pobol y Cwm and a public advocate regarding child sexual abuse, expressed strong disapproval of Edwards’ participation. She stated that an Edwards victory would have been “catastrophic” for survivors and expressed concern about the timing of his entry so soon after his conviction. Cracroft questioned whether Edwards’ reported mental health support was proving effective and called his participation premature given the severity of his offenses.
According to reporting from BBC-produced Newyddion S4C, Edwards’ poem did not advance significantly in the competition, placing in the third grouping of entries used by judges to rank submissions. Cracroft also called for the Eisteddfod to review its anonymity procedures for future competitions. The National Eisteddfod stated its existing processes ensure judges remain unaware of competitors’ identities and indicated it would conduct its standard post-festival appraisal of procedures.
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