Ifor Owen
Encyclopedia
Ifor Owen was a Welsh educator who was notable for writing, illustrating and publishing Hwyl, the first children's comic book in the Welsh language
.
, a small village near Bala
in Wales in 1915. He was educated at the Boys' Grammar School in Bala and then Bangor Normal College. He trained at Bangor to be a teacher specialising in art and science; though initially he wanted to specialise in art, but was persuaded against it by his father, who believed the subject was 'only for girls'. At the age of 21 he gained a position as headmaster of a primary school at Croesor
remaining there until 1948. From 1948 until 1954 he was headmaster of a school in Gwyddelwern
, and then from 1954 to 1976 he became the headmaster of Ysgol O.M. Edwards in Llanuwchllyn
. He was married to Winifred, who died before him, and together had three children. Owen died in Dolgellau
in 2007.
As a child, Owen had been an early member of Urdd Gobaith Cymru
, a Welsh youth movement, and as an adult he helped by designing and iluustrating many of their publications. Owen was seen as one of the few people who tried to bring a professional quality to illustrations for children in Wales, and took great pride in his work.
, held in Wrexham, he was awarded the Syr T H Parry Williams Medal by the contribution to Welsh culture; and in 1985 he became the first recipient of the Mary Vaughan Jones Award
, for his contribution to the field of children's books in Wales.
He was awarded an honorary MA by the University of Wales
in 1997, for his service to Welsh culture and his contributions to Urdd Gobaith Cymru.
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
.
Life history
Owen was born in CefnddwysarnCefnddwysarn
Cefnddwysarn is a small village in Gwynedd, Wales.It is located on the A494 road approximately 3 miles east of the town of Bala and 8 miles west of Corwen. The village is situated within the traditional county of Merionethshire.- External links :*...
, a small village near Bala
Bala, Gwynedd
Bala is a market town and community in Gwynedd, Wales, and formerly an urban district of the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake , 17 miles north-east of Dolgellau, with a population of 1,980...
in Wales in 1915. He was educated at the Boys' Grammar School in Bala and then Bangor Normal College. He trained at Bangor to be a teacher specialising in art and science; though initially he wanted to specialise in art, but was persuaded against it by his father, who believed the subject was 'only for girls'. At the age of 21 he gained a position as headmaster of a primary school at Croesor
Croesor
Croesor is a small village in Gwynedd, Wales. It is located at the foot of Cnicht, in Cwm Croesor, in the community of Llanfrothen. The Croesor Tramway travelled along the bed of the cwm, before rising steeply to Bwlch Rhosydd via Croesor Incline...
remaining there until 1948. From 1948 until 1954 he was headmaster of a school in Gwyddelwern
Gwyddelwern
Gwyddelwern is a small village and community of 508 residents, situated approximately north of Corwen in Denbighshire in Wales. Historically the village was part of the Edeirnion district of Meirionnydd. Edeirnion was part of the Glyndwr district of Clwyd from 1974 to 1996, when the area became...
, and then from 1954 to 1976 he became the headmaster of Ysgol O.M. Edwards in Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake . Its population according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 834., of which approximately 81% were Welsh-speaking....
. He was married to Winifred, who died before him, and together had three children. Owen died in Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
in 2007.
Career as an illustrator and editor
Owen began illustrating while teaching in his first headship in Croesor, after the school was shut after an outbreak of measles. The first book he illustrated was Yr Hen Wraig Bach a'i Mochyn (The little old lady and her pig) (1946), which began a demand for his work from Welsh publishers. In 1949, he and DJ Williams, published Hwyl (Fun), the first children's comic in the Welsh language. As well as running the comic, Owen wrote and illustrated many of the strips. He created several characters for the comic, including Defi John and Tomi Puw, Meri Ann, Prisila Puw and Pero Bach. Hwyl ran from 1949 until 1989, selling roughly 8,000 copies per issue.As a child, Owen had been an early member of Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Urdd Gobaith Cymru
dde|200px|thumb|The Urdd logoUrdd Gobaith Cymru, literally, the Welsh League of Hope, but normally translated as the Welsh League of Youth, or merely referred to as the Urdd, is a Welsh-medium youth movement with over 1,500 branches and over 50,000 members...
, a Welsh youth movement, and as an adult he helped by designing and iluustrating many of their publications. Owen was seen as one of the few people who tried to bring a professional quality to illustrations for children in Wales, and took great pride in his work.
Awards and honours
Owen was awarded many times for his contributions to Welsh culture. In 1961 he was invested in the White Robe Order of Gorsedd y Beirdd. In the 1977 National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of Wales
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
, held in Wrexham, he was awarded the Syr T H Parry Williams Medal by the contribution to Welsh culture; and in 1985 he became the first recipient of the Mary Vaughan Jones Award
Mary Vaughan Jones Award
The Mary Vaughan Jones Award is a Welsh children's literature award. The Mary Vaughan Jones Trophy is awarded every three years to an author who has made a substantial contribution to children's literature over a number of years...
, for his contribution to the field of children's books in Wales.
He was awarded an honorary MA by the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
in 1997, for his service to Welsh culture and his contributions to Urdd Gobaith Cymru.