The suggested itinerary is based on a five-night stay and would be led by knowledgeable, personable guides with contributions from many of Wales’ contemporary artists.
Day one
Visit Roald Dahl’s childhood city of Cardiff, including Mrs Pratchett’s sweet shop (the scene of the infamous 'Great Mouse Plot'), his infant school and the family church in vibrant Cardiff Bay. Savour a drinks reception aboard the Waverley Paddle Steamer and travel across the Severn Estuary towards Weston Super Mare – the same journey Roald Dahl made on his way to secondary school – before dinner in one of the city’s grand Victorian hotels.
Day two
Embark on the quest from The Shire in the Powys borderlands, to Mordor in the Black Mountains, stopping en route at places which inspired JRR Tolkien’s landscapes, place names and languages in 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit'. After lunch, travel to Mid Wales and Hay-on-Wye, world-renowned literary centre, skip into the alternate reality of Owen Sheers’ novel and feature film 'Resistance', set in the remote Olchon Valley after a 1944 Nazi invasion, before stopping at William Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey on the way back to Cardiff.
Day three
Explore the cult scene of Cardiff with some of the city’s contemporary writers such as Ifor Thomas, Tessa Hadley, Trezza Azzopardi, Peter Finch, Llwyd Owen, Deborah Kay Davies and John Williams. From the broken Maltese family living in Azzopardi’s Tiger Bay, to the criminal webs in Williams’ Cardiff Trilogy, to the Roath-set marital affair from Hadley’s The London Train, 21st century Cardiff offers much to the urban adventurer.
Day four
Travel through the valley landscapes of South Wales which fuelled the industrial revolution and inspired generations of social activists and artists. Passionate works of social commentary by Idris Davies 'The Bells of Rhymney', Lewis Jones and Alun Lewis will be framed against the coal pits, tips and mine owner’s mansions. Followed by dinner and a show at the Wales Millennium Centre.
Day five
Delve into the Celtic world of myth and legends in this part of Wales. From King Arthur’s camp in the ruins of Roman Caerleon, to the hiding place of The Mabinogion’s magical wild boar (Twrch) at Llyn Lliwan near the Severn Estuary, to the lady of the lake at Llyn y Fan Fach in the Black Mountains.
Literature Wales offers:
- Free information and advice for those planning their own literary adventures;
- Bespoke literary tour curation for tour operators or private groups;
- Support, guidance and partnership for others’ literary tourism projects.
Please get in touch with Literature Wales for further information about their services, including to commission bespoke versions of the tours.
