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Cluysenaar, Anne File
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Ruth Bidgood letters to the Rev. James Coutts

  • NLW MS 24192i-iiD.
  • File
  • 1975-2014

Some ninety-nine letters and postcards, 1975-2013, from the poet and local historian Ruth Bidgood, Abergwesyn and later Beulah, Powys, addressed to the Rev. James Coutts, and frequently also to his wife Stevie, discussing her poetry, publications and public readings, her daily life and her family, containing frequent references to friends including Anne Cluysenaar, Angela Morton and A. M. (Donald) Allchin (ff. 1-188, 191-214).
Also included are typescript copies of eighteen of Bidgood's poems and sequences of poems, published and unpublished, [c. 1979]-2014, notably 'Hymn to Sant Ffraed' (ff. 215-225), most given by her to Coutts and a few re-typed by him, and cuttings and photocopies of a further fifteen poems from periodicals, 1983-2002 (ff. 25, 37-38, 52-53, 70, 116, 120, 215-265); typescript drafts, cuttings and photocopies of articles, interviews and reviews, [1978]-2006 (ff. 266-299), including two typescript articles by Donald Allchin (ff. 279-293); and a letter from Bidgood's friend Mary [MacGregor], of Myddfai, to James Coutts, 2 June 2009 (ff. 189-190). Many of the letters were written on the backs of sixty-three of Bidgood's own photographs, so as to resemble postcards; besides these a further twenty-nine of her photographs are also included amongst the letters.

Bidgood, Ruth

Personal Correspondence

Postcards and letters primarily addressed to Greg Hill, 1952; 1980-2010 (with gaps), mainly relating to the publication of poetry and reviews in books and journals including Poetry Wales, Planet, Agenda, New Welsh Review, Scintilla, PN Review, The Anglo-Welsh Review, Materion Dwyieithog/Bilingual Matters, and Friends’ Quarterly, and the anthologies The Dancing Pilgrimage of Water: Writings on Welsh Rivers, Lakes, and Reservoirs (2010), and Birdsong (2002); Greg Hill’s acceptance of the Manchester Cathedral Religious Poetry Competition 2001; and membership of The Welsh Academy/Yr Academi Gymreig (1988). Includes letters from Michael Farley (1); Jeremy Hooker (1); Robert Minhinnick (4); John Davies (1); John Barnie (2); Dewi Roberts (2); Charles Leftwich (1); Cary Archard (1); Richard Poole (2); Zoë Skoulding (2); Michael Schmidt (1); Robin Reeves (2); Anne Cluysenaar (3); Gwyneth Evans (1); Greg Hill (1); Mick Felton (1); Canon Albert Radcliffe (1); David Blamires (1); Ursula Freeman (1); William Cookson (1); Glenda Beagan (2), including a typescript copy of her poem ‘Bi-Lingual’ (1992); David Annwn (3); Raymond Garlick (1), including a copy of the first edition of the journal Dock Leaves (1952); Mike Jenkins (1); Tony Conran (1); and Kevin Thomas (1). The file also includes a typescript copy of ‘The Guesthouse’ by Steve Griffiths ([?1980x1995]); and a copy of Welsh Union of Writers News, Winter 1983/84.