On Thursday (5 June) at 6.30pm, The Hours in Brecon will host the launch of Afonydd, a new and striking anthology that gives voice to the rivers of Wales in both English and Welsh. Edited by Sian Northey and Ness Owen, and published by Arachne Press, Afonydd: Poems for Welsh Rivers / Cerddi Afonydd Cymru brings together fifty poets whose work captures the flow, depth and spirit of Welsh rivers.

This is more than just a poetry reading. It’s a moment to reflect on our rivers – their stories, their beauty, and their threats. No two rivers are the same, and no two poets have the same voice. From the smallest upland trickle to the broad, two-hundred-mile sweep of the Severn, each poem in the anthology speaks of connection, place and history. As poet Philip Gross writes, it’s a water-map that catches the whole of Wales, in a glittering net of words.

Among the poets reading on the night will be Eluned Smith, Grahame Davies, Matthew M C Smith, Mat Troy, Jo Mazelis, Nick Rawlinson, Gareth Writer-Davies and Natasha Gauthier. Entry is free but booking is recommended, via https://www.outsavvy.com/event/26717/afonydd-on-tour-the-hours-brecon. If you find yourself in town at the last minute, don’t let that stop you – all are welcome.

Weather permitting, the evening will take place outside on the Green. If rain persists, the event will move to the adjacent Tithebarn, a perfect setting for words that sing of river and stone.

Books will be available to buy on the night, and there will be a bar to help fuel the conversation. This promises to be an evening of poetry, place and good company – a chance to dive deep into the currents of our landscape, and to celebrate the creative life that flows through Wales.