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Rhys Owain Williams

@rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social

Writer of poetry, fiction and other things | That Lone Ship (Parthian Books) | Hay Festival Writer At Work | He/Him | https://linktr.ee/rhysowainwilliams

171 Posts623 Follower 999 Folgt

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 5d ago

✨ COVER REVEAL ✨ @parthianbooks.bsky.social are publishing my second poetry collection Here’s What Happens When You Enter a Black Hole this October!

NationCymru @nation.cymru · last mo.

The shortlist for one of Wales’ leading literary prizes has been announced, with 12 writers in contention for the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Award

Shortlist announced for 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Award

Mark Mansfield The shortlist for one of Wales’ leading literary prizes has been announced, with 12 writers in contention for the 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Award. The competition celebrates the best...

nation.cymru

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · last mo.

Chuffed to be shortlisted for the Rhys Davies Short Story Competition with 'Kilvey Hill' – a horror story built around urban myth and set upon Swansea's dockside Sub Marilyn. Congratulations to all the other writers on the shortlist!

2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition shortlist announced

The shortlist for the prestigious 2026 Rhys Davies Short Story Competition has been announced.

swansea.ac.uk

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · last mo.

I’ve got two poems in the new issue of The Aftershock Review – & what an issue it is! Just look at the list of incredible poets on the cover, all writing in the aftershock of trauma & crisis. Diolch to editor @maxwallis.bsky.social for choosing ‘Document’ & ‘Being Less Stressed is on My To-Do List’.

Issue 3 of the Aftershock Review resting against a red brick wall. The cover is purple and includes the following names in white text: HOLLIE MCNISH, FIONA SAMPSON, ABEER AMEER, YURI LEVING, XINGYU ZHAO, AARON KENT, ITALO FERRANTE, CATHERINE REDFORD, STEPHEN BOYCE, BLAKE MORRISON, RAYMOND ANTROBUS, JESSICA MOOKHERJEE, TOM BRANFOOT, HELEN MORT, MAURA DOOLEY, KATIE HALE

A photograph of the page of the magazine that includes the poem ‘Document’ by Rhys Owain Williams. The title and some of the text of the poem are visible in the image.

A photograph of the page of the magazine that includes the poem ‘Being Less Stressed is on My To-Do List’ by Rhys Owain Williams. The title and some of the text of the poem are visible in the image.

The back cover of The Aftershock Review Issue 3. White text on purple background, including a quote from The Guardian: ‘A jolt to the mainstream.’

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Have you seen they’re up by the moon?

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Do you have a favourite poem featuring an Argos van? This is mine.

DEATH COMES TO ME AS AN ARGOS VAN

The stupid thing is that as it broadsides me with turquoise and scarlet and steel
all I can think of is that dog someone read us a story about in primary school and finding it funny that someone would call their dog Argos, even if it was in Ancient Greece
and sad that he died waiting
but this only lasts a second because my bike is in freefall towards a shining road
and my day is spooling like wet videotape: tea, tea, internet, invoices,
the chimes of Tibetan bowls in my ears like raindrops.
A multi-tasker, one eye always wandering on its stray root
after water. A fetcher and carrier,
a taker of minutes. The one who makes sure
there is milk in the fridge, the bins are out, the doors are double-locked so
nothing exciting can happen, but at least things will be coherent.
Spinning back, I replay Attenborough last night narrating
the lives of rainforest plants, explaining how even the passive are fighters,
elbowing others out of the way in their bloody-minded pursuit of light,
of water to bend light through, of vision.
And how, patient and unseen, rainforests carry 50% of the world's species.
And I remember how this morning I just said goodbye and I love you
and lacked the imagination to do anything more than be clear. I didn't write you a poem today
or even any good texts. It's impossible to write a rainforest down,

– Rosie Breese

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant Hapus! The traditional leek and daffodil joined by more unconventional adornments this year 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Me wearing a green cardigan over a red Welsh football shirt. On the cardigan are leek and daffodil brooches, while on the football shirt are two stickers of cartoon dogs Chilli and Bingo from the kids’ show ‘Bluey’.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Sometimes you see a murmuration of starlings above an InPost locker at dusk and just think “oh god, not another poem”

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Love seeing your poetry prints framed and up on walls! They’re still on sale here if you want one (or just send me a DM): ko-fi.com/rhysowainwil...

Framed art print on a cream wall beside wooden floating bookshelves. The print shows a dark blue sky over a stylised sea with the silhouette of a distant ship, overlaid with the text, ‘That lone ship on the horizon arriving or leaving?’ On the shelves are stacked books, a small owl figurine and a ceramic seagull ornament.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 7mo ago

This year’s Ghost Story for Christmas. Another solid short story from the series, though I don’t love that Penguin have taken over from Biblioasis and made the quality of the materials used to make these stocking-filler books worse.

A copy of ‘The Captain of the Pole Star’ by Arthur Conan Doyle, published in Seth’s Ghost Story for Christmas series. The book is resting on the branches of a Christmas tree and is lit by multi-coloured LED lights.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Saying bonne nuit in Swansea:

A page from the children’s picture book ‘Goodnight Moon’, showing a bowl of porridge and the words ‘goodnight mush’.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 8mo ago

If you’re looking for a last-minute poetry gift, today’s the last day to order in time for Christmas delivery! 🎅📦 25% off with discount code ISAWONESHIP

Rhys Owain Williams@rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 8mo ago

🎅 Looking for a gift for the poetry reader in your life? 📚 Everything in my Ko-fi shop is 25% off until 25th December when you use discount code ISAWONESHIP ko-fi.com/rhysowainwil... Books can be sent signed or unsigned, and if you let me know the person's name I'll write a dedication to them ✍️

A framed blue and white print of a ship on the horizon sits on a blue and green Welsh blanket, with a copy of the book That Lone Ship by Rhys Owain Williams placed on one side, and a postcard featuring the cover on the other. A red circle in the top right corner reads '25% off all Ko-fi Shop items with discount code ISAWONESHIP'

Mari Ellis Dunning 🖋️@mariellisdunning.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Another month, another #Substack post. There's some helpful articles linked here about existing online as a #writer (or anyone trying to 'build a brand.') open.substack.com/pub/marielli... #Rest #Christmas #AmReading #AmWriting #BookSky #WritingSky

The Ex-Puritan @ex-puritan.bsky.social · 8mo ago

Issue 71 features poems from Yan Zhang, Maryam Ghafoor, @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social, E. M. Palitha Edirisooriya (translated by samodH Porawagamage & Kasun Pathirage), Drew McEwan, and Nicole Boyce. You can read their work at ex-puritan.ca/issue-71-fal...

Issue 71: Fall 2025

Issue 71: Fall 2025 has arrived! This edition features yet another incredible array of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction representing the best new and established Canadian writing.

ex-puritan.ca

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 8mo ago

For anyone out there who’s still holding on to autumn despite the encroachment of our winter celebrations, I’ve got a new poem published in @ex-puritan.bsky.social’s Fall Issue. Diolch to editor Sanna Wani for choosing it! ex-puritan.ca/autumn-as-a-...

Autumn as a Lo-Fi YouTube Video

Read Rhys Owain Williams's poem "Autumn as a Lo-Fi YouTube Video" in Issue 71: Fall 2025 of The Ex-Puritan, then check out the Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence!

ex-puritan.ca

The Ex-Puritan @ex-puritan.bsky.social · 8mo ago

We’re excited to release Issue 71: Fall 2025! Get cozy with vibrant new fiction, poetry, essays, interviews, and reviews, along with the winning pieces of the 2025 Austin Clarke Prize in Literary Excellence:

Issue 71: Fall 2025

Issue 71: Fall 2025 has arrived! This edition features yet another incredible array of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction representing the best new and established Canadian writing.

ex-puritan.ca

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Hoping to be able to share some exciting book news in the New Year. Until then I’m still flogging the first collection, and I’ve also added this brand new digital art print featuring the title poem (made by me, no AI) to my Ko-fi shop. UK & international postage available. ko-fi.com/rhysowainwil...

A framed print stands against a concrete wall. The print shows a stylised seascape with a dark blue sky, a white band of cloud and rippling blue water. On the horizon is a simple blue silhouette of a ship. Text in the sky reads: ‘That lone ship on the horizon / arriving or leaving?‘ The book That Lone Ship by Rhys Owain Williams leans against the frame, featuring a dark cover with a blue title and a white ship.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 9mo ago

I’ve got a poem in Vernacular’s latest issue: a slasher-inspired prose poem featuring characters from Coronation Street – part of a sequence of poems I'm writing about depictions of stepfathers in fiction. vernacularjournal.com/Richard-Hillman-Drives-Gail-Sarah-Louise-David-and-Little-Baby

Richard Hillman Drives Gail, Sarah-Louise, David and Little Baby Bethany into the Weatherfield Canal — Vernacular Journal

Richard Hillman Drives Gail, Sarah-Louise, David and Little Baby Bethany into the Weatherfield Canal Rhys Owain Williams It’s almost 9pm on a Wednesday...

vernacularjournal.com

Nick Land Acknowledgement 🇵🇸🏳️‍🌈@lonestartallboi.bsky.social · 3y ago

20 years ago we were suing teenagers for millions of dollars because they were torrenting a single Metallica album and now billionaires are demanding the free right to every work in history, so that they can re-sell it. The law only ever serves capital.

Please Follow the Official Guardian Account@guardian-world-rss.bsky.social · 3y ago

‘Impossible’ to create AI tools like ChatGPT without copyrighted material, OpenAI says

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Lore update: my 3-year-old says Garfield doesn’t love lasagne he loves sushi. It makes more sense I suppose.

Natalie Ann Holborow @natholborow.bsky.social · 11mo ago

A little extract of Wild Running in The Independent this morning, exploring Pen Y Fan and focusing on women's safety in running 🏃‍♀️ @serenbooks.bsky.social www.independent.co.uk/life-style/w...

Wild running gives me freedom, but I’m always looking over my shoulder

In this abridged extract from award-winning poet and writer Natalie Holborow’s new book ‘Wild Running’, she follows a trail around the Brecon Beacons in South Wales while reflecting on women’s safety

independent.co.uk

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Best stairwell in Wales (if there is such a thing)

Stairwell with beige tiled walls featuring vertical blue and brown stripes. A wooden handrail with black metal supports runs along the stairs, which are covered in light gray flooring with black stair edges.

Mari Ellis Dunning 🖋️@mariellisdunning.bsky.social · 12mo ago

The term 'wits' / 'witsh' first appeared in William Salisbury's Welsh-English dictionary in 1547, borrowed from the English 'witch.' Before then, the Welsh didn't really have a word to describe witches. Accusations in Welsh records are full of 'witses' & 'witshes.'

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 12mo ago

I've never written a sestina before, but I've had an idea for one for a couple of years now without ever sitting down to write it. Finally pushing myself to get at least a first draft ready by the end of this month, and thought I would 'live tweet' (or whatever the Bluesky version is) as I go.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · 12mo ago

I’ve got a poem in the new issue of @gutter.bsky.social, available to buy at guttermag.co.uk/getgutter/p/gutter-32. ‘The First Law of Thermodynamics’ is written in memory of my stepdad, who died in March 2020 a week before the first lockdown. Can’t believe over 5 years have now passed.

Hand holding a copy of Gutter magazine, Issur 32. The cover is red with bold vertical strokes of red, orange and yellow paint in the centre. The title ‘Gutter’ is printed in large yellow text at the top, with the subtitle ‘New Scottish and international writing’ beneath.

A close-up photograph of an open magazine showing a poem titled ‘The First Law of Thermodynamics’ by Rhys Owain Williams, with the subtitle ‘i.m. my stepfather.’ The page number 44 is visible in the top left corner, and ‘Gutter 32’ in the top right. The poem is cut off, but the visible text reads:

The week before the world closed down,
I lit a candle in the Hallgrímskirkja
not yet knowing you had gone.
The coin dropped in the church’s box
a ritual copied from my mother,
who lights them to remember her own.

Though I don’t believe in divine light,
within a house of prayer’s quiet pause
I light a candle for her too: the grandmother
that Alzheimer's made sure I barely knew.
A woman certain in her faith—white-haired
pilgrim to Golgotha’s skull, the empty tomb.
But the candle lit on that icy Reykjavík afternoon
now belongs to you.

Rhys Owain Williams @rhysowainwilliams.bsky.social · last yr.

Been thinking this week how most of the poems I write come from sitting down and choosing to work on something, but every so often that spark of inspiration hits and all of a sudden an entire first draft has appeared out of nowhere.

Natalie Ann Holborow @natholborow.bsky.social · last yr.

This has been a dream to work on and a nice break to write about history, creativity and falling down hills on my backside in beautiful South Wales. Out September 15th! Pre-order here: www.serenbooks.com/book/wild-ru... #running #writing #trailrunning

Seren Books@serenbooks.bsky.social · last yr.

Coming soon: @natholborow.bsky.social encourages you to get out and explore South Wales in trainers in her new book ‘Wild Running’, publishing 15 September. Available to pre-order now www.serenbooks.com/book/wild-ru...

This cover shows a vibrant illustration of Three Cliffs Bay with a runner in bright leggings stepping into the foreground. The text reads: Wild Running South Wales. Natalie Ann Holborow.

Mari Ellis Dunning 🖋️@mariellisdunning.bsky.social · last yr.

❀ WITSH ❀ There's just 3 months to go until Witsh hits bookshelves! I'm so excited to be able to share this story with the world. ✬ I don't want to inundate anyone but just to say, pre orders are open: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/wits... ✬ #Witchcraft #Witchrature #Wales #WritingSky #HistoricFiction

Emily Vanderploeg @emily-vanderploeg.bsky.social · last yr.

A Suppertime Special Edition! I am going to be serializing my novel, “Are You There?”, on Substack over the next ten weeks (starting next Monday). Check out my latest post to see how it all works and gear up for a fun 🤩 summer read 🏖️ 👻 emilyvanderploeg.substack.com/p/are-you-th...