The death of another leading Welsh writer was reported today. Eluned Phillips, contemporary and colleague of Dylan Thomas, was one of only three women to win the Eisteddfod Crown, and the only one ever to have one it twice.While BBC Wales for some reason ignored the death of T. Llew Jones', who was described on BBC Cymru'r Byd as "eicon ein llenyddiaeth" 'a literary icon', they have published a story on Eluned Phillips, titled Writer who mixed with icons dies . A better class of icon, obviously.

Today we learn of the death of a man described as " eicon ein llenyddiaeth "- "an icon of literature, " cawr cenedlaethol "- a national giant.The passing of T. Llew Jones at 93 brings sadness to many. It is hard to imagine there being a Welsh-speaker alive today who has not been captivated by the page-turning novels he wrote for children or the masterful poetry which earned him two National Eisteddfod Chairs (1958, 1959).Fewer perhaps realise that this polymath school teacher was also a chess impressario, and published with his son Iolo what must certainly be the best-written book on chess in the language!T. Llew will be remembered by generations of learners of the language, also; his nofelau i ddysgwyr set a standard both in terms of the language used and the quality of the stories set in his native Ceredigion.He described the pleasure he received from his more than 90 books: "Dw i di sgwennu llawer o lyfrau, 'dw i ddim wedi gwneud fy ffortiwn fel awdures Harry Potter, ond 'dw i wedi cael miloedd o lythyrau gan blant, a dyna'r cyfoeth dwi'n gyfri o ysgrifennu llyfrau." ["I've written lots of books; I haven't made my fortune like the author of Harry Potter , but I've had thousands of letters from children, and those are the riches which count for me in my writing."]Fellow poet and current Archdruid Dic Jones paid tribute on this mornings Post Cyntaf on Radio Cymru (and cited on BBC Cymrur Byd ): Bydd y genedl gyfan yn gweld ei eisiau, fel bardd, athro, beirniad, llenor a darlledwr llais unigryw oedd wedi ei greu ar gyfer meicroffon. Bydd llawer ohonom yn teimlo fel petawn yn edrych i gyfeiriad y silff ben tn ac yn gweld un o'r llestri gorau ar goll. Gorau cyfarwydd y byd oedd [The entire nation will feel his loss, as a poet, a teacher, a critic, prose-writer and broadcaster [] Many of us will feel as if we were looking towards the mantelpiece, noticing that one of the best pieces of china has been lost. Gorau cyfarwydd y byd oedd .]This last sentence is from the Mabinogi , said of the magical Gwydion who conjured Blodeuwedd of flowers: he was the best story-teller in the world .Link to a biography of T. Llew Jones in English here .Wicipedia entry (in Welsh) here .

Mae'n ddoniol braidd eich bod wedi cyfieithu "An American Welsh Social Network" i "Rhwydwaith Cymdeithasol i Gymru America" (sef 'A Social Network for the Wales of America').('Patagonia Newydd"?).Cymeraf taw "typo" yw hyn, yn lle'r "Rhwydwaith Cymdeithasol i Gymry America" ddylai fod yma.