Sian Northey is a freelance author, poet, translator and editor. She is one of two guest editors for our Welsh/English bilingual poetry anthology A470, and has a poem in in  Menopause: The Anthology. Sian usually writes in and translates into Welsh, so a poem in English is a departure.

She was chosen to be part of Hay Festival’s Writers at Work scheme in 2016 and 2017. In 2018 she was invited by Literature Across Frontiers to attend an international poetry translation workshop in Kerala, India, and was also chosen to be part of an international artistic retreat on Ynys Enlli/Bardsey under the auspices of Write4Word and Kultivera (Swedish arts organisation). 

In 2019 she was part of the Theatr Genedlaethol’s new writers’ scheme, which culminated with a rehearsed public reading at Theatr Gwynedd and Theatr Clwyd of her play ‘Un Tro’. Another short play was part of a performance by Dirty Protest.

Her work include the following:

• Cylchoedd (Gwasg y Bwthyn, 2020) Collection of short stories in conjuction with the photographer Iestyn Hughes. It was the Books Council of Wales Book of the Month.
• Perthyn (Gwasg Gomer, 2019) Her latest novel.
• Celwydd Oll (Gwasg y Bwthyn, 2018). A collection of short stories for adults.
• Rhyd y Gro (Gomer, 2016) A novel selected for the Welsh Literature Exchange’s bookshelf.
• Pijin (Parthian, 2016) Her translation of Pigeon, by Alys Conran (Parthian, 2016)
• Dim Gobaith Caneri (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2014) A book for children, in collaboration with a poet and a cartoonist, based on idioms.       
•  Dros Ben Llestri (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2014) A book for children, in                collaboration with a poet and cartoonist, based on idioms.          
• Y Gwaith Powdr (Gwasg Gomer, 2013) A novel for children.
• Blwyddyn Gron (ed)(Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2013) Poetry anthology.
• Rhwng Dyddiau Gwydr (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2013) Her first poetry collection, which was on the Welsh Book of the Year shortlist.
• Yn y Tŷ Hwn (Gwasg Gomer, 2011) A novel which was a Welsh Books Council Book of the Month and was selected for the Wales Literature Exchange Bookshelf.
•  Maestro (Gwasg Gomer, 2011) A novel for children.

Sian was brought up in Trawsfynydd, and now lives in Penrhyndeudraeth in Gwynedd. As a (very!) mature student she gained a PhD in Creative Writing at the School of Welsh at Bangor University, the university where she’d done her first degree, in Zoology, decades earlier. Amongst other projects she is currently working on a novel involving chapels who continue to hold services with only two or three in the congregation. Her recent translations are John Sam Jones’ autobiography (The Journey is Home/Y Daith Ydi Adra)  published by Parthian in 2022 and Y Llwynog Tân Olaf (Firefly Press, 2022).
Sian is currently one of two poets in residence on a Church in Wales project.