The story of a popular Aberystwyth lecturer who opened his home every fortnight to budding poets and famous writers in the 1970s has inspired a new book.

Michael died tragically young at the age of 34. Yet writers he so generously hosted never forgot his wonderful welcome and influential group and in May, three will return with a new book to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the last group meeting and all that Michael and his family gave.

David Annwn, David Lloyd and Mike Jenkins said: “Aber residents remember the popular much-loved lecturer of Literature, Michael Munday (1947-81) whose life was so tragically cut short.

“At his home for years, Michael hosted generously an influential group for writers and those learning their art, many now eminent in their field.

“Fifty years later three poets from Michael’s group return to read at Books By the Sea and Gwisgo Bookworm as well as in Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Camarthen.

“The new book, comprising both poetry and reminiscences of Aber in the 70s and dedicated to Michael in gratitude is ‘Shared Origins’ from The Seventh Quarry Press, Swansea. It has an introduction by Professor Jeremy Hooker.

“At long last Michael’s family and friends will see a celebration of their father’s wide influence and this Aberystwyth group of writers.

David Annwn, is great-nephew of the famous Welsh bard, Ap Hefin (‘I Bob un sydd ffyddlon’), and winner of the Cardiff International Poetry prize. His work was the focus of a poetry/calligraphy exhibition in San Francisco. Nobel-prize-winner Seamus Heaney wrote that ‘Annwn’s writing is wonderfully sympathetic and accurate.’

David Lloyd, Professor of Creative Writing at New York University, is the winner of M. Wynn Thomas Award for researching Welsh Writing in English and also the Poetry Society of America’s Robert H. Memorial Award. He is an eminent Fullbright scholar at Cardiff & Bangor Universities

Mike Jenkins is Winner of Welsh Book of Year Competition, and one of his poems is a permanent physical feature of a public-realm street regeneration scheme In Merthyr Tydfil. He is a former editor of Poetry Wales and also editor of Yer Ower Voices, the first ever anthology of dialect poetry from throughout Cymru.

Book-launch readings will take place on 16 May at Gwisgo Bookworm, Aberaeron (2.30pm) and The Bookshop By the Sea, Aberystwyth, (6pm).

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