A COUNCIL decision to hire a man to write poems for Aberystwyth will cost tax-payers £1,000 this year, the Cambrian News can reveal.

Despite council tax hikes and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, Aberystwyth Town Council signed off on appointing a ‘Bardd y Dref’ – a ‘town bard’.

Lecturer in Creative Writing and award-winning poet, Eurig Salisbury was appointed to the position at Aberystwyth Town Council’s Mayoral Inauguration Ceremony on 19 May, where Aberystwyth University alumna, Councillor Kerry Ferguson assumed office as Mayor.

Minutes from the town council’s meeting in May reveal that Mr Salisbury will be paid £1,000 “in two installments during the year”.

A badge has also been created to be presented to each poet, with a ‘Poet Staff’ to be presented at the Mayoral Inauguration but passed on to the incoming poet the following year – the plan is to have a new town bard each year.

The costs of producing the badge and the staff are unknown.

As the Cambrian News reported last month, the idea of creating the post of Town Bard in Aberystwyth was the suggestion of Councillor Emlyn Jones, the new Mayor’s consort.

He said: “Aberystwyth is a very literary and artistic town, and I am very proud that we have agreed to establish a Town Bard.

“This is a reflection of the area’s poetic wealth, with a look back to the Welsh poetic tradition of having a ‘court’ poet, but mainly looking forward to celebrating modern Welsh poets and poems that flourish here in Aberystwyth.

“I can think of no one better than Eurig to be the first bard in this new tradition.”

Following the Mayoral Inauguration Ceremony, Aberystwyth’s new Mayor, Councillor Kerry Ferguson said: “Among the audience were the Mayor and officials from St Brieuc, the Mayor and visitors from County Wicklow and the new Mayor of Llanbed, and they were all very enthusiastic about the idea. So it is quite possible that more Town Bards will appear across Wales and on the continent before long. It’s a great feeling of pride to see Aberystwyth Town Council taking such an innovative step.”

Mr Salisbury said: “I feel honoured to have been appointed Aberystwyth’s first ever Town Bard, and am looking forward to a year of poetry ahead.

“This new initiative is a wonderful demonstration of the continuing importance of poetry of a strong public, community-based nature here in Wales.”

Mr Salisbury, a former student at Aberystwyth University, won the Chair competition at the National Urdd Eisteddfod in 2006 and was also appointed research fellow at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Aberystwyth, where he worked for nine years, contributing to three innovative projects on medieval Welsh literature.

He is a published author, and was appointed Welsh Children’s Laureate for 2011 to 2013 - the first to hold the post for two years.

He was appointed Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies in September 2015.

His first duty as town bard was to write a poem for last week’s parade through Aberystwyth to celebrate two medieval princesses.

Called Pared Gwenllian, the commissioned Welsh language poem was 25 words long.