Gwyl Lyfrau Aberaeron Book Festival 2026

Susan Stokes-Chapman

Susan is a bestselling author of historical fiction set in the Georgian era (1714–1837). Her debut novel, Pandora, was an instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller in 2022 followed by The Shadow Key in April 2024. In September 2025, she released The Twelve Days of Christmas, a festive short story collection in the tradition of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. This is now available in paperback. Two new novels are forthcoming, The Constellations and The Moth Farm.
Susan is an advocate for supporting both emerging and established writers, particularly in Wales, serving on the Society of Authors Cymru Committee and runs outreach sessions in person and online. Born in 1985, Susan grew up in Lichfield before studying in Aberystwyth, where she earned a BA in Education & English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing. She lives in a 500-year-old Welsh cottage in the woodlands of Eryri National Park with her partner Alex, and their boisterous golden Labrador, Iorek.

Susan is also tutoring a writing workshop on Saturday 17th, 11.30 – 1pm
Book Here

John Osmond

John Osmond is a writer and journalist. He was a political correspondent with the Western Mail during the 1970s and a television producer in Wales during the 1980s and 1990s. He also he edited the cultural and current affairs magazine Arcade Wales Fortnightly, before becoming Deputy Editor at Wales on Sunday newspaper. Documentaries produced include the Channel 4 series The Divided Kingdom. In 1996 he was made the inaugural Director of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, a position he held for 17 years. Born and brought up in Abergavenny, John graduated from the University of Bristol and began his career in journalism with the Yorkshire Post in the 1960s. Since then, he has published widely on Welsh culture and politics. John lives in Penarth and has three children. Wales 1979 and 1997 is his first novel.

Peter Stevenson

Peter has illustrated many books of folk and fairy tales for children and grown ups, including Ceredigion Folk Tales; Welsh Folk Tales; The Moon-eyed People, Folk Tales from Welsh America; Welsh Folk Tales of Coast and Sea, and in 2026, Water Folk Tales, Mermaids Selkies & Swan Girls. He has also compiled and illustrated many fairytale picture books including 3 recent tri-lingual children’s books for the Cardiff publisher H’mm. Peter uses crankies in his storytelling, a large wooden box like a big picture frame that contains a long illustrated scroll which is turned by a handle to create a moving panorama to illustrate the story.

Gruffydd Aled Williams

Gruffydd Aled Williams was born in Glyndyfrdwy in the former county of Merionethshire. He lectured in the Welsh Departments at the University College of Bangor and later served as Professor of Welsh at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. Since retiring, he has concentrated on researching Owain Glyndŵr and has published The Last Days of Glyndŵr (Y Lolfa, 2015), which won the Creative Non-fiction category of the Wales Book of the Year Award in 2016, and The Last Days of Owain Glyndŵr (Y Lolfa, 2017). At the Festival he will be discussing his new collection of essays Ar Drywydd Owain Glyndŵr.

Ben Wildsmith

Ben Wildsmith was born in Birmingham. He’s a Nation.Cymru columnist, and a Hay Festival Writer@Work whose poetry has appeared in Red Poets and Poetry Wales. He is the author of two previous books, Flags and Bones (2023) and From the Senedd to the Roofs (2024). Ben is a support worker with Cardiff’s homeless community and lives in Rhondda Fach with his wife, Susie.
In Whose Song to Sing? Ben describes his turbulent life in a memoir examining notions of culture, belonging, authenticity and family. His adoptive mother told him he was ‘chosen’, but the young Ben’s discomfort remained. As his family life disintegrated in his teens, he sought refuge in culture and in music, always returning to the songs and stories of the Valleys, the gift of his Welsh adoptive grandfather. From Thatcher’s Britain to 2020s Wales we follow Ben’s path from relative childhood privilege to addiction and despair, before the healing power of community offers a route to happiness.

Alis Hawkins

Alis writes Victorian crime fiction – the Teifi Valley Coroner series set in west Wales with blind ex-barrister Harry Probert-Lloyd and his chippy assistant John Davies; the Oxford Mysteries set in Oxford at the beginning of the womens’ college movement feature young Welsh polymath Rhiannon Vaughan and Oxford don Basil Rice. Her books have been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger and longlisted for the Gold Dagger. She is a previous winner of the Aberaeron Book of the Year.

Alis is also tutoring a writing workshop on Saturday 17th 2.30 – 4pm Book Here

Sue McCormick

Sue McCormick was an actor for 40 years, on stage, TV and radio, and wrote four professionally produced plays. She lived in Aberystwyth and studied at Aberystwyth University, then completed an MA in Creative Writing at Lancaster. Her story, The Pig, was a finalist in the Scottish Arts Club Competition 2020, and her debut novel, Small Acts of Courage, was shortlisted for The Retreat West Novel Prize. She now lives in a small village in Dumfries and Galloway.
Sue took part in the 2025 Festival discussing her first novel Red As Any Blood. Her new crime novel Sharp As Any Thorn is out now.

Sarah Reynolds

Sarah Reynolds is an award-winning bilingual writer. Originally from Surrey, Sarah moved to Carmarthen in 2009. She’s written two Welsh-language novels: Dysgu Byw and Cyffesion Saesnes yng Nghymru. Her short story, ‘Catch of the Day’ won the Rhys Davies Short Story prize and the short film adaptation, Helfa’r Heli won a BAFTA Cymru award. She has written numerous short stories, articles and scripts. Traces of Alys came second in the Bridport Novel Prize. She is a lecturer in Creative Writing at Swansea University, and lives with her family in Carmarthen.

Sian Stewart

When Siân Stewart bought the virtually derelict Portland House in Aberaeron in 2019, she knew she had a major renovation job on her hands. Little did she realise that the purchase would also lead to a book. A date-stone outside the house prompted her to begin researching the lives of the former residents. She wrote up the fascinating histories she had unearthed and sent them to her friend, writer SE Morgan. The author brought the characters alive through a series of short stories. They joined the two together and ‘The House that Bensha built’ was born.
Sian, a Ceredigion girl, was educated in Ysgol Gyfyn Aberaeron. A history graduate with a senior management career in NHS Wales, she is Chair of the Cymdeithas Aberaeron, the town’s history society. Any profits from the book sales will go to the charity.

S E Morgan

SE Morgan is a former psychiatrist and senior medical advisor within Welsh Government. Since retiring she has published five historical novels, four based on her family history. For breaks from the research, she’s also written a series of rom-coms and a cosy fantasy novel, using the pen name of Sally E Morgan. (Two of these even feature Siân’s Maine Coon, Jack.) All her books bar one are set in her home country of Wales.

Helen May Williams

Helen May Williams lives in Southwest Wales. Her publications include: The Princess of Vix (Three Drops Press 2017), Catstrawe (Cinnamon Press 2019), June: a biographical novel (Cinnamon Press 2020), a parallel text translation of Michel Onfray’s poignant poetic journal of grief and mourning, Before Silence: a year’s haiku (The High Window 2020). With co-authors Dominic Williams and Mel Perry: Hold the Line (People Speak Up 2021). During lockdown, she planted 700 saplings in the field beside her house, renaming it Coed Cae Claer. This is also the name of her haibun collection (Cinnamon Press 2023), which charts that lockdown experience.

Helen is also tutoring a poetry writing workshop on Sunday 18th 11am – 12.30pm
Book Here

Jon Gower

Jon Gower is a prize-winning author with over forty books to his name, in Welsh and in English. These include The Story of Wales, which accompanied the landmark BBC TV series and Y Storïwr, which won the Wales Book of the Year. His volume An Island Called Smith, about a disappearing island in Chesapeake Bay was awarded the John Morgan Travel Writing Prize. Recent titles include his book on the Irish Sea as a locus of cultural exchange, The Turning Tide and Birdland, a narrative of change in British birds. Upcoming titles include Cymru: 100 Llyfr, being a personal choice of books in both Welsh and English and a big train adventure, The Great Book of Wales, both due out in November.

C P Davies

CP Davies is a retired academic and teacher living in West Wales. In 2010 she was awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Creative Writing with distinction from Swansea University. Three of her short stories have been published, with one winning second prize in the 2011 Western Mail Short Story competition.
Retirement in 2021 provided the opportunity to focus on her interest in fiction, resulting in the completion of her debut novel Trecadno, a comic novel started twenty years earlier. Her second novel, Gracelands, the sequel to Trecadno, was released in March 2026. Other pursuits include local history, swimming, and caring for her grandchildren.

Mared Llewelyn

Mae Mared yn Swyddog Addysg a Gwirfoddoli gyda prosiect Plas Carmel yn Anelog, Llŷn. Mae hi hefyd yn actor, dramodydd, a nofelydd. Mae ei dramâu diweddar yn cynnwys Croendena, Taigh/Tŷ/Teach ac addasiad o Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd gan Islwyn Ffowc Elis. Fel actor, mae Mared wedi ymddangos yn Parti Priodas a’r ffilm Effi o Blaenau. 

Mared works as an Education Officer in Plas Carmel, Anelog. She’s also an actor, playwright and novelist. Her recent plays include Croendena, Taigh/Tŷ/Teach and the adaptation of Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd by Islwyn Ffowc Elis. As an actress, her film debut was in Effi o Blaenau and has on stage, Parti Priodas. 

Myfanwy Alexander

Mae Myfanwy yn nofelydd, awdur o gyfres o 5 nofel amdan Arolygydd Daf Dafis o Heddlu Dyfed Powys. Cyhoeddodd ei  nofel gomig ‘Cath Benthyg,’ yng Ngorffennaf 2025, efo antur newydd i Daf, ‘Parti Plu,’ wedi bod  ‘Llyfr y Mis’ mis Medi . Mae hi’n aelod o dîm Cymru ar ‘Round Britain Quiz’ ar Radio 4, yn talyrnu efo ‘Lleill o’r Llew’ a, mwy na ddim, yn fam i’r chwech  merched gorau yn y byd. 

Myfanwy is a novelist, author of a series of five novels featuring Inspector Daf Dafis of Dyfed Powys Police. Her comic novel ‘Cath Benthyg’ was published in July 2025, and the latest adventure for Daf, ‘Parti Plu’ was ‘Hook of the Month’ in September . She is a member of the Welsh team on ‘Round Britain Quiz’ on Radio 4 and mother to the best six girls in the world. 

M R Francis & Stuart Evans

Michael Francis is a writer living in Borth in West Wales.  Born in London, he moved to Wales in the 1980s, teaching in Penglais School, Aberystwtyh.  A winner of the BBC Radio Wales new plays competition, his entry was broadcast on Radio 4 and published in the Welsh Arts Magazine Planet.  He has written and produced community theatre, including Borth Begins and The Great Storm. He regularly writes for and produces performances in Borthffest, Borth’s annual arts festival. Goose Barnacles & Other Stories is his first collection of short stories; all drawing heavily on the atmosphere of their coastal setting in Ceredigion.  
The book is a collaboration with local artist and printmaker, Stuart Evans who
has lived in Borth for twenty seven years. Born in South Wales, he moved to Aberystwyth in 1976, working as a designer at Ceredigion museum for over forty years and has been a director of Aberystwyth Printmakers for over twenty years. He has exhibited prints and paintings both here and abroad and has collaborated on illustrating a few books including Goose Barnacles.

Sarah Ward

Sarah Ward is the critically acclaimed author of fourteen crime novels including two gothic thrillers written as Rhiannon Ward. She is a former Vice-Chair of the Crime Writers Association and Trustee of Gwyl Crime Cymru. She’ll be talking about her latest book The First Mistake which took Aberaeron as its inspiration.

Paul Burke

Paul Burke is a Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger judge, he is the former editor of Aspects of Crime and is the new head of fiction at Spybrary, an online magazine, website and podcast for espionage fans. As the anchor of Crime Time FM podcast Paul has interviewed over 400 crime and thriller writers and film directors including Dame Stella Remington, Mark Billingham and Chris Lloyd. Paul’s debut book Spies on Screen: From Silent to Streaming is published this week. Paul was born in London but grew up in Wales and currently lives in Ferndale, Rhondda with his family. Before working as a critic and book reviewer he worked in the private, public and voluntary sector across South Wales. 

Karen Gemma Brewer

Karen Gemma Brewer is a writer and performer from Ceredigion, published in the UK, Europe and USA and translated into several languages. Her third poetry collection: ‘More Scarecrow Than Pirate’ and a volume of selected poems ‘Dandelion in the Sun’ are recently issued by Mosaique Press.