Who was Dylan Thomas?
Poet.
Date and Place of Birth:
27th October 1914, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands,
Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales.
Family Background:
Son of a school English Master.
Education:
Swansea Grammar School.
Chronology/Biography of Dylan Thomas:
1925: Publication
of his first poem "The Song of the Mischievous Dog".
1931: Leaves school
and is employed as a reporter on the “South Wales Daily Post.”
1933: March. First
poem published in London "And Death Shall Have No Dominion."
(August) First visit to London. (September) "That Sanity be
Kept" is published by the "Sunday Referee".
1934: Wins Book
Prize of Poet’s Corner organised by the “Sunday Referee”. 12th November.
Moves to London and stays with Pamela Hansford Johnson. First book
"18 Poems" published. (April
12). Meets Caitlin Macnamara at the Wheatsheaf pub.
1937: (21st April).
First radio broadcast “Life and the Modern Poet”. (September Caitlin's
first meeting with his family.
1938: May. First
moves to live in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales at Sea View House.
1939: (30th June).
Birth of first son Llewellyn in Hampshire. Publication of "The
Map of Love".
1940: (4th April).
His short stories “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog” are published.
July. Moves back to London from Laugharne. September. Works as a
scriptwriter for the Strand film company.
1941-2: Lives partly
in London at Wentworth Studios, Manresa Road and partly in Wales.
1942: Moves family
to Chelsea, London. (3rd March). Daughter
Aeronwy born. Works as a radio broadcaster.
1944: September.
Lives in New Quay, Cardiganshire, Wales. Takes part in numerous
radio programmes.
1945: Summer. Moves
back to live in London.
1946: Moves to live
in the countryside near Oxford. Publication of "Deaths and
Entrances".
1947: (April – August)
Visits Italy after receiving an award from the Society of Authors.
(September). Moves back to Oxfordshire to live at South Leigh.
1948: Writes films
for the Gainsborough film company. Flies to Prague as a guest of
the Czechoslovak Writer's Union.
1949: Laugharne
again becomes his main home with the boat house in the garden as
his Studio. (24th July). Birth of second son Colm Garan Hart.
1950: First reading
tour of the United States. Returns to England on the Queen Elizabeth.
1951: Goes to Iran
to write a film script for the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Caitlin
writes to him saying their marriage is at an end, although later
they reconcile their differences.
1952: Second tour
of the United Sates. (16th December). Death of his father.
1953: Third US tour.
(16 April) Death of his sister Nancy in Bombay. (14th May). First
performance of “Under Milk Wood”. “The Doctor and the Devils” film
script published in New York. (June) Returns to England an makes
his one and only TV appearance for the BBC reading "The Outing".
(October). Leaves on his final tour of the United States. (19th
October) Last engagement is a lunchtime reading at City College
New York. (5th November) Collapses at the Chelsea Hotel.
Written Works:
- 1934:
“18 Poems”.
- 1939: “The Map
of Love”.
- 1940: “The Portrait
of the Artist as a Young Dog”. “The World I Breathe”.
- 1943:
“New Poems”.
- 1946:
“Deaths and Entrances”.
- 1952:
“Collected Poems 1934-52”.
- 1953:
“The Doctor and the Devils”.
- (1954):
“Under Milk Wood”. (Radio Play-first published).
- (1955): “Adventures
in the skin Trade.” (Unfinished Novel). “A Prospect of the Sea.”
(Stories and essays).
- (1954):
“Quite Early One Morning”. (Publication of 1st. draft
of “Under Milk Wood”.)
- (1984):
“Collected Stories”.
Marriage:
1937: 11th July. To Caitlin Macnamara at Penzance
Register Office.
Places of Interest:
LAUGHARNE:
SWANSEA:
The Dylan Thomas Collection, Swansea Public Library.
Date and Place of Death:
9th November 1953, St. Vincent’s Hospital, New
York City, United States of America.
Age at Death:
39.
Site of Grave:
St. Martin’s Churchyard, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire,
Wales.
Further Information:
Dylan Thomas Society of Great Britain Unlimited
c/o Glyn Jenkins
5 Church Park
Mumbles
Swansea
SA3 4D6
