Alex Whartons new poetry book Bright Lives celebrates Nine Historical Black figures in Wales. Illustrated by Rhi Smith with an Foreword by Cadw.
In 2022 Alex Wharton was commissioned by the Welsh Government’s environmental sector (CADW) to commemorate the lives of Black heritage people who have contributed to Welsh society historically. Wales has a wonderfully rich and diverse history. This book celebrates a careful selection of Bright Lives that helped shape modern Wales.
The Gardener the poem brought to the world stage by Sir Lewis Hamilton at the Met Gala 2024 about John Ystumllyn, an 18th-century gardener — to the enduring legacy of Francis Batty Shand, visionary philanthropist and founder of Cardiff’s Institute for the Blind.
Through poetry, song and creative responses Bright Lives is an invitation into the worlds of remarkable people. May it inspire and enlighten those who travel in.