Eurgain Haf has lived in Pontypridd for almost 20 years but is originally from Penisarwaun in north Wales.
Day-to-day, Eurgain works as Senior Media Manager for Save the Children Wales.
She has written several books for children, and her latest novel, Y Morfarch Arian, won the Prose Medal at the 2024 National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd.
The novel has been written from the point of view of a teenager who lives with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Let’s get to know a little more about Eurgain...
Have you always enjoyed writing?
Yes. I loved writing at school, and I liked competing in the small Eisteddfod in our village. I was very lucky to win the Best Prose trophy several times. I am very grateful to the organisers of the village Eisteddfod for giving me the confidence to continue writing. My Welsh teachers at Ysgol Uwchradd Brynrefail namely Y Prifardd (chief bard) Esyllt Maelor and the late Mr Alwyn Pleming were also great in encouraging me to write.
Where do you get ideas for your novels?
All kinds of things give me ideas - views, watching TV programmes and listening to the radio, and sometimes eavesdropping on people's conversations while sitting in a cafe or travelling on the train!
Getting constructive feedback and knowing that others have enjoyed reading your work is also an inspiration and a very nice feeling. In the same way I also welcome criticism on how to improve my work or do things differently.
What time of day are you most likely to write?
I'm definitely a night bird! The creative wheels of my brain usually start turning after the family have gone to bed and sometimes, I write until the early hours. I've also experimented with getting up very early in the morning, at dawn when everyone is asleep. I believe there is a pattern here - I tend to write when the house is quiet and I have time to think!
Can you explain what your process is when writing a novel?
I will be ruminating on ideas for a long time, or for years in the case of my novel, Y Morfarch Arian. I carry a ‘scribble book’ around with me and write notes in it if an idea pops into my head. I will then go on to create a mind map and try to plan the story in detail. There is nothing worse for me than staring at a blank screen and not knowing where to start. So I like to plan everything in my head first and in the form of notes in my book.
What is your advice to anyone who wants to start writing?
The best advice is to compete in small Eisteddfodau. No one knows you as you compete under a pseudonym, and you will receive criticism on how to improve your work from a writer or literary expert. And you might be lucky enough to win. I would also suggest attending a writing course at Tŷ Newydd in Llanystumdwy near Cricieth.
Are there other books in the pipeline?
I am writting several short stories for different magazines and I also have ideas for another novel and children's books.
