The coast of Wales is an important part of our national story and identity. Welsh lives have always been influenced by the sea that surrounds a large part of our nation.

It’s a story that Matthew Yeomans explores in his new book, Seascapes. Walking along sections of the Wales Coast Path – from the Severn to the Dee estuaries – he uncovers how the sea has shaped us through history, mythology, literature and culture. He also challenges us to face the realities of rising sea levels and how we will have to adapt where and how we live alongside the sea in future.

Join Matthew for a session that celebrates both the joys and challenges of the Welsh coast and its communities: from saints to pirates; artists and poets to industrial might; reclaimed to lost land and more.  

Matthew Yeomans is an author and writer. His book, Return to My Trees, was published by Calon in 2022, followed in 2024 by Seascapes: Notes From a Changing Coastline. As a journalist he has written about the environment, sustainability, travel, business and technology for publications in both the UK and the US, including The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic and The Atlantic Monthly. He has also been a senior editor at The Industry Standard and The Village Voice. Matthew has also taught journalism and writing at New York University and Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture.

Jon Gower has over forty books to his name, in Welsh and English, including Birdland: A Journey Around Britain on the Wing; Raider: The Raymond Chester Story; The Turning Tide: A Biography of the Irish Sea, and Y Diwedd, the final volume of his Welsh language crime trilogy. He is also the author of The Story of Wales which accompanied the landmark BBC series, An Island Called Smith which gained the John Morgan Travel Writing Award, and Y Storïwr which won the Wales Book of the Year award.  He is a former BBC Wales arts and media correspondent and was for many years the presenter of Radio Wales’ arts’ programme First Hand.