An update from Matt Johnson on the festival team.

With the November 4th launch of Gŵyl Crime Cymru Festival fast approaching, the organising group were becoming understandably nervous. Everything – well, nearly everything – was in place. The launch was planned, speeches prepared, on-line rehearsal date set and the Eventbrite page was already attracting interest. One thing was missing though, the all-important festival logo. We needed something unique, something representing both Wales and welsh crime writing, and something that caught the eye. We needed someone with an inspirational idea and the talent to create it.

We’d decided on a competition and, to ensure the involvement of Aberystwyth – our host town – we’d written to local schools asking for entries. Nothing had arrived, and time was running out. Had they received our mailings, we wondered? Were they, perhaps, so consumed by Covid developments that arrangements to ask pupils to have a go were a step too far?

We needn’t have worried. One week before deadline day, co-chair Alis Hawkins arrived home to find the postie had called. We had over 100 entries, and the standard was high. The organising group looked at them and, amazingly, all independently agreed the entry from Glain Jones from Ysgol Gyfun Gymunedol Penweddig was their favourite. We had a winner!
Glain’s design will now have pride of place on the festival website and will be used as part of all future communications.

And now, we move on to the next steps – Gŵyl Crime Cymru Festival will be here before we know it.