# Cledwyn Hughes (author)

John Cledwyn Hughes (1920–1978), who wrote under the name Cledwyn Hughes, was an Anglo-Welsh writer of novels, children's books, and literary-topographical books about Wales. He was also a prolific short-story writer who was published in a wide range of popular and literary magazines including The New Yorker, Argosy and Woman and Home.
The Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales cites The Civil Strangers (Phoenix House, 1950) as his most distinguished work and notes the fineness of his topographical writing, and of his writing for children.
Hughes was born at Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain in Montgomeryshire, and died at Arthog, Merionethshire, where he and his wife Alyna lived from 1947. An archive of his papers is held at the National Library of Wales.

## Major works
### Novels

* The Different Drummer and The Inn Closes for Christmas: two novels (Pilot Press, 1947)
* Wennon (Pilot Press, 1948)
* The Civil Strangers (Phoenix House, 1950)
* After the Holiday (Phoenix House, 1950)
* The House in the Cornfield - semi-autobiographical (Werner Laurie, 1957)

### Topographical writing

* A Wanderer in North Wales (Phoenix House, 1949)
* The Northern Marches (Robert Hale, 1953)
* Poaching down the Dee (Robert Hale, 1953)
* Royal Wales (Phoenix House, 1957)
* West with the Tinkers (Odham Press, 1951)
* Portrait of Snowdonia (Robert Hale, 1967)
* The Batsford Colour Book of Wales (Batsford, 1975)

### Children's books

* Gold and "The Moonspray" (Heinemann, 1953)
* The King Who Lived on Jelly (Routledge and Kegan Paul,1961)

### Other full-length works

* Leonard Cheshire V. C. (Phoenix House, 1961)
* Ponies for Children (Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1962)
* Making an Orchard (Land Books, 1961)

### International and translated editions

* He Dared not Look Behind (A A Wyn, 1949) – Title under which 'The Inn Closes for Christmas was published' in USA and Canada
* La Jambe de Cain (Gallimard, 1963) – French edition of the above
* The King Who Lived on Jelly (Special Edition, Georgian House, Melbourne, Australia, 1969)

## Short stories and broadcast works

Over 250 short stories are known to have been published by Cledwyn Hughes. The first recorded published story being in 1943 ('Their Secret Sorrows' in the Weekly Telegraph). The manuscripts of the majority of stories are available to researchers in the National Library of Wales archives.

### Stories published 1943-1949

| The Confession | Selected Writing, No. 3, Nicholson and Watson 1946 |
| The Housekeeper | Stories for All Moods, Pendulum Publications |
| The Necessity | Moore (ed.), Modern Reading 11-12, Wells Gardner, Darton, 1945 |
| The Unqualified | Aistrop & Moore (eds.), Bugle Blast: A Third Anthology From the Services, Allen & Unwin, 1945 |
| Open up Them Pearly Gates | Tattoo |
| The Basket | BBC Midland/Welsh Home Service, 20 Dec 1946 |
| The Fifteen Shilling Marvel | Argosy, Nov 1946, |
| The Heart of Mr Thomas | Our Time, December |
| The Hedghog | Vaughan (ed.), Celtic Story, Pendulum, 1946 |
| The Miracle | Life and Letters, March 1946 |
| A Well Sung Carol | John Bull Magazine, Christmas Issue, 1947 |
| Geekie's First Christmas | BBC Children's Hour, 21 December 1947, all regions |
| Life After Death | Cronos' [?] Ohio State University Review |
| Love Lit with Paraffin | John Bull Magazine, March? 1947 |
| Pritchard's Bees | Wyatt (ed.), English Story 7th Series, Collins, 1947 |
| Reece the Poles | John Bull Magazine, 15 November 1947 |
| The Man who once Grew Christmas Trees | Harper's Bazaar Xmas Issue 1947 |
| The Stepping Stones | Virginian Quarterly Review, June 1947 |
| A Bucketful of Roses | Argosy, Oct 1948 |
| An Armful of Wasps | John Bull Magazine, 26 June 1948 |
| Cras and his Lucky Christmas | Lilliput Magazine, December 1948 |
| Geekie's Wonderful Christmas | BBC Children's Hour, Welsh Home Service, 16 December 1948 |
| How Shone the Tinker Retired | John Bull Magazine, 16 October 1948 |
| Mr Pugh's Marmalade | Womans Magazine, April 1949 |
| None so Blind | John Bull Magazine, 26 March 1948 |
| Poaching the Ungodly Way | Strand Magazine, accepted September 1947, Published April 1948 |
| Preece and his Duty | John Bull Magazine, 17 June 1948 |
| Salty Jones | BBC Midland Region, 26 November 1948 |
| The Best Dressed Horse | Argosy, April 1948 |
| The Bright Gentleman | John Bull Magazine, 4 September 1948 |
| The Christmas Acceptance | Weldons Ladies Journal, December 1948 |
| The Circus | John Bull Magazine, 21 Feb 1948 |
| The Leaf which Never Died | BBC Children's Hour, 14 April 1949 |
| The Little Bishop | Argosy, Aug 1948 |
| The New Shearer | John Bull Magazine, 17 April 1948 |
| The Poachers | The Strand, 115(688), April 1948 |
| The Remarkable Cider | John Bull Magazine, 16 December 1948 |
| The Saint's Well | John Bull Magazine, 7 August 1948 |
| The Tomato Plant | John Bull Magazine, 3 February 1949 |
| Thomas at the Fair | John Bull Magazine, 18 November 1948 |
| Miss Rees | |
| A Little Rehearsal | John Bull Magazine, 15 April 1950 |
| A Night Among the Roses | John Bull Magazine, 10 November 1949 |
| A Tin Whistle at Christmas | John Bull Magazine, 23 December 1949 |
| A Windmill and Twelve Cherry Trees | |
| Black Maggie | Argosy, Dec 1949 |
| Counting his Sundays | Weldons Ladies Journal, July 1949 |
| Geekie and the Cuckoo Clock | Woman's Illustrated, [dates?] 1949 |
| Geekie, Father Christmas, and the Remarkable Snowman | Womans Illustrated, 24 December 1949 |
| Grower of lavender and professor of magic | English Story' edited by Woodrow Wyatt, London, Collins |
| The Black Horse | Pudney (ed.), The Pick of Today's Short Stories, Odhams, n.d. |
| The Carnival | John Bull Magazine, 9 September 1949 |
| The Christmas Mattress | Sketch, 21 December 1949 |
| The Curious Captain of the Golden Rhubarb | BBC Special Children's story for Xmas morning, |
| The Extraordinary Mr Ambrose | John Bull Magazine, 30 June 1949 |
| The Visitation | Argosy, Jan 1949 |
| Women from Distant Places | John Bull Magazine, 4 June 1949 |

### Stories published 1950-1959

| A First Marvel | Weldons (accepted 11 September 1950] |
| Five Good Dogs with Cold Noses | Home Magazine |
| How Geekie Became a Chimney Sweep | Weldons, May 1955 |
| Jenkins One Eye | John Bull Magazine, 21 January 1950 |
| Miss Pugh and the Bishop | Lilliput Magazine, February 1951 |
| The Atishoo Symphony Orchestra | Woman's Illustrated, [accepted 8 September 1950] |
| The Lamb with the Tongue of Gold | Woman's Illustrated, March 1956 |
| The Return of Meri | John Bull Magazine, 1 November 1950 |
| The Seller of Sunshine and Controller of Rainbows | Home Journal, February 1956 |
| The Two Musicians | John Bull Magazine, 9 September 1950 |
| Towzer's Toothache | Woman's Illustrated |
| All Tomorrow's Flowers | Argosy |
| Emma and the Strong Man | John Bull Magazine, Summer Pie, 12 June 1952 |
| Geekie and the Firework Factory | Woman's Illustrated, [published 1956?] |
| Samuel Pugh's Bullfight | Lilliput Magazine, May 1951 |
| The Dance | Pudney (ed.), The Pick of Today's Short Stories 3rdSeries, Odhams n.d. |
| Moses and the Policeman | John Bull Magazine, 15 November 1952 |
| The Old Fashioned Farm | Good Housekeeping, November 1953 |
| The Ploughing Match | John Bull Magazine, 9 May 1953 |
| A Wheel for a Queen | John Bull Magazine 22 April 1953 |
| An Umbrella from the Sea | John Bull Magazine 10 June 1953 |
| The Last Thatcher | John Bull Magazine, 28 October 1953 |
| The Almond Tumblers | woman's journal, August 1956 |
| The Corn Harvest | John Bull Magazine, 25 August 1954 |
| The First Snow | Woman, 26 February 1955 |
| The girl who wanted to dance | Brittania and Eve Magazine, October 1954 |
| The Gramophone with the Green Horn | Pudney (ed.), The Pick of Today's Short Stories 5, Putnam, 1954 |
| The Great Ash of Glas Coed | Argosy, June 1954 |
| The Master of the Golden Game | John Bull Magazine, 5 May 1954 |
| The Venerable Dog Event | Woman's Journal, August 1957 |
| The White Pony | John Bull Magazine, 10 February 1954 |
| Time to Visit the World | Weldons Ladies Journal, February 1954 |
| How Geekie Saved Maurice the Mole | Woman and Home, September 1955 |
| The Eternal Goddess | BBC Welsh Home Service, Tuesday 3, September 1957 |
| The Young and the Old Victorias | John Bull Magazine, 12 November 1955 |
| A Maythorn for a Monument | Brittania and Eve Magazine, February 1956 |
| A Yellow Ribbon | John Bull Magazine |
| The Skipper's Wife | John Bull Magazine, 11 April 1956 |
| A Relic of the War | Evening Standard, 27 November 1957 |
| Champion at the Golden Eagle | John Bull Magazine, 10 August 1957 |
| The Mountain Main | Lilliput Magazine, November 1957 |
| The Singing Football Match | John Bull Magazine, 19 January 1957 |
| A Final Danger | Argosy/Woman's Journal [author's own query], |
| A Punch on the Nose for London | Evening Standard, 5 November 1958 |
| The Cockle Gatherer | Argosy, Sept 1958 |
| The Perfect Canary | John Bull Magazine, 1 March 1958 |
| A Song Before Winter | BBC Home Service, London, 18 November 1959, 10.30 pm |
| Only a Green Shutter | Home (Fleetway Publications), Month? 1959 |
| The Stock Car Race | Good Housekeeping, January 1961 |
| The Strong Room | Suspense, October 1959 |
| The Sugar Enchantress | Homes and Gardens |

### Stories published 1960-1973

| Johnny's Miracle | BBC, Morning Story, Wales Region, 26 February 1960 |
| A Dance on the Lawn | Saturday Evening Post, June 1961? |
| Jericho and the Jumble Sale | Woman's Journal, June 1961 |
| The White Stranger | The Evening News, 27 July 1961 |
| A Journey for a Fragment of Snow | |
| Our Miss Juliet | Housewife or Woman's Realm, September 1963 |
| The Answer is not the echo | |
| Just a few Bees | Modern Caravan, June, 1964 |
| An Emotion of the Sea | Homes and Gardens, October 1965 |
| Jazz Pony | Homes and Gardens, October 1964 |
| Mary will Answer the Puppet | Woman's Day, USA, December 1964 |
| The Coming of the Honey | Homes and Gardens, August 1966 |
| The Green Eye in the Window | Homes and Gardens, August 1965 |
| The Pony with the Strong Voice | Woman's Realm, 20 March 1965 |
| A Day by the Ocean | Parents' Magazine, February, 1965 |
| A Talent for Devotion | Woman's Realm, 18 October 1965 |
| An Occasion for Music | She Magazine, December 1965 |
| A Remembrance of Innocent Days | Woman's Mirror, accepted 2 August 1966 |
| A Sort of Weather from the Seasons of Love | Woman's Realm, 30 September 1967 |
| A Little White Powder, as Important as Life Itself | Men Only, May 1967 |
| Longing for the Glorious Years | Argosy, June 1967 |
| Taking a Bird on Honeymoon | Argosy, Oct 1967 |
| There's a Cow Outside | Homes and Gardens, August, 1967 |
| A Universe of Roses and Dreams | ? Accepted 23 November 1968 |
| The Gentle Harpist [?] | Weekend, 13 August 1969 |
| The Old Strollers' Carol Party | Argosy, Jan 1969 |
| The Race for the White Rose | Argosy, May 1973 |
| The Yard Man | Argosy, March 1973 |
| Crying Off and On for a Fortnight | Rostrum, November/December 1972 |
| A Handful of Leaves | Rostrum, March 1973 |
| When the World is Calling | Anglo-Welsh Review, Spring (May), 1975 |
| Night of the Summer Storm | Argosy, Aug 1973 |

### Broadcast works

* "Charles Macintosh" - BBC Children's Hour
* "The Basket"- BBC Midlands/Wales
* "The Black Horse" - BBC French Service
* "Watkins and the Fairies", - BBC Children's Hour
* "Geekie's First Christmas" - BBC Children's Hour
* "Geekie's Wonderful Christmas" - BBC Children's Hour
* "Pritchard's Bees" - BBC, The Wednesday Story
* "Salty Jones" - BBC Midland Home Service and internationally
* "The Leaf which Never Died" - BBC Children's Hour
* "Grower of Lavender and Professor of Magic" - BBC Norwegian Service
* "The Curious Captain of the Golden Rhubarb" - BBC Children's Xmas Morning story read by Norman Shelley)
* "November Day" - Welsh Home Service
* "The Church by the Sea" with Donald Huston - BBC Home Service, Welsh
* "Seasons in Powys" - BBC Home Service Welsh
* "Spring Comes to Wales" with Donald Huston - BBC Home Service
* "The Eternal Goddess" - BBC Welsh Home Service
* "Winter Estuary" - BBC Welsh Home Service
* "The Lamb with the Tongue of Gold" - BBC Children's Hour
* "The Gramophone with the Green Horn: A story of the open road" and - BBC Saturday Matinee
* "A Song Before Winter" with Carleton Hobbs - BBC Home Service
* "A School by the Rose Garden" - produced by Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Welsh Home Service and Home Service
* "Christmas near a Green Mountain" - BBC Wales Home Service
* "Johnny's Miracle" - BBC Morning Story
* "The Green Eye in the Window" - BBC Morning Story
* "Jericho and the Jumble Sale" with Dillwyn wen - BBC Morning Story
* "Taking a Bird on Honeymoon" - BBC Morning Story
* "The Old Strollers' Carol Party" - South African Broadcasting Corporation

## Critical response and legacy

Hughes's writing had an international reach and received attention in a wide range of literary and popular publications. His writing is described in contemporary reviews as poetic, showing whimsy and melancholia, or at times a darker sentiment. The Spectator (7 February 1947) welcomed the first longer works by Hughes (The Inn Closes for Christmas and The Different Drummer) describing them as 'Two vivid short novels by a brilliant young Welshman whose short stories have already established his reputation'.