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Born in a family of mixed linguistic heritage in a industrial village in north-east Wales, Grahame Davies found himself – thanks to a crucial meeting with a charismatic teacher – learning his poetic craft in the Welsh-speaking tradition. While working as a journalist in newspapers and later in broadcasting, he became one of his country’s most prominent poets and authors, later developing an international reputation as a librettist for classical composers. In this piece he reflects on the transmission mechanisms of individual and communal creativity, the varying status of poets in Welsh and English-language culture, the challenges and opportunities of working in joint artistic and professional enterprises, and on the delicate, but often hugely rewarding, process of working with audiences and with those who commission artistic works.