Prestigious new item added to the Dylan Thomas Centre collection

May 18, 2012 - PRLog -- The Dylan Thomas Centre has recently added a new item to its vast and informative collection on the life of Wales’ most famous poet.

A bilingual script of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood, which won the Prix Italia for literary or dramatic programmes in 1954, went on display last Saturday as part of the Under Milk Wood Day celebrations.

Alongside the English text of the play there is a French translation by the surrealist writer and director Jacques-Bernard Brunius.

The script was especially prepared by the BBC for the Prix Italia jury to support the play's entry.

Jo Furber, Literature Officer at the Dylan Thomas Centre said “It’s fantastic that we have added an item of this calibre to the Dylan Thomas Collection.

“This is one of the first translations of Under Milk Wood and is possibly only preceded by Erich Fried’s German translation broadcast in March 1954.

“Only a small number of scripts were ever produced for the Prix Italia jury, so this example is a rare survivor”.

As well as the script itself, there are also additional sections providing explanations and translations of the names of characters and place names.

It also includes details on the history of the play and its place in Dylan Thomas' wider work, as well as a loose sheet containing biographical notes on Dylan, composer Daniel Jones and producer Douglas Cleverdon.

The Prix Italia Script is now on display as part of the Man and Myth Exhibition in the Dylan Thomas Centre.

2014 will mark the centenary of the birth of Dylan Thomas in Swansea. The City and County of Swansea and partners are planning a large scale festival to commemorate one of the world’s greatest poets.

For more information on the Dylan Thomas Centre visit http://www.dylanthomas.com.