A Thousand Years of Welsh Nature Poetry Offers Fresh Perspective on Climate Change🌳

At a time when the climate crisis dominates global conversation, a new book rooted in Welsh literature and poetry invites readers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world in a profoundly human way.

Cynefin: Wisdom from a Thousand Years of Welsh Nature Poetry by Carwyn Graves, published this April by Calon, arrives as both a timely and timeless contribution to contemporary discussions around climate change, environmental awareness, and cultural identity. Drawing on over a millennium of Welsh poetry, the book explores how generations past have understood, lived with, and written about the landscapes that continue to shape Wales today.

In an age of environmental uncertainty, Cynefin offers something quietly radical: a return to seeing nature not as something separate or endangered “out there”, but as an intimate and essential part of everyday life. Through the lens of Welsh poetry, Graves reveals a deep-rooted ecological consciousness embedded in the nation’s literary heritage — one that speaks powerfully to modern audiences seeking sustainable ways of living.

Spanning centuries of Welsh literature, the book journeys through evocative imagery and themes that remain strikingly relevant. From the emotional resonance of seasonal change and the symbolism of birdsong, to reflections on land, water, and agricultural life, Cynefin captures the delicate balance between people and place. Nature is not idealised as untouched wilderness, but portrayed as lived-in, worked, and deeply felt — a shared home shaped by both beauty and hardship.

Graves’ work resonates strongly within the growing global interest in climate change literature and eco-poetry, positioning Welsh poetry as a vital voice in the wider environmental conversation. His thoughtful exploration of “cynefin” — a Welsh concept loosely translated as habitat, belonging, or sense of place, underscores the importance of reconnecting with local environments in meaningful, sustainable ways.

For readers of Welsh culture, nature writing, and environmental literature, Cynefin offers a rich and accessible entry point into a thousand years of poetic tradition. It is as much a meditation on grief and loss in the face of ecological crisis as it is a celebration of resilience, continuity, and the enduring relationship between people and the land.

Carwyn Graves, an established voice in Welsh non-fiction, brings both scholarly insight and personal passion to the work. Known for his writing on Welsh food, landscape, and heritage, he continues to champion the cultural and environmental narratives that define Wales. His previous publications have explored the deep connections between community, land, and identity — themes that find new expression in this latest release.

As conversations around climate change intensify, Cynefin stands out as a compelling reminder that solutions may not only lie in innovation, but also in rediscovery — in listening to the voices of the past and learning from centuries of lived experience within the Welsh landscape.

Warm, reflective, and quietly urgent, this is a book that invites readers to slow down, look closer, and reconsider what it truly means to belong to a place.

Cynefin: Wisdom from a Thousand Years of Welsh Nature Poetry by Carwyn Graves is published on 16 April 2026 in hardback.