Marion Eames

Marion Eames (born Gwladys Marion Griffith Eames, 5 February 1921 – 3 April 2007)^[1] was a Welsh novelist writing mainly in Welsh.^[2] She was also a talented musician.^[1]

Marion was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, of Welsh parents – William Griffith Eames (1885–1959) and his wife Gwladys Mary (née Jones) (1891–1979) – but she was brought up from the age of four at Dolgellau, Merionethshire (Sir Feirionnydd), where she attended Dr Williams' School. A talented musician, who played the harp and the piano, she graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

Marion worked as a librarian in Dolgellau, then at Aberystwyth University, before becoming a radio producer with the BBC in Cardiff from 1955 to 1980. She also served for a time as a regional organizer for the political party Plaid Cymru. In 1955 she married the Quaker journalist Griffith Williams, with whom she moved to Pimlico, then back to Cardiff.^[1]

Eames was an early scriptwriter for the long-running Welsh soap Pobol Y Cwm. Her best-known work of fiction is the historical novel Y Stafell Ddirgel (1969), which was translated into English by Margaret Phillips as The Secret Room (1975). This was later adapted as a BBC television drama series,^[3] and has been reprinted in both languages.

Other works by Eames include I hela cnau (1978, in English: The Golden Road, 1990). A sequel to Y Stafell Ddirgel was Y Rhandir Mwyn (The Fair Wilderness).^[4] Marion Eames was awarded an honorary degree of the University of Wales. Some of her works were for children: Sionyn a Siarli (1978), Huw a'r Adar Aur (1987), and Y Tir Tywyll (1990). Her introduction to Welsh literature for English-speaking readers, A Private Language, appeared in 1997.^[1]