Pity the Swagman

Bethan Phillips was born in 1934 in Lampeter, Ceredigion, Wales, and died in 2019, aged 84. Educated at Aberystwyth University, she was a teacher, lecturer and scriptwriter for the 1980s TV docudrama series Almanac, as well as writing articles and reviews for the Western Mail, Y Faner, Country Quest and the periodical Planet. She was also the author of books on local history in both English and Welsh, including The Lovers' Graves: 6 true tales that shocked Wales and Peterwell: The history of a mansion and its infamous squire. Her Welsh-language original version of this book, Rhwng Dau Fyd, was shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year awards, and she was involved in making a film about Joseph Jenkins for the BBC: The Swagman from Wales.