Rebecca Wilson

Rebecca Wilson is Jewish and Welsh writer who was born and raised in Gwynedd. At 16 she went to study Musical Theatre and English Literature at Arts Educational Schools London Sixth Form and is an East 15 Acting School graduate. She has worked for the National Theatre, Frantic Assembly, Sherman Theatre, Fran Wen, Theatr Clwyd, Arad Goch, Polka Children’s Theatre and many other companies.

She now lives in London where she works as a freelance actor, writer and fight director. She frequently returns to Wales for work, especially theatre work in the Welsh language. She works a lot with young people and regularly facilitates creative workshops.

Rebecca has created a ‘Lord of the Rings’ for a younger audience. The Winter Festival is celebrated by all the tribes of the Eira Mountains. Why have The Dragons been banned for the past million moons? And will Little Olive and Dewi Draig keep their friendship, against all odds? A warm and beautiful tale about magic, friendship, and standing up for what’s right.

Thank you Rebecca for answering a few questions for Libraries Wales. Tell us a little about your background…

I was born and raised in Eryri, specifically in a little village called Dinorwig. I am Jewish and was always reading both Welsh and English books when growing up. I went to Ysgol Cwm-y-Glo and St Gerard’s School Trust, Bangor. I then moved to London aged 16 to study acting and English Literature at Arts Educational Schools London Sixth Form.

What influences and memories stand out from your childhood?

I remember loving school and being such a nerd! I was very fortunate that the schools I attended were always able to support my passions and encouraged my learning. Mrs Roberts Dre and Mrs Roberts Bethel at Cwm y Glo really encouraged me to read and then in secondary school my best friend Beth and I would sit in the front of English Literature classes overwriting every creative writing task. My parents read to me and my sister every night growing up and we would also always celebrate Shabbat on Friday nights, which involved reading a short service.

As a young person, who or what influenced you?

I was obsessed with Avril Lavigne when I was young. I admired how little she cared about what others thought of her and that she always did what she wanted to do, not what others told her to do. I used to listen to her songs on my CD player and would follow the lyrics from the little booklet in the casing. I loved analysing the lyrics and always thought if she could get out of her small town so could I.

What are your influences now?

I’m constantly influenced, probably too much with everything being thrown at us on social media. I think today’s challenge is to find focus and to listen to your own voice rather than being overly influenced.

But I love the work of Welsh writers like Bethany Handley, Megan Angharad Hunter, Mared Williams, Nia Morais and Manon Steffan Ross as well as poets like Rupi Kaur. I go to the theatre a lot too so Chris Bush and Morgan Lloyd Malcom are big inspirations too.

When did you become aware of wanting to write, did any particular factors play a part?

I always remember reading Anne Frank’s diary as a little Jewish girl and feeling inspired to write after that as I went on to keep my own diary for years. For me this is why representation is so important and why diversity is so necessary for future generations to feel inspired. We need those inspirations early in life to give us the confidence to start writing and sharing our thoughts, feelings and ideas because it takes years of practice to really hone your craft and your voice. So the sooner you can start the better!

Tell us a little about The Winter Festival, where did the inspiration come from, and what do you hope readers will take from the story…

The Winter Festival was inspired by my childhood growing up Jewish in Wales. My Father is Christian and my Mother is Jewish but they always focused on the similarities between the two religions. However, growing up I had several experiences where I felt othered and misunderstood for being Jewish. My Mum ended up coming into both my primary and secondary school to talk about Judaism, the festivals we celebrated and what Friday Night Dinner or Shabbat was. At the time I felt so embarrassed! But now I can see how important education is in combating ignorance and destroying harmful stereotypes both for teachers and pupils.

I wanted to create a book which started conversations around faith in an open and accessible way. Using celebratory Winter festivals felt like the perfect place to start. I want young children from all backgrounds to feel seen and understood by their teachers and their peers, not only by their families. I was inspired by Channukah, Christmas, Diwali, Bodhi Day, Chinese New Year, Ramadan and many more festivals and traditions that happen around the world but also happen here in Wales. I wanted to find the similarities between them all and create a fun fantasy world too.

Welsh translation Gwyl y Gaeaf

The book is set in Wales in the Eira Eryri mountains where five magical tribes celebrate their Winter Festival. It follows Dewi Draig and Little Olive the Ogre’s friendship and what they must overcome to celebrate together.

I hope it teaches young people about the joys of celebrations, traditions, acceptance and the importance of friendship and bravery. I want them to feel empowered to share their own personal family traditions, because as much as we belong to all these faiths, within that each family has their own traditions which I think is beautiful.

For example, even though I’m Jewish, I always go to Church on Christmas Eve with my Dad’s family to sing carols because it’s a beautiful candlelit service and I love the joy it brings my Granny, then I’ll often get home and light the Chanukah candles with my Mum and my sister.

What are your favourite reading genres, and what books are you reading at the moment?

I personally love romantic comedy novels and currently Beth O Leary’s novels are my favourite, and I just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and Cwlwm by Ffion Enlli. I also love learning as I read, so David Baddiel’s Jews Don’t Count was very eye-opening and I’m currently reading The Body Keeps Score by Bessel Van Fer Kolk.

What experiences of libraries have influenced you during your lifetime?

I remember going to Deiniolen library when I was little and choosing books there after school. I’ve always found peace and inspiration in libraries, they’re such an essential part of forming our identity.

What suggestions do you have to encourage children and young people to read more for pleasure?

Reading is such a private hobby. It’s one of the only times you can be by yourself and go on a journey alone. That is so special and feels a little sacred nowadays when social media is so addictive and pressures people into sharing every feeling and thought publicly with immediacy. I think we need that alone down time to reset and discover ourselves quietly and slowly more than ever.

Give us a quote that is at the heart of your life…

‘Tikkun Olam’ is a Jewish saying I try to keep at the heart of my life and my work. It means to leave the world in a better place than when you found it.

Thank you Rebecca.

The Winter Festival was published 1st October by Rily. Gwyl y Gaeaf is the Welsh translation.