For the past month, Ukrainian poet, literary translator and cultural manager Tania Rodionova has been immersed in the peace and poetry of north Wales during a residency at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd.
Hosted by Llenyddiaeth Cymru | Literature Wales and part of a UK-wide British Council programme supporting artists affected by conflict, the residency has offered Tania a rare chance to pause, create and reflect.
She is one of nine artists from Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine and Ukraine taking part in residencies at leading cultural institutions across the UK. In Wales, the programme is supported by Arts Council of Wales / Wales Arts International, providing space for artistic exploration and collaboration.
Based in Kyiv, Tania has been translating Ukrainian war poetry into English since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. She said: “At the beginning of the war, I saw poets I knew sharing their texts online. I had this feeling that I had to translate them - so that others could understand us better, understand what is happening with us. Poetry expresses emotion in a way that news can’t. It can be more powerful.”
At Tŷ Newydd, Tania participated in poetry courses and a peace poetry translation workshop, collaborating with Welsh poets – Sian Northey, Meleri Davies and Elinor Gwynn – to translate each other’s work between Ukrainian and Welsh, using English as a bridge. “All translated poetry carries the translator’s voice,” she said. “Translation is about loss and interpretation, but it’s also a creative act - it’s literary art.
“I’m a cultural manager, translator, first and foremost, in my life in Ukraine, but I also write poetry. This was a wonderful opportunity to bring that part of myself back - to return to writing. It’s really hard when you have lots of things to do, and during the war it’s especially hard to find time for creative writing. My time here has been a great push for me to write again.”
Outside the workshops, she explored the surrounding countryside, walking to nearby Cricieth and along the coast. She said: “Living in Wales has been a wonderful experience - it’s my first time in the UK. Right away I fell into this calm village rhythm. It’s been fascinating to discover the Welsh language and culture, and I’m so impressed by how people here preserve their traditions. I realised we have a lot in common with Welsh people - the strong poetic tradition, the deep connection to language. I even learned a few Welsh words.”
One word in particular - araf, meaning “slow” - stayed with her. “I saw it painted on the road to Cricieth,” she said. “It was exactly the pace I needed when I arrived here.”
The quiet of Wales has been a stark contrast to life in wartime Ukraine. “It’s wonderful to have this calm time - to sleep, to focus on what I do,” Tania said. “In Ukraine there are constant problems with electricity and heating. Here, I feel privileged to just sit and write.
“Though it’s hard to feel completely peaceful knowing what’s happening back home. I’m still reading the news, messages from my sister in Kyiv, from my boyfriend who is in the military. I feel like I’m in two places at once. Even when I write about nature, the war finds its way into my words.”
Her time in Wales has also inspired new creative ambitions. She said: “When I return home to Kyiv, I’m thinking about a poetry translation project. I want to propose to a publisher the idea of publishing Welsh poetry in Ukrainian translation. I really loved Paul Henry - he’s my favourite so far - and also English poet Clare Shaw, who was our workshop tutor, she’s great. So I’m coming back with thoughts about publications.”
As she prepares to return home, Tania says the landscapes and people of Wales will stay with her. “I’ll miss this place - the calmness, the connection to nature. I’ll try to bring this calmness inside myself. Being in Wales is like being in a poem about the sea and the mountains.”
Leusa Llewelyn, Artistic Director of Literature Wales, reflected on the impact of Tania’s time in Wales. She said: “We are honoured to have welcomed Tania to Wales and to support her creative journey. We hope that this residency has offered her the time and space to write and reflect, but also to connect and build relationships through creativity. At Llenyddiaeth Cymru | Literature Wales, we believe that words and stories can cross boundaries and build empathy in powerful ways, and Tania’s residency, and the exchange of ideas and experiences, will leave a lasting impact on the Welsh writers who have worked and engaged with her, and on us as an organisation.”
Dafydd Rhys, Chief Executive of Arts Council of Wales, shared a similar sentiment, noting that, “This programme embodies the spirit of collaboration that sits at the heart of Arts Council of Wales’s work, and in terms of international connections, the work of our international arm Wales Arts International. Through our partnership with Literature Wales, we’re delighted to take part in this initiative to create a space of care and creative exchange, linking Wales with artists whose stories speak to our shared humanity across borders. The residency will give Tania time to develop her practice and share her experiences, while enriching Wales’s own literary community with fresh perspectives on resilience, language and the role of art in uncertain times.”
Ruth Cocks, Director of British Council Wales, added: “Tania’s residency is part of the British Council’s ongoing support for Ukrainian artists and cultural exchange. Here in Wales, a nation that has opened its doors to refugees and aspires to be a Nation of Sanctuary, we work to provide artists, students, and communities with opportunities to create, collaborate, and connect. Programmes like this offer space and support for artists to share their voices, build connections across borders and strengthen cultural ties at a time when solidarity matters more than ever.”
The residency builds on a successful pilot held in Scotland in 2023 during the UK/Ukraine Season of Culture, delivered by the British Council in partnership with Creative Scotland and the Ukrainian Institute.
The British Council’s residency programme continues to foster trust and understanding between people in the UK and around the world through arts, education, and language. For more information, visit on the programme visit: https://arts.britishcouncil.org/projects/artist-residency-programme or follow British Council Wales on X, Facebook, or Instagram.