Kate: Y Cofiant

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-At his home in Morriston, Alan Llwyd

-is completing a revealing biography.

-It uncovers the secret

-of a prominent 20th century author.

-This is the first biography about

-the life and work of Kate Roberts.

-It boldly reveals key facts

-about the queen of Welsh literature.

-The biography reveals something

-about Kate that nobody else knows.

-However, it is something

-that Kate herself yearned to reveal.

-Her frustrations as a person

-and as an artist...

-..stem to her inability

-to reveal this one basic fact.

-In August 1926,

-Kate Roberts was making her way...

-..to the Plaid Cymru summer school

-in Machynlleth.

-A young man called Morris Williams

-was waiting on the same platform.

-Kate was 37 years old and unmarried.

-Morris was ten years her junior...

-..and had been in a relationship

-with the poet Prosser Rhys.

-This meeting led to a marriage...

-..that has perplexed many people

-over the years.

-In this programme,

-Alan Llwyd offers a new theory...

-..about Morris and Kate's

-relationship.

-We also learn of a secret that Kate

-took with her to her grave.

-I was stunned by the many homosexual

-elements within her stories.

-They are blatantly homosexual.

-The more I read, the more I realized

-that she was hiding something...

-..and yet revealing something

-at the same time.

-I wanted to know about the nature

-of their relationship...

-..because it certainly wasn't

-a traditional marriage.

-I knew that there was more to it.

-It was on this train journey

-that they first became acquainted.

-Both had an interest

-in literature and nationalism...

-..but there was another attraction.

-Alan Llwyd was determined to get

-to the root of their relationship...

-..and reveal the truth,

-once and for all.

-People have interpreted the marriage

-from Morris's perspective only.

-Nobody has considered

-Kate's feelings.

-It was clear that he married her

-to hide his true sexuality.

-What has been a mystery

-is why Kate married Morris.

-How did Kate come to terms

-with the fact that Morris was gay?

-A biographer's work

-is often exact and painstaking.

-Wading through archives, talking

-to experts, family and friends...

-..in the hope of discovering new

-evidence that offers a new theory.

-For Alan Llwyd,

-this process was phenomenal...

-..and yes,

-he did discover new evidence.

-It is groundbreaking evidence

-that Alan says will necessitate...

-..a complete reinterpretation

-of Kate's work.

-A biography is a huge undertaking

-and a journey, in a way.

-It takes you from cradle to grave

-via endless twists and turns.

-Kate had a varied life

-and lived in several places.

-As a result, there's material

-about her in libraries across Wales.

-The National Library has 8,000 items

-in the Kate Roberts collection.

-The evidence is all over Wales,

-so it's been quite arduous.

-Among all these items,

-he made an important discovery.

-One letter changed everything.

-This was the confirmation

-that he had been looking for.

-One day, I found some evidence

-that almost made me leap to my feet.

-It was incredible

-and gave me quite a shock.

-The letter was written two months

-after Kate and Morris first met.

-It is addressed "Dear Mr Williams",

-but its content is more personal.

-"26 October 1926.

-"Something odd happened a week ago.

-"I was speaking in Pontardawe.

-"I was staying

-with a butcher and his wife.

-"She was one of the prettiest women

-I have ever seen.

-"She was quite tall,

-not too fat, not too thin.

-"Her chestnut hair

-was slightly wavy.

-"Her skin was like alabaster...

-"..and she had the prettiest neck

-I have ever seen.

-"Her eyes were not too beautiful

-but were kind.

-"The following morning,

-their son took me to Neath by car.

-"We left at 7.15am and it was cold.

-"She insisted that I sat

-on a cushion from the house.

-"She placed a blanket over my feet

-and another around my body...

-"..and she gave me

-a long kiss on my lips.

-"Nothing has given me more pleasure.

-"If I ever write my memoirs,

-this event will be in them."

-When I first saw the letter...

-..I thought this was the evidence

-that I had been hoping to find.

-I'm convinced that Kate

-planted this letter for us to find.

-Kate yearned to share this secret

-during her own lifetime.

-However, it was an intolerant age.

-People viewed the love

-between persons of the same sex...

-..as detestable and disgusting.

-It's amazing that Kate and Morris

-trusted each other from the start...

-..because they shared

-a similar secret.

-Morris T Williams

-was from Groeslon, near Caernarfon.

-While working on Yr Herald Cymraeg

-newspaper in Caernarfon...

-..he formed a relationship with

-deputy editor Edward Prosser Rhys.

-In 1924, Prosser Rhys

-won the National Crown...

-..at the Pontypool Eisteddfod

-with his controversial poem Atgof.

-Atgof speaks

-about various forms of love.

-The physical and mental love

-between a man and a woman...

-..as well as the love

-between two men.

-"Our tight bond!

-Fair-haired gracious youth

-"You know all

-that passed between us

-"All the honest trust

-"The prodigal yet pure intentions

-at the water's edge."

-Everyone knew immediately

-that Prosser Rhys's lover...

-..was Morris Williams

-from Cilgwyn, Caernarfon.

-"We slept... and sometime,

-while half asleep

-"Found ourselves in a tight embrace.

-"Sex oppressed us, we enjoyed it

-"A sudden ceasing by the lake."

-Do you think Kate knew that Morris

-was gay when they met on the train?

-I don't think Kate knew a lot

-about Morris when they first met.

-However, I'm convinced that Morris

-had told Kate at the very start...

-..about his relationship

-with Prosser Rhys.

-Morris and Prosser Rhys

-opened up a new world to Kate.

-If these men could do it,

-so could she.

-Is there evidence of a relationship

-between Kate and another woman?

-There's no evidence that Kate

-had a relationship with a woman...

-..but that wouldn't

-have been recorded anyway.

-We know that Kate was great friends

-with a number of women.

-She met Luned Morgan

-at Ystalyfera...

-..when she was a young teacher

-between 1915 and 1917.

-Years later, she still remembered

-her face and physical attributes.

-She noticed these things.

-Luned Morgan didn't know Kate

-and Kate wasn't well-known then...

-..but she invited Kate

-to stay with her in Cardiff.

-Kate has this tendency to lean more

-towards women from the very start.

-I don't think that kiss was Kate's

-only sexual experience with a woman.

-Kate recorded this event.

-She did so to let Morris know...

-..because she knew

-that Morris would understand.

-It's possible that she had another

-relationship, but we don't know.

-It wasn't the kind of thing

-that she would reveal to everyone.

-She was willing to say it

-in her stories and to tell Morris.

-But we must put it into the context

-of the age in which she lived.

-At that time, lesbian relationships

-weren't recognized.

-For such an honest person as Kate...

-..having to hide her true self

-would have been quite a burden.

-If Kate Roberts

-was a young woman today...

-..she would have expressed

-the nature of her sexuality.

-I'm convinced that Kate Roberts

-wanted us to know.

-She has tried to tell us

-via her works.

-A biographer

-must remain true to the research.

-If I don't say it,

-then someone else will!

-I hold no prejudices

-about a person's sexuality...

-..and can't find anything wrong

-with such a relationship.

-But it's important

-for me to mention it...

-..when we interpret

-the work of Kate Roberts.

-Her work has been interpreted

-from a feminist perspective...

-..but not from this perspective,

-and this is far more important.

-She only revealed

-her secret to Morris...

-..but it gave her the confidence

-to express her feelings in her work.

-Kate turns her life into literature.

-She admits that her best theme

-for her novels is her own life.

-In some of her stories,

-such as Y Trysor...

-..she mentions a close relationship

-between two women.

-A deep and meaningful relationship

-develops between two women.

-One dies and the lady left behind

-speaks of her tremendous grief.

-We know full well that they shared

-a deep relationship.

-When a minister tries to console her

-about the loss of her friend...

-..she tells herself

-that he knows nothing...

-..about the passionate love

-that will remain in her heart.

-Alan claims that Kate wrote...

-..the first published

-Welsh language lesbian story.

-She wrote it

-when she was a teacher in Aberdare.

-It's a story about the love

-between two female teachers.

-The young teacher has to choose

-between a man and an older woman.

-It's a story about faithfulness,

-but faithfulness to whom?

-It's the story of Kate,

-Morris and Prosser.

-The teacher chooses the man,

-just as Kate chose Morris.

-It's as simple as that.

-By the end of 1927, Kate and Morris

-had decided to marry.

-Among the very few who knew

-their intention was Saunders Lewis.

-She wrote to him and mentioned

-the proposed wedding and her doubts.

-In the letter, she states that she

-and Morris discussed every aspect.

-Should they marry or just cohabit?

-She analyses the marriage

-as if it's a business arrangement.

-She speaks of the advantages

-and disadvantages...

-..and asks about the purpose

-of the marriage.

-People usually marry and resolve

-to face troubles as they come along.

-These two were facing troubles

-even before tying the knot.

-On 23 December 1928...

-..Kate and Morris married

-at Llantwit Major church.

-"Giver of all spiritual grace,

-the Author of everlasting life..."

-No friends or relatives

-were invited to the wedding.

-"..this man and this woman..."

-They wanted a low-key wedding.

-They were cautious

-because it was a risky marriage.

-Neither of them knew

-how the future would pan out.

-They took a risk, knowing

-that it would be a stormy marriage.

-We know that Kate and Morris

-knew about each other's sexuality.

-"Those whom God hath joined

-together let no man put asunder."

-But Alan has learnt that this

-was a far from perfect marriage.

-Morris hid some things from Kate.

-There was an element of secrecy

-in their relationship.

-Morris was also an alcoholic.

-.

-Subtitles

-Subtitles

-

-Subtitles

-Over the past year,

-Alan Llwyd has been preparing...

-..an extensive biography

-of Kate Roberts.

-He has discovered some new evidence,

-but believes there's more to reveal.

-I knew that Kate

-kept a diary in 1946...

-..because she mentioned it

-in a letter to DJ Williams.

-I knew that the diary

-wasn't in the National Library...

-..so it was either lost,

-or Kate herself had destroyed it.

-During a visit to Kate's family,

-Alan made an unexpected discovery.

-The diary did exist, and nobody

-outside her family had ever read it.

-I couldn't believe it,

-I really couldn't believe it.

-I was convinced

-that this diary had been lost.

-It contains

-some unbelievable information...

-..about her work, her thought

-processes and many other things.

-It was manna from heaven

-for a biographer.

-Without this diary, there would be

-a large gap in her story.

-Kate and Morris

-were married for 18 years...

-..but in January 1946, he died

-suddenly at their home in Denbigh.

-His death certificate clearly states

-that he was an alcoholic.

-A few months later,

-Kate started keeping a diary.

-"Wednesday night, 27 March 1946.

-"Three months ago tonight,

-Morris took his last walk.

-"We shared a bed

-for the last time...

-"..with little thought

-of the future.

-"Here I am, having experienced the

-cruellest three months of my life."

-Much of the diary...

-..records Kate's efforts

-to cope with her sudden bereavement.

-On 3 January 1946,

-Morris fell ill.

-On 6 January, Morris died

-and on 9 January, he was buried.

-It all happened within a week

-and it was too much for her.

-"Saturday 30 March.

-"The grief is killing me.

-"This is the first Saturday

-that I've been alone in three weeks.

-"At 3pm, I took some flowers

-from the garden to put on his grave.

-"I did some shopping afterwards.

-"A lady said I must feel better

-in the fine weather.

-"Her husband and children are alive,

-so she can't understand."

-Her grief is prominent

-in the diary...

-..but Kate also reveals

-the immense pain she feels...

-..as she faces the reality

-of Morris's alcoholism and debts.

-There's no doubt that Morris

-hid certain things from Kate.

-Kate discovered things in the office

-at Gwasg Gee and in Morris's desk.

-"I feel disappointed today. Why do

-I open any drawer in the office?

-"They only confirm my suspicions.

-"Why do I not write

-about these things?

-"Am I being honest with myself

-for not writing about them?"

-She won't reveal the exact nature

-of some discoveries...

-..but states that they are horrific.

-"In the same drawer, I found

-other papers written by Morris.

-"He should have opened his heart

-to me and not to a piece of paper."

-We don't know

-what was on this piece of paper.

-I could speculate that it was a debt

-linked to his alcoholism.

-He owed money to a lot of people

-when he died.

-There were elements of secrecy

-in their relationship.

-Morris was an alcoholic.

-Following his death...

-..a letter that Kate

-wasn't meant to see was found.

-It was written a year

-after their first meeting.

-In August 1927, Morris wrote

-quite a long letter to Prosser.

-It was only to be opened

-in the event of Morris's death.

-In the letter, Morris unequivocally

-expresses his love for Prosser.

-He doesn't mention any love for Kate

-and refers to her as Kate Roberts.

-He states that Kate Roberts

-can live with her memories.

-I get the impression that Prosser

-was his one true love...

-..and that Kate loved Morris

-more than he loved her.

-After a year of thorough research

-and many amazing revelations...

-..Alan's book goes to press.

-I'm amazed that nobody had written

-a biography of Kate Roberts before.

-She was without a doubt the greatest

-Welsh woman of the 20th century.

-She deserves a biography

-that she would wish for.

-An honest biography.

-How certain are you

-that Kate was bisexual?

-I'm 100% certain

-that Kate was bisexual.

-The evidence is there for all to see

-and in her own hand, not mine.

-I think a biography of this kind

-breaks the boundaries...

-..because there is previously

-unknown evidence in this biography.

-I hope it's a starting point

-for other biographies.

-There's scope to study the links

-between her diaries and her work...

-..and between her relationship with

-Morris, her letters and her work.

-Have you done the right thing

-in publishing this book?

-I hope I've produced

-a complete biography...

-..that interprets her work

-and Kate as a person.

-It has been researched responsibly

-and I can support all of my claims.

-I am full of admiration

-for her truthfulness and honesty...

-..and I have been

-just as truthful and honest as her.

-The blurb calls it

-fearlessly honest.

-It has to be,

-otherwise it's pointless.

-The book would be worthless

-if I buried all the evidence.

-S4C subtitles by Tinopolis

-.