Influx of visitors expected in 100th year since birth of poet and hellraiser, who died in 1953 at the age of 39
Welsh poet and playwright Dylan Thomas. Photograph: Francis Reiss/Picture Post
The bookshops are stocking up, the hotels undergoing spring-cleans and the pubs preparing to welcome guests keen to follow in the footsteps of Wales's most famous poet and hellraiser.
Admirers of Dylan Thomas are expected to descend in droves on South Wales this year not just from across the UK but from the US, Europe and the far east to join a year-long celebration marking the centenary of his birth.
At the same time, as part of the Dylan Thomas 100 festivities, the Welsh government and the British Council Wales are organising a series of cultural events and education initiatives across North America, India, Australia and Argentina to further spread the word about Thomas – and Wales.
Jeff Towns, who runs Dylans Bookstore in Swansea, city of Thomas's birth in October 1914, said he was expecting the centenary to reinforce the poet's global reputation as well as providing an economic boost for the region.
"The Americans took Thomas to heart after his death in New York, especially after the likes of Richard Burton and Bob Dylan made their admiration for him clear," said Towns. "He was elevated to an icon alongside the likes of James Dean."
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