Please post any questions about any aspect of the 2020 Online Eisteddfod in this thread.
1 Like
I’m a total beginner (Level 1 challenge 11), so not aspiring to enter this year, but… when is it happening and how can I be part of the audience?
1 Like
It is actually happening! 
From now to Sunday November 15h, participants can send their entries to the submissions officer (well that happens to be me, this year).
Then I’ll publish them in this section of the Forum, and maybe somewhere else too. We’ll keep you updated on where and when, here and via the SSiW newsletter.
There’s categories for all levels, and not only poetry and prose. It’s also visual arts, photography and music!
More details about categories and how to participate can be found here:
1 Like
I would definitely urge you to have a go. Seriously, it’s good fun and no pressure. I was the only entrant in my category the first year, but sitting down and thinking about what to write was still an interesting challenge, and it’s nice in the following years to compare your earlier work and see how your language skills have improved in the meantime.
1 Like
Thanks Gisella, I’ll have a look!
1 Like
Thanks Stephen, it’s nice to know that it’s all about the enjoyment. I just don’t know what I could realistically offer but I’ll have a look through the categories!
1 Like
is it okay to ask for help with some words and/or phrases on the forum for the writing category? Is the writing judged on the accuracy of the Welsh or the quality of the story?
It needs to be your own work, though you can consult dictionaries, grammar books, websites, etc. We will have to discuss the criteria with our guest judge this year, but we don’t usually give voting guidance to SSiW members when we open the polls.
As far as I can tell, people tend to vote more for the writing that they find interesting and original, rather than for grammatical accuracy. As long as grammatical errors don’t detract from understanding the story, then they are of lesser importance.
2 Likes
Thank you
1 Like
Hello Deborah, I want to have a go at the Englyn Milwr, but I’m having trouble accessing the Odliadur - it says Access Forbidden. Do you have another link?
Diolch, Sally
@Sally that’s strange as it opens up straight away for me, but you could try this one: http://yrodliadur.cymru/
Type in the word you want to rhyme with and you’ll get suggestions.
@gisella-albertini I can’t find any guidance on Llysenwauin the rules other than an entry should have a llysenw to identify the author. However if one is entering more than one category, does each item need to carry the same llysenw or should it be a different one for each piece? I can see advantages and disadvantages to each approach
Hi Bryan, I am not aware of any specific guidelines - as long as the audience and the judges cannot identify the author behind the pseudonym which is called “ffugenw” here (as I believe in the Eisteddfod tradition).
The entries I’ve received so far used the same ffugenw for all categories, except for one author yesterday who used a different one for each entry.
Since there’s still quite some time before deadline, I still haven’t checked with @Deborah-SSi and @nia.llywelyn if this may be an issue.
As a submission officer, I would say don’t worry, and just send the entries whenever you’re ready 'cause if any doubt comes up I’ll get in touch and let you know (and about this specific topic, I’m sure we’ll have an answer here on the Forum as well soon).
Thank you @gisella-albertini.Sorry, llysenw is a nickname- close but wrong.
Right, I’ll wait a while before I decide on my approach then, so giving myself the benefit of having a little more time to polish my entries also.
1 Like
It’s up to the individual, though it might make the voting a little fairer if people don’t use the same ffugenw. That way every category is judged on its merits without the voter realising that the same person has entered in several categories.
Hi - If entering the audio competitions what’s the best way of recording and how can it be uploaded to the site please?
Hi Christine,
I think the easiest way is using the recorder app that comes with pretty much any smart phones and pad nowadays.
Then you can send the file as an attachment in an email to ssiw.eisteddfod@gmail.com
If you’re not familiar with these and think you might need a bit more detailed explanation, let us know what phone you use and we can see how we can help.
1 Like
I feel this is probably a silly question, but does the title need to be in Welsh, including titles for art and photography.
Also do you need a title for a story or do you use the one given in the theme?
And do you need a title for the limerick and Englyn.
(This looks like I am entering lots, but I am just throwing in a few red herrings here;)
Hi @franhunni,
There’s no strict rules about titles.
For Prose and Poetry categories, some have added their own title, some have used the general theme (or first sentence) only.
There will be the ffugenw to identify each one anyway.
For art and photography, choosing a title in Welsh is great, assuming that most participants here are also learners of the language. But it’s open to everyone, so also titles in other languages have been accepted in past editions and are fine in this edition too!
1 Like
Hi, I just wondered when the results for this were coming out and which website the popular vote is on?
Diolch Catherine