A journalist of many years, Bronwen now writes fiction and memoir.

During her time in residence at Stiwdio Maelor, she is working on final edits of her second novel. Set in the south of New Zealand in 1886 and 1832, this novel incorporates synergies between the colonisation of New Zealand and Wales, and the subsequent struggles to revive language, culture and identity.

Her first novel deals with redemption, women’s issues and the environment. The novel was long-listed in the UK-based Historical Novel Society’s unpublished manuscript awards 2012, and was awarded a mentorship and assessment by the New Zealand Society of Authors. A re-write is planned for next year to once again ready the manuscript for publication.

Bronwen began her writing life after completing a post-grad Diploma of Journalism at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, in 1979. She worked on The Press in Christchurch then returned to Japan, where she had lived previously, to work on English-language publications there. Fired by human rights issues, she became an investigative journalist, and her feature articles were published in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.

Always interested in the mystical, Bronwen learned to practice Zen meditation in Japan, and completed a BA in Philosophy and Religion at the International Division of Sophia University, in Tokyo.

Now she is in Wales to explore her Welsh ancestry. She soon fell in love with the Welsh landscape, sacred places, ancient monuments, and web of myths and folktales, and is taking a course on the Mabinogi with myth specialist, folksinger and bard, Dr Gwilym Morus-Baird. She also attended a Songlines of Britain course with Eric Maddern and Hugh Lupton at Ty Newydd, the National Writers’ Centre of Wales in Llanystumdwy, as well as a week of poetry writing at Ty Newydd with award-winning Irish poets, Tony Curtis and Paula Meehan.

Bronwen has a Master of Creative Writing and an MBA, both from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.