“It was snowing. It was always snowing at Christmas. December, in my memory, is white as Lapland, though there were no reindeers. But there were cats.”
-- Dylan Thomas, "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
After a pause last year due to COVID, the Irish American Heritage Museum's annual reading of Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales" returns for an in-person event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 8.
The event, featuring a cast of dramatic readers, holiday music, seasonal treats, and singalongs, will be held at the Celtic Hall, 430 New Karner Road in Colonie.
"We're delighted to bring back this charming and timeless classic," said Elizabeth Stack, Executive Director of Irish American Heritage Museum. "It's fantastic to get friends together in a room to celebrate the holidays, particularly for such a famous story."
A Child's Christmas in Wales
7-9 p.m. Wednesday, December 8
Celtic Hall, 430 New Karner Road, Colonie NY 12205
Free and open to the public.
Please bring a mask.
About "A Child's Christmas in Wales"
The dust cover of the 1955 first pressing of Dylan Thomas' A Child's Christmas in Wales. Dylan Thomas in the White Horse Tavern, Greenwich Village, New York City, 1952. (Photo credit: The Granger Collection)
Welsh poet Dylan Thomas originally wrote and recorded "Memories of Christmas" for BBC Radio in 1952. He later revised the story and in 1950, sold the work to Harper's Bazaar for $300. It was published it under the title "A Child's Memories of a Christmas in Wales."
During his New York City stay in 1952 while on tour of America, Thomas recorded what he referred to as "A Child's Christmas in Wales." In 2008, the recording was selected for the United States National Recording Registry, which stated that it the piece is "credited with launching the audiobook industry in the United States."