EVENT: "A Child's Christmas in Wales" reading on Thursday, December 8

“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"

The Irish American Heritage Museum's annual reading of Dylan Thomas's "A Child's Christmas in Wales" will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, December 8.

The event will be held in person and also broadcast live on the museum's YouTube channel.

The event, featuring a cast of dramatic readers, holiday music, seasonal treats, and singalongs, will be held at the Irish American Heritage Museum, 21 Quackenbush Square, Albany, NY 12207.

"We are looking forward to sharing this classic story with friends and members as we get ready for the holiday season,' said Elizabeth Stack, Executive Director of Irish American Heritage Museum. "Part of the magic of Christmas is having those traditions and routines which bring us such joy, and I am delighted to have some festive cheer in our museum!"

A Child's Christmas in Wales

7-9 p.m. Thursday, December 8

Irish American Heritage Museum, 21 Quackenbush Square

Albany, NY 12207

(518) 427-1916

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, 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."