Narberth-born Dr Ruth Chilcott (1929-2023) lived most of her life in England, but never forgot her roots. Her grandfather had built many of the houses in the town, and her father, T R Francis, was the local headmaster.

Her childhood there was tinged with sadness, overshadowed by the death of her mother giving birth to her, and coloured by World War II and its aftermath. Despite this, Ruth always loved Pembrokeshire.

After studying medicine at Cardiff University, she moved to London to practice as a doctor. But still having family and friends in Narberth, she visited often, and over the years amassed a large collection of books about Pembrokeshire and Narberth. Those books are now returning to Wales, and will be available for ‘rehoming’ at this year’s Llangwm LitFest.

Ruth’s daughters, Sian and Rhian, recount that as their mother got older, the stronger her bonds to Wales felt. Hers was perhaps the only house in Essex decorated extravagantly with Welsh flags. The family Welsh dresser – made from oak felled on the family fields – dominated the sitting room. She died last year at the age of 93, but they smilingly note that in her final months, she was determinedly trying to teach her carers Welsh, and existed mostly on a diet of cockles and prawns from South Wales.

Now to honour her bond to Narberth, the daughters want to find good homes for as much of their mother’s library as possible. “We are bringing the books to Pembrokeshire, because we know we will find a great community of people who both love books and are interested in Welsh history” said Rhian. “And the Llangwm LitFest is the ideal way to connect with this community.”

The books are an eclectic selection, from rare historical accounts of drovers’ roads to modern language learning materials. “There is a bit of everything,” says Sian, “from poetry to coffee table books to memoirs. Whether you like ghost stories, or recipe books, or family history collections… we hope you’ll find something to interest you.”

Anyone who takes a book will be invited to make a donation in return, and the sisters will donate the proceeds to the Narberth Museum of which Ruth was a lifelong friend. Sian and Rhian’s stall will be next to Claire’s bar in the Big Marquee during the Llangwm Literary Festival. The festival takes place between 9 and 11 August 2024 in Llangwm. For more information on the festival, contact [email protected], or visit thewebsite: www.llangwmlitfest.co.uk

Facebook: Llangwmlitfest | Twitter: Llangwmlitfest1 | Instagram: thellangwmlitfest