About the Author
Siôn Rees Williams was born in Llanelwy/St. Asaph, Cymru/Wales in 1968 and was brought up and educated in Welsh, English, French and Latin in West Sussex, Gwynedd and West Yorkshire. He holds an MA Degree in Celtic Studies out of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and an LLB. (Hons.) Degree in Business Law from the University of Huddersfield. He defines himself as “a lawyer by training, a linguist by profession and a nationalist by conviction.” A qualified and experienced teacher of Welsh (his 1st language), English and French to adults, he was latterly the sole Associate Lecturer in Welsh for the Open University, East of England region. Prior to that, he lectured at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Poland to MA level for two years and on a freelance basis, through the medium of French in Paris for almost five years. In 2005-2006, he taught Welsh, ESOL and French for the WEA Coleg Harlech in Gwynedd. He has represented, as sole exhibitor/language teacher, Wales and Welsh at two international language fairs – Expolangues, Paris (1998-2000 and annually since 2006) and Expolingua, Praha/Prague, Czech Republic (2007-2009). A competent trilingual translator and editor in Welsh, English and French, Siôn has worked for many organisations in order that their message is conveyed effectively and accurately to the public. Past clients have included Census 2011, Editions Hachette, HMG, LOCOG 2012, Michelin, Pfizer Inc., Principality Building Society and TV Licensing Ltd. Although Siôn is an active member of both Plaid Cymru and the SNP, as well as many Welsh pressure groups – and many of the parables here echo his core political beliefs in regard to the nations these parties represent – he has a lifelong empathy with minority peoples from all over the globe. He therefore firmly believes that these parables will find echoes in other places where smaller cultures are threatened by others and by the trend towards uniformity of thought and action. The parables should not be taken as being against any particular individual, ethnic group or nation. There is nothing incompatible in wanting the best for one’s own country whilst respecting others’ rights to the same and even acknowledging – if not agreeing with – those who hold opposing points of view. Siôn Rees Williams lives with his wife, Miranda and their cat, Viola, in Bedfordshire, England. More information on the author can be found on his web site: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/sionrwilliams
