Mary was a published essayist and poet in the Welsh medium before she started writing and competing in English. She has awards from the Cardiff Writers’ Circle, South and Mid Wales Writers’ Association, and is also a member of The Bardic Circle at the National Eisteddfod. In her role as a primary school teacher, she inspired many children to enjoy poetry and language; some have attained literary achievements in their own right. She was born in rural Carmarthenshire and has happy memories of early experiences of family life in a tight-knit community. She and her late husband, Don, loved holidays in Western France, and these experiences now provide a rich source of inspiration for much of her writing