Hello, I’m Lisa Markham and I’m delighted to have been invited to be on the Tir na n-Og Awards judging panel this year. Thank you for the honour.
My career is a bit of a ‘patchwork quilt’, to be honest, but the foundations have been set by wonderful parents and teachers at Ysgol Llanegryn, Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn and Coleg y Drindod. My love for books binds everything together, giving me the chance to learn and to live a full and varied life.
I’m a happy farmwife and mother to three grown-up children: Colin (27), Tom, (23) and Catrin-Elinor (20). We’re a farming team, together with Ken my husband, and have farmed in the Cader Idris and Llanfihangel-y-Pennant area for 30 years. This is a very special agricultural community, full of interesting and valued individuals.
Not a single day passes without me appreciating my community. It’s a truly lovely part of the world, full of history: Mari Jones and her Bible, Castell y Bere, lore and legends that mean the world to me such as ‘The Bells of Aberdyfi’ and Llyn Barfog, and folk-song such as ‘Deio i Dywyn’, all reflecting the wealth of the Bro Dysynni area.
Finding the balance between a busy life, farming and keeping my independence, is crucial. I’ve always loved reading and escaping into an imaginary exciting world. My job running Tywyn library for the last 25 years has played a large part in giving me a feeling of contentment.
Like a colourful umbrella, the library has given me all sorts of experiences, as well as a keen sense of enjoyment. It’s given users of all ages a chance to fulfill dreams, and it’s this opportunity through reading which fills me with delight.
Reading has also inspired me to travel the world with my children and to broaden their horizons. I lost my mother at a young age, but she was an inspiration to me, encouraging me to enjoy culture in all its forms, as well as history. She also taught me to make the most of every day, and to remember to enjoy every minute of it!
It isn’t possible to read every book or travel to every country, but my job has opened many doors as I listen to people and learn about all sorts of books. We can learn so much more about life through books; it’s like looking through a submarine’s periscope.
Books have affected my life greatly and I try to reflect this and transfer my love of reading to my customers in the library. It’s great to welcome local children to the library and try and get them to enjoy reading.
I’m looking forward to this exciting experience which will, in turn, enrich what I’m able to offer in my everyday life.
