A bilingual English-Welsh poetry anthology celebrating a road that runs the length of Wales, from Llandudno to Cardiff, will be released on St David’s Day by independent publisher Arachne Press. A470: Poems for the Road / Cerddi’r Ffordd is a collection of original poems by Welsh poets, written in response to the 186-mile, long and winding A470 that links Llandudno and Cardiff, and passes through two national parks - the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia, historical towns, villages, and valleys.

Described in a documentary on BBC Radio 4 as the ‘M1 Motorway of Wales’, it came into being following a pre-devolutionary campaign to link the north and south of Wales, adopting and renaming other roads along the way to augment the original stretch between Cardiff and Brecon.

The road includes narrow and twisting sections, mainly single carriageway, preventing overtaking for miles. From the seashore to slate quarries, from nuclear power stations and fighter plane flypasts to forests, mountains and the capital city, the publishers say the anthology is intended to take the reader on a journey through memory, myth, love and grief.

The fully bilingual collection includes 52 poems which were submitted by writers in either English or Welsh in response to an open call. The selected poems were then translated, meaning each work in the anthology is side by side with its translation either from, or into, Welsh.

The anthology is guest edited by Ness Owen and Sian Northey. The anthology features work by Adele Evershed, Angela Graham, Annes Glynn, Ben Ray, Cas Stockford, Christina Thatcher, clare e. potter, Conway Emmett, David Mathews, Des Mannay, Diana Powell, Eabhan Ní Shuleibháin, Gareth Culshaw, Gareth Davies, Glyn Edwards, Gwenno Gwilym, Gwyn Parry, Haf Llewelyn, Ion Thomas, Isobel Roach, Jeremy Dixon, Julian Brasington, Karen Moore, Kevin Mills, Llŷr Gwyn Lewis, Lowri Williams, Mari George, Matthew Smith, Mike Jenkins, Morgan Owen, Natalie Ann Holborow, Ness Owen, Nicholas McGaughey, Non Prys Ifans, Osian Jones, Osian Owen, Pat Edwards, Rae Howells, Rebecca Lowe, Rhiannon Oliver, Rhys Owain Williams, Samantha Weaver, Sara Louise Wheeler, Seth Crook, Sian Northey, Simon Chandler, Siôn Aled, Stephen Payne, Tracey Rhys,Tudur Dylan Jones.

A470: Poems for the Road / Cerddi’r Ffordd is available to pre-order from Arachne Press