The poet Idris Davies (1905-53) was born in Rhymney, Monmouthshire. After leaving school he worked underground in the local colliery. The colliery was closed following the 1926 General Strike and Davies trained as a teacher. He began writing poetry and several of his works were published during the 1930s in a variety of journals. His first volume of poems, 'Gwalia Deserta' (1938), focused on the impact of the inter-war depression on his native south Wales. A second volume, 'The Angry Summer' (1943) composed of one long poem which documented the experiences of the south Wales industrial communities during the 1926 General Strike. Davies returned to Rhymney Valley as a teacher in 1947. His final volume, 'Selected Poems', was published shortly before his death.