Sarah Woodbury

I started being interested in Wales because of family legend that we had Welsh ancestry. We discovered that we did, in fact, have Welsh ancestors during a genealogy project with my daughter … and at that point I started reading everything I could about Wales. Then in 2006, I started writing novels, and the story of the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last Welsh Prince of Wales, was so resonant with me that I decided to write a novel–where I changed what happened. I now have written 50 books (and sold over a million) set in medieval Wales.

I had tried to learn Welsh for years, but never managed to commit the time that it needed. A year ago in May, I decided to give SSiW another try. I’ve since finished all three levels of the new course and have started on the old course. In May of this year we were able to travel to Wales and I discovered I could actually have conversations and be understood in Welsh! Though I took French and Spanish in school, I have never learned either even close to as well as Welsh. I think it has changed the way my brain works. It has certainly changed my life!