A stunning mural featuring a medley of cubes and symbols, painted on a backdrop of red and blue, now graces the Swansea Recreation Center, on the wall next to the swimming pool. It’s more than a colorful addition to the building — it’s the work of a group of artists from Kosovo who joined forces with local artists to show the power of reconciliation and kinship.

The bookshops are stocking up, the hotels undergoing spring-cleans and the pubs preparing to welcome guests keen to follow in the footsteps of Wales's most famous poet and hellraiser. Admirers of Dylan Thomas are expected to descend in droves on South Wales this year not just from across the UK but from the US, Europe and the far east to join a year-long celebration marking the centenary of his birth.