Following the success of the second International Dylan Thomas Day in 2016, details of the third annual celebration of Wales’ most famous literary son have been announced, with events all around the UK and beginning to take shape across the globe.

‘Dylan Day’ is held each year on May 14, the date Under Milk Wood was first read on stage at 92nd Street Y, The Poetry Center in New York in 1953. It is part of a three year package of funding by Welsh Government, and aims to celebrate and raise the profile of Thomas’s work in Wales and abroad through a variety of activities, including events, educational resources and social media activity.

The first International Dylan Thomas Day took place in 2015 following requests to establish a public day, after the year-long Dylan Thomas 100 Festival was met with great public enthusiasm. The second celebration in 2016 included 50 events all around the world. Building on that legacy, the day this year includes a variety of activities, some of which take direct inspiration from events in the centenary year as well as last year’s celebration.

Dylan Day 2017 begins its run-up with the award ceremony for the prestigious International Dylan Thomas Prize, in collaboration with Swansea University, on May 10. The winner of the £30,000 prize for the best published literary work in the English language, written by an author aged 39 or under, will be announced. The prize also includes a reading by the shortlisted writers at the British Library in London the previous evening, May 9.

Then, on May 13, the extended celebrations for Dylan Day begin.

In Laugharne, known for having been the home of Dylan Thomas from 1949 until his death in 1953, and is thought to have been an inspiration for the fictional town of Llareggub in Under Milk Wood, there will be two events.

May 13 and 14 - Under Milk Wood: Painting and Puppets, The Tin Shed.

This is an exhibition of paintings featuring characters from Under Milk Wood by artist and Tin Shed helmsman Seimon Pugh-Jones, along with knitted puppet versions of the characters created by artist Annie Hardy. The Tin Shed is open from 10 am -4.30 pm on Saturday and 1.30 pm - 4.30 pm on Sunday. For more information, visit www.tinshedexperience.co.uk

May 14 - The Dylan Thomas Boathouse and Tea Rooms.

The boathouse will be showing the film ‘Do not go mental’ by Brendan Pendry at various times throughout the day. See www.dylanthomasboathouse.com for more information.

A new online literary competition for young people called Love the Words has also been announced. A collaboration between Literature Wales and Discover Dylan Thomas.com, the website run by Dylan’s granddaughter, Hannah Ellis, Love the Words invites everyone aged between seven and 25-years-old, living anywhere in the world, to submit a poem made from words taken from the opening passages of Thomas’ Under Milk Wood and then to share them on Twitter. The best of these will be chosen by Hannah Ellis and displayed on the Discover Dylan Thomas website.

International Dylan Thomas Day will also work in collaboration with Wales Arts Review this year to engage people with its events and activities.

Cerys Matthews, said: “Falling on the anniversary of the world premiere of Under Milk Wood, Dylan Day is a great excuse to celebrate not only this fine wordsmith but also the world’s great heritage of plays, poems, essays and literature.”

Economy Secretary, Ken Skates, said: “The success of the Dylan Thomas and Roald Dahl centenary celebrations showed that there’s a great appetite to celebrate and learn more about our literary figures and that celebrations of these internationally well-known authors can raise the profile of Wales in the UK and overseas. International Dylan Thomas Day will hopefully become a legacy and a focal point for the interest which was shown in Dylan Thomas and Wales during the centenary celebrations.”

Anyone, anywhere, may host their own event as part of the worldwide celebration. Find out more, and download the logo and poster for this year, designed by New York Times bestselling illustrator Jago, from the Literature Wales website and follow the hashtags #DylanDay and #DyddDylan on social media.