Dylan Thomas' life in pictures

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953) — Image caption,
Dylan Marlais Thomas is perhaps Wales' best-known writer. A season marking the centenary of Thomas’ birth is to be unveiled today by BBC Cymru Wales.

The exterior of 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, where Dylan Thomas was born

Dylan Thomas was born on 27 October 1914 at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive. As a boy, Dylan knew the western suburbs of Swansea, particularly nearby Cwmdonkin Park. Dylan attended Swansea Grammar School, where his father had been teaching for two decades. His first poem was published in the school magazine.

Dylan Thomas making a broadcast taken by the BBC in November 1948.

A submission to a BBC poetry competition resulted in it being read on air. In 1934 he moved to London where his first poetry collection, 18 Poems, was praised by a number of established poets. In the 1940s, Dylan became a regular presence on the BBC writing scripts, reading poetry and short stories, as well as acting.

Dylan Marlais Thomas (1914 - 1953), Welsh poet, short-story writer and playwright, walking with his wife Caitlin, 10th August 1946.

Dylan married Caitlin Macnamara in 1937. Their first child, Llewelyn, was born the following year. They had two more children – a daughter, Aeronwy and a son, Colm. The family settled in Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, in 1949. Dylan and Caitlin had a volatile marriage which was exacerbated by heavy drinking on both sides.

The writing desk of Dylan Thomas, Laugharne

The main themes of Dylan Thomas' poetry were nostalgia, life, death, and lost innocence. He wrote often about his past as a boy or as a young man. Wales and the landscapes and people became an integral part of his writing. Pictured here is his writing shed in Laugharne.

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953) drinking a glass of beer and smoking while seated at a desk with stacks of his books of poetry, New York City, c. 1950.

Dylan Thomas first travelled to America in 1950 to earn money through a tour. He had harboured desires to travel there since the 1930s, but World War Two prevented him. His poems were being published there, and he had a considerable stateside following. He also became known for his excessive drinking as well as his poetry.

Undated handout image of a letter written in 1953 by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas detailing progress on Under Milk Wood

This undated image of a letter to BBC producer Douglas Cleverdon was written in 1953 - eight months before Dylan’s death. It details progress on one of his most famous works, Under Milk Wood.

The grave of Dylan Thomas, St Martin's Church, Laugharne, 1969

On a final trip to New York in 1953, Dylan began drinking heavily and was unable to stop vomiting during a rehearsal of Under Milk Wood. Dylan Thomas died at noon on Monday 9 November 1953. The post mortem gave the primary cause of death as pneumonia, with pressure on the brain and a fatty liver given as contributing factors. He is buried at St Martin's Church in Laugharne.