Dylan Thomas: exhibition at National Library of Wales

Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea in 1914 and the centenary of his birth is being celebrated

A poem composed by Dylan Thomas as a teenager and a hand-drawn map of a fictional village he created are among items on display in a new exhibition.

The six-month exhibition has opened at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, and includes items on loan from America.

The library claims most have never been displayed in Wales before.

The Aberystwyth exhibition was opened by Thomas's grand-daughter Hannah Ellis.

It will run until 20 December and is one of a series of events around the world to celebrate the centenary of the poet's birth in Swansea.

It includes a "newly-discovered" poem he wrote as a teenager and a hand-drawn map of Llareggub, the fictional village in Under Milk Wood, as well as personal letters.

The library's chief executive, Aled Gruffydd Jones, said: "The sheer scale and range of the items on show is astonishing, but what makes this exhibition really special is the emphasis on rare original items, such as a series of letters which have remained hidden until now."

Meanwhile, love letters from Thomas to his wife-to-be Caitlin, are expected to fetch up to £15,000 at auction.

The letters, to be auctioned by Sotheby's next month, were written in 1936, and one includes the words: "This is only to tell you that I'm not dead".