An English translation of the bestselling Welsh-language novel of all time is set to be republished.

Islwyn Ffowc Elis’s novel, Cysgod y Cryman, will be re-released in English as Shadow of the Sickle, in honour of the centenary of the author’s birth.

Mr Elis (1924–2004) was a highly influential figure in Welsh literature, best known for breathing new life into the genre with his first novel, Cysgod y Cryman.

Born Islwyn Ffoulkes Ellis in Wrexham and raised in Glyn Ceiriog, Mr Elis was educated at the University of Wales colleges in Bangor and Aberystwyth.

His debut book, first published in 1953, drew in a new generation of postwar readers with its portrayal of dynamic young characters.

The author was lauded by The Times as "the father of the contemporary Welsh novel," and historian Martin Johnes commended Cysgod y Cryman as "a great story... and an important depiction of the tensions within rural Wales just after the Second World War."

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography recognises the book and its sequel, Yn ôl i Leifior, as "classics of modern Welsh literature."

To mark the centenary of Mr Elis’s birth on November 17, Y Lolfa is republishing Shadow of the Sickle, the English translation of Cysgod y Cryman.

The translation was done by the late Meic Stephens (1938–2018), a poet, translator, and professor of Welsh Writing in English.

His translation was first published in 1998 but has been out of print for many years.

Set in the post-World War II era, the novel's storyline revolves around a young protagonist, Harri Vaughan, a brilliant student and wartime conscientious objector.

Returning to his ancestor-farmed land, Lleifior, Harri struggles to reconcile the traditional rural way of life with the changing world post-war.

He finds himself torn between his engagement with Lisabeth Pugh, the daughter of a wealthy neighbouring farmer, and his attraction to Gwylan Thomas, a girl who introduces him to communism.

Garmon Gruffudd of Y Lolfa said: "The fact that Cysgod y Cryman was a huge bestseller at the time isn’t the only testament to its importance.

"It has been a staple of the school Welsh literature syllabus for decades and has had a powerful influence on many Welsh-speakers and later Welsh-medium novelists.

"In 1999 it was voted the most popular Welsh-language novel of the whole of the twentieth century.

"As a publisher specialising in books from Wales, we feel strongly that we should mark the centenary of Elis’ birth by making Meic Stephens’ excellent translation available again, so that those who aren’t able to read this important novel in the original language are able to enjoy it."

Shadow of the Sickle by Islwyn Ffowc Elis, translated by Meic Stephens, will be available from November 15.