Born in 1924 and credited with making the Welsh language popular again, Islwyn Ffowc Elis is among 200 people who died in 2004 to have been added to the prestigious reference work.

Wrexham poet Aled Lewis Evans, who is also a novelist, short story writer, author of Welsh language local history book Bro Maelor and a former teacher at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd, said Elis was born to parents in Acton and the family moved when he was a child to the family farm in Glyn Ceiriog.

He was educated at Bangor University before becoming a methodist minister, serving in Llanfair Caereinion in Mid Wales and in Newborough, on Anglesey.

He began writing poetry and prose when he was a conscientious objector during the Second World War and moved back to Wrexham where he became a full time writer.

"That didn't happen very often," said Mr Lewis Evans.

"I think he was the first to become a full time writer in the Welsh language.

"After Daniel Owen he is considered the first Welsh language novelist and certainly started the modern Welsh novel."

His debut novel Cysgod y Cryman – translated into English as Shadow of the Sickle – was published in 1953 and went on to be chosen in 1999 as the most significant Welsh language book of the 20th century. Its follow up, Yn ol i Leifior, was also translated.

"His books were ahead of the times and he liked science fiction.

"A famous book of his was Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd, published in 1957 which dealt with how Wales would be in the future.

"He also wrote a collection of memoirs called Cyn Oeri's Gwaed in which he mentions his childhood in this area and when he was at university in Bangor.

"If anyone deserves it of the Welsh writers he surely does, he is the author people think of in the 20th century when they think of the Welsh language.

"He kept up his connection with the area throughout his lifetime and members of his family still live in the Ceiriog Valley."

Elis is still widely read today with Cysgod y Cryman and Yn ol i Leifior and their English translations recently reprinted.