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The story of Caerphilly Castle’s fabled Green Lady has been turned into a new children’s book by an up-and-coming writer and illustrator hailing from Bargoed.

Chris Morgan launched the new book, which is available in Welsh and English language editions, at this year’s Cheese Festival.

Despite always having an interest in art, Chris left school after his A-levels and ended up doing a series of jobs that, by his own admission, he didn’t enjoy.

Like a lot of other people, it was the pandemic that proved the catalyst for change.

Chris explained: “I was working through the pandemic in a factory and I thought I just don’t want to do this anymore because of the way things were at the time.

“I thought we gotta do something positive that year, so, my wife Gwen encouraged me to sign up for university to do an illustration degree.

“I got in and it was a bit of fate really, because the guy running the course at University of South Wales I did my A-level art with him – he was the year above me.

“I graduated in 2023 with a First and my first book, the Giant of Gilfach Fargoed was my final major project.”

That first book, published last year, was based on early illustrations Chris did for a GCSE project in collaboration with local historian Richard Felstead.

Chris, 46, continued: “I wanted to be a children’s illustrator and I thought there was a gap in the market for folktales, and retelling them for children, and after my final project with The Giant of Gilfach Fargoed it just continued.”

The tale of the Green Lady was the obvious choice for a follow-up, according to Chris.

“I’d grown up knowing about the Green Lady, but didn’t really know the full story behind it and it just fell into place,” he added.

For those who don’t know, it is said the ghost of Alice de Lusignan haunts the castle draped in the green jealousy of Gilbert de Clare – her husband who discovered she was in love with Gruffudd the Fair.

She was banished back to her native France by de Clare – a country with familial links to Chris as his father lives there.

Despite not being a Welsh speaker, Chris said he felt it was important for the tales to be told in the language and enlisted the help of his fluent wife Gwen.

Chris is now busy preparing for the next book in the series – and trying to figure out which folktale to retell next.

However, the challenge is trying to maintain the tales’ dark natures while making them accessible for children and not straying too far from the story.

Welsh and English language editions of The Green Lady of Caerphilly Castle have been donated to Caerphilly Library Service by Chris.

Visit www.chrismorgan.wales to buy a copy of the book.