1988 in Wales

See also: 1987 in Wales, other events of 1988, 1989 in Wales and the list of years in Wales.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - Diana, Princess of Wales
• Secretary of State for Wales - Peter Walker
• Archbishop of Wales - George Noakes

Events

• Conway Castle, Beaumaris Castle, Caernarfon Castle and Harlech Castle become the first Welsh sites to be placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• The last British Rail steam train stops operating on the Vale of Rheidol line.

Arts and literature

• Tom Jones loses a paternity suit and is forced to support a son, Jonathan Berkery.
• The European Centre for Traditional and Regional Cultures]] opens in Llangollen.
• This year sees the foundation of:
  • BAFTA Cymru
  • Hay-on-Wye Festival of Literature
  • Ffilm Cymru (Film Foundation for Wales)

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Newport)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Elwyn Edwards
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. James Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

• Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language:
  • Welsh language:

New books

• T. Glynne Davies - Cerddi
• Bobi Jones - Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg 1902-36
• Rhiannon Davies Jones - Cribau Eryri
• Hilary Llywelyn-Williams - The Tree Calendar
• Sheenagh Pugh - Beware Falling Tortoises
• Oliver Reynolds - The Player Queen's Wife
• William Owen Roberts - Y Pla
• Bernice Rubens - Our Father
• Huw Walters - Canu'r Pwll a'r Pulpud
• Glanmor Williams - Recovery, Reorientation and Reformation

Film

• Peter Greenaway directs Drowning by Numbers.

Broadcasting

Welsh language television

• Pobol y Cwm becomes the first European soap opera to be broadcast daily.

Sports

• Steve Jones becomes the first Briton to win the New York Marathon.
• Snooker - Doug Mountjoy wins the UK Open Championship.

Deaths

• January 26 - Raymond Williams, writer
• date unknown - John Gwilym Jones, writer
• date unknown - John Morgan, journalist