Name: Hywel Wyn Edwards Born: Aberystwyth Job: National Eisteddfod North Wales Organiser.

Q: When did you start planning the 2003 Eisteddfod?

A: We started looking for suitable sites in 1995. At first, the idea was to return to Machynlleth where the Eisteddfod was held in 1981. Two or three carloads of local people and officials visited several locations around Machynlleth but we didn't see anything suitable. Then somebody suggested Mathrafal Farm in Meifod. We walked around the fields and came to an agreement with the late David Jones and his wife Beryl. A public meeting was held in Llanfair Caereinion in May 1997 when Meifod was given the seal of approval and we moved to our offices in the centre of Welshpool in October 2001.

Q: How much does it cost to stage the Eisteddfod?

A: The average cost of the Eisteddfod is around £2.5 million. About 10% of that is raised by local people. Appeal committees were set a target in 1997 of raising £210,000 for the 2003 festival. They surpassed their target and by now have raised more than £220,000. As well as local appeal committees across Montgomeryshire, we've also had committees setting up across the border in Oswestry, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Newcastle under Lyne and Stoke on Trent. For Welsh people living in England, Meifod is one of the closest places for them to travel.

Q: How many people are involved?

A: About 500 people altogether, including Eisteddfod officials and local people. The people of Montgomeryshire have been fantastic. They've taken a real pride in the fact that the Eisteddfod is coming to their part of the world - it's the first time the Eisteddfod's been in the Welshpool area since 1965 when it was held in Newtown.

Q: How busy have you been in the past few months?

A: The past few months have been hectic. The closing date for literary compositions was 1 April 2003. The local postman couldn't believe how much post we were getting! The first post would arrive at 9 o'clock in the morning and it would take us all morning just to open all the letters. It took days to sort through everything. More have competed this year than ever before, with around 700 entries in the written composition competitions. That's almost 200 more than the record set in Denbigh in 2001. We've had a total of 45 people competing for the Crown - again a record figure - and a total of 9 bards are hoping to win the Chair. The number of competitors for stage events is also extremely high.

Q: Why is Meifod attracting such high numbers of entries?

A: It's difficult to say exactly what the reason is but Meifod is so easy to reach from all parts of Wales. If you're coming from Mold, it's less than an hour. From Caernarfon or Aberystwyth, it's just over an hour. From Cardiff, it's no more than 2 and a half hours. It's a central location which is convenient for everyone.