Lewis Jones is regarded as one of the finest of modern British novelists. He wrote two working class novels, 'Cwmardy; the story of a welsh mining valley' (1937), and its sequel 'We Live; the story of a welsh mining valley' (1939), which are generally recognised as being outstanding depictions of life in the South Wales mining valleys during the first part of the twentieth century. 'cwmardy' is a documentary novel which tells the story of the Rhondda Valley mining community from the beginning of this century up to 1921. Through the main character, Len Roberts, it describes the increasing militancy and the growth of socialism in the pre-First World War years, and contains one of the most famous descriptions ever written of a mining disaster and its effects on the mining community. The main characters of these two novels are convinced that they can play active roles in the events that directly affect them. Len, the young miner is martyred in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans; his wife Mary playing an active role in politics.

Lewis Jones was born in Clydach Vale on 28 December 1897. he spent his early working life as a miner in the South Wales coalfield and attended the Central Labour College in London from 1923 - 1925, where he joined the Communist Party. During the 1926 General Strike he was imprisoned for three months in Swansea jail for his trade union activities in the Nottinghamshire coalfield. Once back at the pits, he became Chairman and then checkweigher at Cambrian Lodge of the South Wales Miners' Federation.

In 1929, he resigned, refusing to work with scab labour. He remained unemployed for the rest of his life. As the Welsh organiser for the National Unemployed Worker' Movement, he led the 1932, 1934 and 1936 Hunger Marches to London. Also in 1936, he was elected as one of the two Communist members on to the Glamorgan County Council.

Lewis Jones died of a heart attack on 27 January 1939 at the end of a day in which he addressed over 30 meetings in support of the Spanish Republic's struggle against fascism.