Dylan is a highly successful 20th-century Welsh poet known for his magnetic public readings and neo-romantic style. Raised in an affluent suburb of Swansea, he writes entirely in English due to his father's strict rules against learning the Welsh language. He channels his deep emotional distress over his father's declining health into his poetry, begging for a fight against mortality. He faces significant personal struggles, particularly a severe dependency on alcohol that affects his financial stability and family life.

D.J. is an English literature teacher at Swansea Grammar School with an honors degree from Aberystwyth University. He fills his family's home with books, establishing the literary foundation for his son's future career. He suffers from chronically poor health and is diagnosed with throat cancer, undergoing painful radium treatments. His physical decline and eventual loss of eyesight directly inspire his son's most famous meditations on death.

Caitlin is the wife of poet Dylan Thomas and the mother of their three children. She experiences a complicated and turbulent marriage, residing alongside her husband's intense public fame and destructive personal habits. She works to maintain their household despite constant financial struggles.

Nancy is the sister of Dylan Thomas, raised in the same middle-class, English-speaking household in Swansea. Like her brother, she is actively prevented from learning the native Welsh language by her father, a decision that firmly shapes their cultural identity.

Philip is a notable poet who shares a friendship with Dylan. Their connection is highlighted in retrospective pieces examining the Welsh poet's lasting impact on the literary community and his social circles.

Robert is an important poet who runs in the same literary circles as Dylan. He maintains a friendship with the Welsh writer, contributing to the rich social history of the mid-century poetic community.