A fabulous Eisteddfod for the Society
We had a strong presence at this year’s National Eisteddfod in Y Garreg Las, with Fellows leading lectures and events across the week, including our Annual Eisteddfod Lecture and the Three Minute Thesis Competition.
Professor Emyr Lewis FLSW won the prestigious Chair, for the second time, for his awdl on the theme Llinell | Llinellau (Line | Lines). Another literary winner was Dr Rebecca Thomas, one of our Dillwyn medallists in 2023, who received the Daniel Owen Memorial Prize for her novel ‘Ynys Gwales’.
Fellows were involved throughout the week, from Professor Dame Elan Closs Stephens, President of the Learned Society of Wales, in conversation with Professor Mererid Hopwood FLSW on the life of Waldo Williams, to the Gwen John Lecture with Dr Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan FLSW, through to Andrew Green FLSW hosting the Ieuan Rhys Remembrance Talk on art and words. Professor E. Wyn James also featured prominently with three separate talks about significant Welsh personalities, including hymn-writer Ann Griffiths and anti-slavery campaigner Morgan John Rhys.
The Eisteddfod also saw the closing premiere of Angerdd a Gerdd, a new composition by Professor Paul Mealor FLSW set to words by Professor Menna Elfyn FLSW.
LSW Fellow Professor Siwan Davies delivered this year’s LSW Annual Eisteddfod Lecture, ‘Looking back and forward on the climate crisis’, on Thursday 6 August, drawing on her expertise as a physical geographer to explore what evidence of past climate change can tell us about the crisis unfolding today. It was brilliant to see so many ECRs among the audience engaging with her talk.
Congratulations to Professor Davies, who was later announced as the recipient of the National Eisteddfod’s Science and Technology Medal, in recognition of her outstanding contribution to scientific research, education and science communication through the medium of Welsh.
Congratulations also to Dr Aled Eirug FSLW and to former President of the LSW, Professor Hywel Thomas FLSW, for their admittance as Honorary Druids of the Gorsedd, or Council of Bards, at this year’s Eisteddfod. The ceremony was overseen by Professor Mererid Hopwood FLSW, for whom this was her last event as Archdruid.
