Dafydd Elis-Thomas

Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Lord Elis-Thomas of Nant Conwy, was one of the outstanding Welsh public figures of the last fifty years. His political career spanned from first election to Westminster as a Plaid Cymru MP in 1974, to his retirement from the Senedd in Cardiff in 2021, having served as a minister in the Welsh Government. He was the first Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales, stabilising the new institution and embedding devolution during its first tentative decade, and was described as a ‘true giant’ and the ‘founding father’ of Welsh devolution following his death in 2025. Elis-Thomas was also a controversial and magnetic character, whose life and work is captured in this biography – branded a ‘maverick’, an ‘intellectual acrobat’ and a ‘political chameleon’, he was labelled a ‘terrorist’ for his interventions in Northern Ireland, and a ‘traitor’ for oppositional stances adopted towards nationalism. Despite a career often marked by controversy and fearless passion, his unique vision and perseverance was central to the creation of Wales’s first legislative parliament.

‘Dafydd Elis-Thomas was an unusually gifted politician who made a genuinely significant contribution, even while managing to infuriate his warmest admirers on a regular basis. By refusing to smooth over the contradictions, this fine biography allows us to better grasp not only the character and motivations of this most mercurial of men, but also the nature of the nation to which he was to devote his life.’

Professor Richard Wyn Jones, author of Putting Wales First: The Political Thought of Plaid Cymru

‘Dafydd was a political giant with a mischievous side, and Aled Eirug has captured the very essence of the character of this giant of Welsh politics in his comprehensive biography. Dafydd's infectious enthusiasm for Welsh culture and dedication to preserving our language is laid out clearly in this book. Without doubt, he helped to shape the nation we know today, he taught the Labour Party how to cooperate with other progressive parties, and we are all richer for his lifetime of service to Wales, the land he loved.’

Eluned Morgan MS, First Minister of Wales

‘This welcome biography captures the essence of Dafydd Êl,, not only as an exhilarating, complex and unique politician, but one who, as the first Presiding Officer of the Assembly at a crucial time, secured the future of Welsh devolution.’

Professor Sir Deian Hopkin, academic and historian

‘For anyone wanting to understand this most enigmatic and apparently contradictory of politicians, Aled Eirug is the perfect guide. His biography of Dafydd Elis-Thomas brings us closer to a man whose diverse influences helped him create a rich form of Welsh internationalism that renders the frequently uttered jibe “narrow separatist” laughably inadequate. In a political era that veers between technocratic tedium and apocalyptic anxiety, Elis-Thomas was never boring. Nor is this book.’

Martin Shipton, Associate Editor, Nation.Cymru