The University of Wales Press once again attended the National Eisteddfod – this year held in Anglesey from the 4th to the 12th August. The Press set up shop in the University of Wales tent, with hundreds of Welsh and English-language books on offer. Many of our authors were also in attendance, giving a fascinating series of talks around the Maes to introduce their newest releases and discuss the broader topics surrounding their work.
- Simon Brooks and Huw Lloyd Williams discussed Brexit, Europe, socialism and nationalism in a conversation focused on the future of the Welsh nation. Simon Brooks’s Why Wales Never Was: The Failure of Welsh Nationalism was released in June.
- Anwen Jones, the editor of the new volume Perfformio’r Genedl: Ar Drywydd Hywel Teifi Edwards, and one of the contributors, Roger Owen, discussed various aspects of Hywel Teifi Edwards’ work.
- M. Wynn Thomas chaired a conversation between Jason Walford Davies, Jerry Hunter and Sioned Williams on the two literatures of Wales, following his latest collection of essays, All That is Wales, in May.
- Williams Pantycelyn by Saunders Lewis, re-published by UWP in 2016 with an extensive new introduction by D. Densil Morgan, was the subject of conversation between Morgan, E. Wyn James, T. Robin Chapman and Tudur Hallam.
- The launch of Evan James Williams, an entertaining and revealing volume on one of the twentieth century’s most important Welsh physicists. The author, Rowland Wynne, discussed the man and his work in conversation with Gareth Ffowc Roberts.
- Noel A. Davies and T. Hefin Jones, authors of Cristnogaeth a Gwyddoniaeth, presented their new volume and its approach to the complex and challenging questions that are emerging in Christian theology in the face of contemporary science.
- Rhiannon Heledd Williams, in conversation with E. Wyn James, presented her new work Cyfaill Pwy o’r Hen Wlad: Gwasg Gyfnodol Gymraeg America 1838-66, in an interesting discussion on the American Welsh press.
A huge thank you to everyone involved for helping us deliver another successful Eisteddfod programme, and to everyone who made it through the mud to visit us. We’ll see you next year!