Women and Welsh literature

Conference celebrates Welsh women’s writing

The National Library of Wales will host a special conference on Women, writing and literary criticism in modern Wales on Saturday 30 January 2016.

The conference, which is being jointly organised by Cardiff University and Aberystwyth University, funded by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, is an opportunity to consider the influence of feminism on Welsh language writers and literary criticism. In addition to the academic discussions the conference will be an opportunity to consider the present situation of female writers in the company of authors Manon Steffan Ros and Caryl Lewis.

Dr Siwan Rosser, from the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, and Dr Cathryn Charnell-White from the Welsh and Celtic Studies department at Aberystwyth University, are organising the conference to mark 30 years since the publication of a special edition of the literary journal Y Traethodydd, in January 1986. This special edition explored the relationship between women and literature in order to challenge the silence in traditional literary criticism about the contribution of women to Welsh literature through the centuries.

Dr Siwan Rosser said: “The 1986 edition of Y Traethodydd is the most important publication on feminist literary criticism in Wales. It opened the door to a key area of research and inspired a new generation to explore women’s historical and contemporary literature.

“The conference is an opportunity to celebrate that original publication and to gather together and reflect on what happened next. We will assess the contemporary situation and the changes experienced in the decades since publication. We have a full programme of papers, given by experienced and enthusiastic speakers, which will undoubtedly offer many new perspectives and challenges.”

The conference is free and light refreshments will be available. It is also possible for the conference to contribute towards travel costs for research students. The conference is sponsored by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To register for free please contact the Welsh department at Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth, Carmarthenshire, SY23 3DY before 14 December 2015 (01970 622137). Remember to note if you are a research student and wish to apply for travel expenses.

For more information please contact the conference organisers – Siwan Rosser, School of Welsh, Cardiff University or Cathryn Charnell-White, Welsh department, Aberystwyth University.