Posted on 27 July 2016
Held during the first week of August every year, the National Eisteddfod is a celebration of the culture and language in Wales.
The festival travels from place to place across Wales, attracting around 150,000 visitors and over 250 trade stands and stalls.
This year the Monmouthshire and District Eisteddfod in Abergavenny will take place from the 30th July to the 6th August, and once again the University of Wales will be in attendance.
Sharing a stand with our merger partner the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, there will be many activities and lectures taking place throughout the week including book launches, an information session by Andrew Hawke, Editor of the Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (dictionary of the Welsh language), about the new mobile app and latest additions to the dictionary, as well as other talks and performances. Visitors will also be able to browse and purchase books from the University of Wales bookshop.
Once again, both universities will be sponsoring y Babell Lên (the literary pavilion) with a number of events and lectures taking place in the venue including the annual Friday lecture and a series of literary conversations.
The events are as follows:
Monday, 12:45
Bondo Barddoniaeth - Lecture by award-winning poet Menna Elfyn
Tuesday, 12:45
Saunders Lewis, Williams Pantycelyn a 2017 - Williams Pantycelyn by Saunders Lewis is among the most exciting critical studies ever to appear in Welsh. Republished by the University of Wales Press to mark the 300th anniversary of the eminent hymn writer’s birth in 2017, D. Densil Morgan discusses his extensive introduction to the new publication.
Wednesday, 13:30
Gwarchod Enwau Lleoedd - Angharad Fychan talks to Catrin Beard about protecting Welsh place-names and the importance of promoting awareness and understanding of their study, and relationship to the languages, environment, history and culture of Wales.
Thursday, 13:30
Cymeriadau a straeon mewn llyfrau - A panel of teachers and authors speak with Catrin Beard about how characters and stories from Childrens books can be used for educational uses.
Friday, 13:30
Rhamant Rhydychen - Dr R. Brinley Jones looks at the magical appeal of Oxford to generations of Welsh students over the centuries
On the Thursday afternoon, there will be an opportunity for members of the University of Wales Alumni Association to come together and meet with University staff. Although representatives from the University will be on hand all week to speak with Alumni members, the University has put aside this specific time to focus on our Alumni and enable members to ask any questions they have in an informal setting, or simply reminisce about their time at University.
Some of the University’s Alumni Branches and Sections are also organising their own events throughout the week. At 12:00 noon on the Monday, The Classics section of the Alumni Association will hold their annual lecture. This year the Section will commemorate its first President and celebrate his contribution as a classical scholar and translator with Professor Ceri Davies, Swansea University, delivering a lecture entitled Remembering a Classicist: Sir D Emrys Evans (1891-1966) and a warm welcome is extended to all. Friday will see the launch of a new volume in the Philosophy Section’s Astudiaethau Athronyddol series on the University’s stand. Featuring a collection of papers by Professor John Heywood Thomas, the volume has been jointly published with the Theology Section and will take place at 12:00 noon.
We look forward to welcoming you there.