University of Wales Trinity Saint David Embarks on Groundbreaking Project to Explore Wales' Global Literary Influence

The University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) is proud to announce its latest initiative, “Wales and its Global Literary Culture,” in partnership with Cardiff University and Bangor University. 

Books stacked on a wall with fields and blue sky in the background

As part of the Wales Innovation Network’s small grant fund, over £100,000 has been awarded to sixteen research and innovation projects across Welsh universities. The fund aims to harness the strengths of Welsh universities to support growth in external research income capture and deliver impact for Wales. Grants are provided as seed funding for the development of a bid to external funders within the UK or internationally.

This innovative pilot project aims to explore the international standing and connectivity of literary Wales through translation, publishing, and collaboration, with a focus on mapping and tracking the circulation and reception of Welsh literary works worldwide.

At the heart of the project, led by Dr Elizabeth Edwards, lies the creation of a pioneering Bibliography of Welsh Literature in Translation, which will document translations of Welsh texts (in English and Cymraeg) and trace their journey across different countries and cultures over time. By gathering and analysing data on the global dissemination of Welsh poetry, fiction, and drama, researchers hope to gain valuable insights into the current and future landscape of the global literary marketplace for Welsh literature.

Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Director of CAWCS, expressed her enthusiasm for the project, stating: “This project represents a significant step forward in our understanding of Wales’ cultural footprint on the global stage. By mapping the international reach of Welsh literature, we aim to celebrate our rich literary heritage while also identifying opportunities for further engagement and collaboration on a global scale.”

Collaborating closely with UWTSD’s Wales Literature Exchange and Literature Across Frontiers, researchers from CAWCS, Cardiff University, and Bangor University will also delve into how the works of Welsh writers in translation have been circulated and received in countries spanning from Italy to India to Brazil. Through comprehensive research, they aim to identify which Welsh writers resonate most profoundly beyond the borders of Wales and shed light on the mechanisms through which literary works from Wales traverse the global literary landscape.

Alexandra Büchler, Director of Literature Across Frontiers, emphasised the project’s potential to uncover new insights into the dissemination of Welsh literature worldwide, saying: “We are excited to partner with other institutions on this groundbreaking endeavour. By examining how Welsh literary works are received and circulated internationally, we can deepen our understanding of the interplay between culture, translation, and global literary exchange.”

Notes to Editor:

  1. The project will build on data available as a result of the translation grants provided by Wales Literature Exchange (WLE), based at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS) and part of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
  2. CAWCS was established by the University of Wales in 1985 as a dedicated research centre conducting team-based projects on the languages, literatures, culture and history of Wales and the other Celtic countries. It is located in Aberystwyth, adjacent to the National Library of Wales, which is an internationally-renowned copyright library with excellent research facilities.
  3. The Centre offers unique opportunities for postgraduate students to work alongside specialists in a dynamic and supportive environment. We welcome enquiries about MPhil/PhD topics in any of our research areas. For more information about research opportunities, or for an informal chat about possible topics, contact our Head of Graduate Studies, Dr Elizabeth Edwards: e.edwards@wales.ac.uk
  4. Wales Literature Exchange has been promoting writing and authors from Wales internationally since 1998 and its website features the books translated with its support. Find more about WLE here.
  5. Literature Across Frontiers (LAF) is the European Platform for Literary Exchange, Translation and Policy Debate established in Wales with support from the European Union in 2001. Working in tandem with WLE, it has opened doors to international engagement for numerous Welsh authors. It also acts as advocate for literary translation in the UK and internationally, was the co-founder of the Centre for Literary Translation at the London Book Fair in 2010, and produces reports on various aspects of publishing literary translations, some of which contain bibliographies of translated works. Find more about LAF here.
  6. Both WLE and LAF are based at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.

Further Information

Arwel Lloyd

Principal PR and Communications Officer    
Corporate Communications and PR    
Email:  arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk    
Phone: 07384 467076

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