Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies
The Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies promotes the study of the culture, language, literature and history of the Welsh in the Americas, and in the United States, Canada and Patagonia in particular.
The Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies was established in 2001 in order to promote the study of the culture, language, literature and history of the Welsh in the Americas, and in the United States, Canada and Patagonia in particular.
The Centre is located in the School of Welsh at Cardiff University, and its current director is Dr Iwan Wyn Rees.
Aims
By organising seminars, lectures and conferences, through publications, and by encouraging scholarly collaboration and discussion, it provides a focal point for an international network of scholars who have an interest in this rapidly growing field of study.
Taught postgraduate
There are opportunities for studying aspects of the Welsh in North and South America as part of the taught MA in Welsh and Celtic Studies.
Postgraduate research
Supervision for research degrees (MPhil/PhD) is also available on a wide range of subjects relevant to the Welsh in North and South America.
PhD students supervised by staff of the Centre:
Sulien Morgan: ‘The response of Welsh Americans to the Nationalism of Plaid Cymru, 1925-1979’
Walter Ariel Brooks: ‘Welsh Print Culture in Y Wladfa: The Role of Ethnic Newspapers in Welsh Patagonia, 1865-1933’ - graduated summer 2013.
Lead researcher
Dr Iwan Wyn Rees
Lecturer and Director of the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies
- Welsh speaking
- reesiw2@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 4843
Academic staff
Professor Colin H Williams
Honorary Professor
- Welsh speaking
- williamsch@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 0413
Public lectures
National Eisteddfod lectures 2013 - present
Since 2013, the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies holds an annual lecture at the National Eisteddfod. These lectures were delivered by Professors E. Wyn James and Bill Jones.
- 'Cambria, Knoxvilla - a Llanrwst!', 2019
- 'Morganiaid yn y Wladfa ac yn America - ac ar yr Ais', 2018
- 'Jonesiaid ym Môn, y Wladfa a Chile yn ail hanner y bedwaredd ganrif ar bymtheg', 2017
- 'Dau Evans, Blaenau Gwent a'r Byd Newydd', 2016
- 'Meifod a 'Merica: Cofio Cylchoedd Ann Griffiths a Sarah Maldwyn', 2015
- 'Tunplat Llanelli, "Lladron" America a'r "Mugwump" o Dregaron', 2014
- 'Gwilym Hiraethog, "Gohebydd" y Faner, a rhyddhau caethion America', 2013
Other recent lectures
- '"Ffroes ffein gan Nain": Datblygiad geirfa Gymraeg yn y Wladfa', The Wales-Argentina Society at the 2019 National Eisteddfod. Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, August 2019
- 'The Welsh in diaspora: Patagonia', 'Social Anthropologies of the Welsh: Past and Present' at Cardiff University (a joint symposium by WISERD, the Learned Society of Wales, the Royal Anthropological Institute and the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion). Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, May 2019
- 'Sbaeneiddio, lefelu a safoni: golwg ar amrywiadau Cymraeg Patagonia heddiw', a series of Research Seminars at the School of Welsh, Cardiff University. Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, April 2019
- 'Golwg ar waith Irma Hughes de Jones', The Wales-Argentina Society. Delivered by Dr Rhiannon Marks, May 2017
- 'Contemporary Varieties of Welsh in Chubut Province, Argentina: Some Preliminary Findings', a colloquium on 'Hispanization' at Bremen University, Germany. Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, May 2017
- 'O Lysau Cochion Ardudwy i Garets y Wladfa: Ar Drywydd y Tafodieithoedd Cymraeg', Cymdeithas Cwm Nantcol. Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, January 2017
- 'Ar drywydd barddoniaeth y Wladfa', Cylch Llenyddol Llŷn. Delivered by Dr Rhiannon Marks, November 2015
- 'Golwg ar farddoniaeth y Wladfa', the Cardiff University pavilion at the 2015 National Eisteddfod. Delivered by Dr Rhiannon Marks, August 2015
- 'Tafodieithoedd Cymraeg y Wladfa heddiw', The Wales-Argentina Society. Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, May 2015
- 'Blas ar amrywiadau Cymraeg y Wladfa', Cymrodorion Caerdydd. Delivered by Dr Iwan Wyn Rees, Feburary 2015
- 'Irma Ariannin a'r "wlad lle cyferfydd cyfandiroedd"', Gŵyl Farddoniaeth Tŷ Newydd 2014. Delivered by Dr Rhiannon Marks, November 2014
Annual lectures 2003 - 2011
Between 2003 and 2011 a series of 8 annual lectures were held by the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies.
- Eighth Annual Public Lecture: 'The Office of Language Commissioner: The Welsh Model from a Canadian Perspective'. Delivered by Professor Colin H. Williams (Research Professor, School of Welsh, Cardiff University), 31 March 2011
- Seventh Annual Public Lecture: 'The Sociology of Welsh in Chubut - Resilience, Integration, Rediscovery'. Delivered by Professor Robert Owen Jones (Emeritus Professor, School of Welsh, Cardiff University), 18 February 2010
- Sixth Annual Public Lecture: 'Welsh Coal Miners in America'. Delivered by Professor Ron Lewis (Department of History, West Virginia University, USA), 22 May 2008
- Fifth Annual Public Lecture: 'Welsh Patagonians: The Australian Dimension'. Delivered by Professor Michele Langfield (Deakin University, Victoria, Australia), 20 July 2007
- Fourth Annual Public Lecture: 'Black Skins, Blue Books: Slavery, Translation and Victorian Wales'. Delivered by Dr Daniel Williams (English Department, Swansea University), 24 November 2006
- Third Annual Public Lecture: 'The Great and Good Work Committed to His Hands: Robert Everett and the Abolition of American Slavery'. Delivered by Dr Jerry Hunter (Department of Welsh, University of Wales, Bangor), 6 May 2005
- Second Annual Public Lecture: 'Welsh Labor in American Iron'. Delivered by Dr Anne Knowles (Middlebury College, Vermont, USA), 1 June 2004
- First Annual Public Lecture: '"Raising the Wind": Emigrating frmo Wales to the USA in the late nineteeth and early twentieth centuries'. Delivered by Dr Bill Jones (School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University), 20 May 2003
'The Welsh Settlement in Patagonia, 1865 - 2015', July 2015
This was an International Conference organised by the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies (School of Welsh, Cardiff University), in cooperation with the Wales-Argentina Scoiety, the Culture of the 18th and 19th Centuries Section, and the Ethnology and Folk Studies Section of the University of Wales Alumni Association.
The programme and full details are available on the Cardiff University website.
Here is the BBC Cymru Fyw item on the conference.
Here are conference videos available on Cardiff University's YouTube channel.
Further details of the speakers and the papers delivered is also available on the Cardiff University webite.
'The Welsh in Patagonia: A Symposium', February 2010
Through the generosity of Banco Santander, a symposium was organised to enable members of staff of the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco and the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies to disseminate aspects fo their research into the life, history and culture of the Welsh settlement which was established in Patagonia in 1865.
Conferences 2001 - 2011
Over the ten years between 2001 and 2011 the Cardiff Centre for Welsh American Studies held a series of annual conferences.
- Tenth Annual Conference: 'Welsh Travel Writing in the Americas', 11 November 2011
- Ninth Annual Conference, 'The Welsh and American Wars', 6 February 2010
- Eighth Annual Conference: 'The Welsh and Latin America', 29 November 2008
- Seventh Annual Conference: 'The Welsh and Native Americans', 24 November 2007
- Sixth Annual Conference: 'Welsh Women in the Americas', 25 November 2006
- Fifth Annual Conference: 'The Welsh in Patagonia: Past, Present and Future', 24 September 2005
- Fourth Annual Conference: 'Wales and the Caribbean', 27 November 2004
- Third Annual Conference: 'Letter from America: Welsh Immigrants and their Correspondence', 29 November 2003
- Second Annual Conference: 'The Welsh and American Slavery', 30 November 2002
- Official Launch and Innaugural One-Day Conference, 19 and 20 October 2001