Mererid Hopwood (born February 1964) is a

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peopl ...

poet. She became in 2001 the first woman to win the bardic chair at the

National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors ...

.Bardic and Crown winners. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
/ref>

Teaching

Originally from

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a ...

, Hopwood graduated with first-class honours in

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: ** Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Ca ...

and

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

from the

University of Wales, Aberystwyth , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

. She was a lecturer in German at the

University of Wales, Swansea Swansea University ( cy, Prifysgol Abertawe) is a public university, public research university located in Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. It was chartered as University College of Swansea in 1920, as the fourth college of the University of Wales. ...

, and since 2001 has also been a Creative Writing tutor in the Welsh Department. She was a Spanish teacher in Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin Carmarthen until January 2010, and is currently a lecturer at the Trinity University of Carmarthen. Hopwood was appointed in October 2020 as Professor of Welsh and Celtic Studies at Aberystwyth University.

Eisteddfodau

In 2003 she won the Crown at the National Eisteddfod in Meifod, and in 2008 the Eisteddfod's Prose Medal for her book ''O Ran''. She is also an S4C presenter. In 2012 she was awarded the Glyndwr Award by MOMA, Machynlleth. She now lives in Carmarthen with her husband and three children, Hanna, Miriam and Llewelyn. In August 2009, Hopwood was put forward for the position of

Archdruid Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd. The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the and the Chairing of t ...

of the National Eisteddfod, following the death of Dic Jones.North Wales Daily Post
/ref> It was the first time a woman had been nominated. In November she decided to withdraw from the contest, leaving T. James Jones to fill the vacancy.

Works

*''

Sarah Kirsch Sarah Kirsch (; 16 April 1935 – 5 May 2013) was a German poet. Biography Sarah Kirsch was originally born Ingrid Bernstein in Limlingerode, Prussian Saxony but had changed her first name to Sarah in order to protest against her father's a ...

'' (1997) *''Singing in Chains: Listening to Welsh Verse'' (2004) *''Seren Lowri'' (2005) *''Plentyn'' (2005) *''Ar Bwys'' (2007) *''O Ran'' (2008) *''Nes Draw'' (2015) *''Cantata Memoria'' (libretto) to music by

Karl Jenkins Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song "Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; ''Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''. Jen ...

(2016) *''Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd'' (libretto) to the opera by Gareth Glyn (2017)

References

External links

Mererid Hopwood
at

Literature Wales Literature Wales is the Welsh national literature promotion agency and society of writers, existing to promote Welsh-language and English-language literature in Wales. It offers bursaries for writing projects, runs literary events and lectures ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hopwood, Mererid 1964 births 20th-century Welsh educators 21st-century Welsh educators 20th-century Welsh poets 21st-century Welsh poets 20th-century Welsh women writers 21st-century Welsh women writers 21st-century Welsh writers 20th-century women educators 21st-century women educators Writers from Cardiff Academics of Swansea University Alumni of Aberystwyth University Chaired bards Crowned bards Living people Welsh-language poets Welsh women poets Welsh television presenters Welsh women television presenters