Rhiannon Ifans

Summary

Rhiannon Ifans, FLSW (born 1954) is a Welsh academic specialising in English, Medieval and Welsh literature. She was an Anthony Dyson Fellow at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, in University of Wales Trinity St. David. She twice won a Tir na-n-Og prize for her work and won the literary medal competition at the Welsh Eisteddfod,[1] for her 2019 debut novel, Ingrid, which was chosen for the Welsh Literature Exchange Bookshelf (for translation abroad at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair).[2] In 2020, Ifans was elected as a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.[3]

Rhiannon Ifans
Born1954 (age 69–70)
EducationUniversity of Aberystwyth Welsh language and literature
EmployerUniversity of Wales Trinity St. David - retired
Known forWelsh and Celtic medieval literature
Notable workChwedlau o'r gwledydd Celtaidd (1999); Dewi Sant (2001); Ingrid (2019)
AwardsTir na n-Og Award (2000, 2003); Literary Medal National Eisteddfod of Wales (2019)
Honourselected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales 2020

Career edit

Ifans was a Dyson Fellow at the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in University of Wales Trinity St. David. She is general secretary of the Welsh Folk Song Society[4] and editor of the annual journal Canu Gwerin / Folk Song.[5] Ifans has published formal monographs and popular versions for adults and young people (including collaborations for illustration) sharing her knowledge of the Welsh and Celtic literature.[6]

Selected works in Welsh and English edit

Her collection of Welsh poetry through the ages for St. Valentine's Day (Sant Ffolant in Wales) was published in 2019, Red hearts and roses?[7] and she was invited to give the Cliff Tucker memorial lecture.[8]

A collaboration on Y Mabinogion, a collection of classical medieval Welsh tales was published in 1980.[9] In 1989 she collaborated on an English young person's book, re-telling the ancient fables, The Magic of the Mabinogion,[10] and another called Tales from Wales.[11] Books in a similar illustrated style followed on the Tales of King Arthur[12] on the lives of the patron saint of Wales, St. David (Dewi Sant in Welsh)[13] and in English[14] which won a Tir-an-Og Award and she also wrote about the Apostle Paul,[15] and a 'simple guide to the Christian Gospel'.[16]

Ifans also wrote a version of the tales of the first Prince of Wales, Owen Glendower (Owain Glendwr),[17] and in Welsh, a selection of heroic and other traditional tales from Celtic countries, published 1999, Chwedlau o'r gwledydd Celtaidd [18] which won the Welsh Tir na-n-Og prize (2000),; this was translated into English in 2014.[19] Her monograph, an analysis of the writing of Thomas Edwards (Twm o'r Nant) was published in 1998.[20] In 2008, she used Welsh ballads to tell the stories of the gold hunters in rural Australia (Welsh monograph),[21] and another on the poetic debates between Sir Dafydd Trefor and four other poets in the 15th and early 16th century in 2013,[22] and a monograph on Grufydd Llwydd, a poet of love and religious verse (2000).[23]

In 2019, her first fiction work, ebook Ingrid, described as 'a sensitive and unforgettable portrayal of dementia' was nominated for the Welsh Literature Exchange Bookshelf (for translation abroad at the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair)[2] and had won the Literary Medal Competition at the Conwy County National Eisteddfod of Wales;[24][25] the writing was called 'crafty, brilliant, original' by the judges, who also commented that '"Few Welsh novels bring the culture of another country to life, but here the Welsh language gives its voice entirely to the German world."[26]

A new book on the rituals and poetry of the winter season is due early in 2022.[27]

Awards edit

In 1999, Chwedlau o'r gwledydd Celtaidd [18] won the Welsh Tir na-n-Og prize (2000)[19] and her book on St David[13] won in 2003, and on Owain Glendwr [17] was a finalist shortlisted in 2001.[1]

In 2019, her ebook Ingrid won a prize in the Literary Medal Competition at the Conwy County National Eisteddfod of Wales.[24] Ifans was elected to the Learned Society of Wales in 2020.[3]

 
Rhiannon Ifans wins award at National Eisteddfod

Personal life edit

Rhiannon Ifans was born in 1954, and spent her childhood at Carreg Wian farm in Llanidan, Anglesey, and was educated at Gaerwen Primary School and Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni. She studied Welsh language and literature at the University of Aberystwyth. She married Dafydd Ifans and has collaborated with him in some of her work. They have three sons.[1] She is retired and lives in Penrhyn-coch and now has grandchildren in Cardiff.[1]

External links edit

  • further images of Rhiannon Ifans at the National Eisteddfod
  • see Welsh language article https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhiannon_Ifans

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "Rhiannon Ifans wins the Prose Medal | National Eisteddfod". eisteddfod.wales. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  2. ^ a b "Autumn Bookcase 2019 announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair - Wales Literature Exchange". waleslitexchange.org. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  3. ^ a b Wales, The Learned Society of. "Rhiannon Ifans". The Learned Society of Wales. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  4. ^ "Officers Welsh Folk Song Society". www.canugwerin.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  5. ^ "Rhiannon Ifans | UWP". www.uwp.co.uk. 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  6. ^ "Rhiannon Ifans". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  7. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (2019). Red hearts and roses? : Welsh Valentine songs and poems. Cardiff. ISBN 978-1-78683-372-3. OCLC 1083522666.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  8. ^ "Press Releases 2019 | University of Wales Trinity Saint David". www.uwtsd.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  9. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1980). Y Mabinogion. Dafydd Ifans, Rhiannon Ifans, Brynley F. Roberts. Llandysul: Gwasg Gomer. ISBN 0-85088-722-4. OCLC 11066453.
  10. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1988). The magic of the Mabinogion. Helen Holmes (1st ed.). Talybont, Ceredigion, Wales: Y Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-125-5. OCLC 20454727.
  11. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1989). Tales from Wales. Helen Holmes. Talybont, Ceredigion: Y Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-182-4. OCLC 21024699.
  12. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1990). The legends of King Arthur. Helen Holmes. Talybont, Wales: Y Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-210-3. OCLC 23984747.
  13. ^ a b Ifans, Rhiannon (2001). Dewi Sant. Margaret D. Jones. Talybont, Ceredigion: Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-604-4. OCLC 49393165.
  14. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (2002). Saint David. Margaret Jones. Talybont: Y Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-605-2. OCLC 49690716.
  15. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1988). Paul. Grahame D. Sutton. Gwasg Efengylaidd Cymru. ISBN 1-85049-054-6. OCLC 20420999.
  16. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1983). Credu yng Nghrist. John Benton. Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr [Bridgend]: Gwasg Efengylaidd Cymru. ISBN 0-900898-85-2. OCLC 877564651.
  17. ^ a b Ifans, Rhiannon (2000). Owain Glyndŵr, Prince of Wales. Margaret D. Jones. Talybont: Y Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-544-7. OCLC 45338101.
  18. ^ a b Ifans, Rhiannon (1999). Chwedlau o'r gwledydd Celtaidd. Margaret D. Jones (Arg. 1 ed.). Talybont, Ceredigion: Y Lolfa. ISBN 0-86243-458-0. OCLC 43632667.
  19. ^ a b "www.gwales.com - 9780862435011, Tales from the Celtic Countries". www.gwales.com. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  20. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (1997). 'Cân di bennill -?' : themâu anterliwtiau Twm o'r Nant. Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd. Aberystwyth: Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru. ISBN 0-947531-25-4. OCLC 38341827.
  21. ^ Ifans, Rhiannon (2008). Awstralia, gwlad yr aur : teithiau i Awstralia drwy lygad y baledwyr Cymraeg. Aberystwyth: Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion. ISBN 978-1-84512-073-3. OCLC 259735406.
  22. ^ Dafydd Trefor, Syr (2013). Cywyddau ymryson Syr Dafydd Trefor. Rhiannon Ifans, University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. Aberystwyth: Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymraeg a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru. ISBN 978-1-907029-09-7. OCLC 830370575.
  23. ^ Gwaith Gruffudd Llwyd a'r llygliwiaid eraill. Rhiannon Ifans. Aberystwyth: Canolfan Uwchefrydiau Cymreig a Cheltaidd Prifysgol Cymru. 2000. ISBN 0-947531-16-5. OCLC 45860766.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  24. ^ a b Ifans, Rhiannon (September 2019). Ingrid (in Welsh). EPUB: Y Lolfa. ISBN 9781784617943.
  25. ^ Crump, Eryl (2019-08-07). "National Eisteddfod prose medal winner wants to help and support dementia sufferers". North Wales Live. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  26. ^ "Rhiannon Ifans yn cipio Medal Ryddiaith Eisteddfod 2019". BBC Cymru Fyw (in Welsh). 2019-08-07. Retrieved 2021-11-27.
  27. ^ IFANS, RHIANNON (2022). STARS AND RIBBONS : winter wassailing in wales. [S.l.]: UNIV OF WALES PRESS. ISBN 978-1-78683-824-7. OCLC 1263272978.