‘Why write the history of Wales – then and now?’: public lecture by prominent historian

At a moment when the opportunities to learn about Welsh history are a topic of public debate in Wales, it is timely to consider approaches to writing the history of Wales, both in the distant past and more recently.  The prominent Welsh historian Professor Huw Pryce is to discuss this topic at Bangor University on Monday, 25 March at 6pm, in Lecture Room 4 of the Main Arts Building.  All are welcome to attend the lecture, entitled `Why write the history of Wales – then and now?`. 

Professor Pryce said “I have become increasingly interested in how the history of Wales has been written - and what this can tell us about the uses of the past and the construction of identities, especially in small nations”.  He will examine why, until the early twentieth century, the writing of Welsh history focused predominantly on the origins of the Welsh and their medieval princes, and why its chronological and thematic coverage has subsequently expanded significantly, thereby both enriching and complicating understandings of the Welsh past.

Huw Pryce is Professor of Welsh History at Bangor University, and has published widely on the history of medieval Wales and on Welsh history writing.  He is currently writing a book entitled Writing Welsh History: Medieval Legacies and Modern Narratives.

The O`Donnell lecture is presented in conjunction with the University of Wales.

Publication date: 19 March 2019