Singing in Chains (New and Updated)

Author: Mererid Hopwood

ISBN: 9781848519992

Publication Date: 24 March 2016

Publisher: Gomer, Llandysul

Format: Paperback, 215x140 mm, 122 pages

Language: English

A new and updated edition of Singing in Chains, first published in 2004, exploring the mysteries of the Welsh bardic craft of cynghanedd, prepared for those who are not Welsh speaking.

The following has been provided by the Publisher:

Author Biography:

Mererid Hopwood comes from Cardiff though her family roots are firmly in Pembrokeshire. She now lives in Carmarthen with her husband, Martin. She was awarded a first class honours in Spanish and German from Aberystwyth and a PhD from University College London. After many years as a University lecturer she joined the Arts Council of Wales’ team in Mid and West Wales. She is now self-employed and her main interest lies in the arts and in literature in particular. She is the only woman to have won both the Chair (2001) and Crown (2003) for poetry at the National Eisteddfod.

Further Information:

New and updated introduction in English to the Welsh poetic device of ‘cynghanedd’

Originally published in 2004, and reprinted the following year, Singing in Chains remains in great demand as a handbook which explains the intricacies of Welsh strict-metre poetry to a non-specialist audience.

This new edition will include references to significant events and changes in the practice of Welsh-language poetry over the last decade.

The word cynghanedd means 'harmony', and it is the music of Welsh poetry throughout the ages that Mererid Hopwood celebrates in this accessible handbook. In it she explores the intricacy and beauty of the art, inviting the reader (or rather, listener) to marvel at its clarity and complexity. Her explanation of the rules and conventions, followed by simple exercises, will also allow beginners to try their hand at this ancient yet thoroughly contemporary craft.

A free download of exercises and audio clips of the author reading lines of Welsh poetry will be available.