Mererid Hopwood

Mererid Hopwood (born 1964) is a Welsh poet who made history in 2001 by becoming the first woman ever to win the bardic Chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.^[1]

Originally from Cardiff, Hopwood graduated with first-class honours in Spanish and German from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She was a Lecturer in German at the University of Wales, Swansea,as well as being a Creative Writing tutor in the Welsh Department since 2002. She has been a Spanish teacher in Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Bro Myrddin Carmarthen until January 2010, and now Dr Hopwood is currently a Lecturer in Trinity University of Carmarthen. Also in 2003 she won the crown at the[National Eisteddfod in Meifod, and in 2008 she was awarded the Eisteddfod's Prose Medal for her book O Ran. She is also an S4C presenter. She now lives in Carmarthen, with her husband and 3 children Hanna, Miriam and Llewelyn.

In August 2009, Hopwood was nominated as a candidate for the position of Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, following the death of Dic Jones.^[2] 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 (1997)
• Singing in Chains: Listening to Welsh Verse (2004)
• Seren Lowri (2005)
• Plentyn (2005)
• Ar Bwys (2007)
• O Ran

References

1. ^ Wales Arts International
2. ^ North Wales Daily Post

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Name	Hopwood, Mererid
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Date of birth	1964
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