Mererid Hopwood

Mererid Hopwood (1964-) was born in Cardiff. After periods abroad in Spain and Germany she embarked on an academic career, first in London then in the German department at the University of Wales, Swansea. She went on to work as a regional director for the Arts Council of Wales, before leaving to work as a freelance writer. Hopwood came to prominence as a poet when she became the first woman to win the Chair at the National Eisteddfod in 2001, a high profile prize awarded every year for a long poem in the strict traditional metres (cynghanedd). She went on to win the Crown, for a long poem in the free metres in 2003. She is also an accomplished translator, mainly working between German and Welsh.

Selected publications

Cyfansoddiadau’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2001  

Cyfansoddiadau’r Eisteddfod Genedlaethol 2003

Selected translations

UK: The Bloodaxe Book of Modern Welsh Poetry (Bloodaxe, 2003)