Meic Stephens Papers,

This material is held atNational Library of Wales / Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru

  • Reference
    • GB 210 MEIPHENS
  • Alternative Id.
      (alternative) vtls003844674
      (alternative) ANW
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1970-1987 /
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English, Welsh.
  • Physical Description
    • 0.038 cubic metres (1 box); 2 boxes were purchased March 2007.
  • Location
    • ARCH/MSS (GB0210)

Scope and Content

Correspondence, 1970-1977, accumulated by Meic Stephens in the course of editing Artists in Wales, volumes 1-3 (Llandysul, 1971-1977), from artists in the fields of literature, drama, music and the visual arts; letters, 1977-1978, from poets invited to contribute to Green Horse : an anthology by young poets of Wales edited by him (Swansea, 1978); letters, 1978-1979, relating to The Welsh Language Today (second edition, Llandysul, 1979); and correspondence, 1986-1987, between Meic Stephens and Lady Amy Parry-Williams relating to the former's translations into English of essays by T H Parry-Williams, published in The White Stone - six essays by T H Parry-Williams (Llandysul, 1987).
An additional consignment of the papers of Meic Stephens. This group remains uncatalogued.

Administrative / Biographical History

Meic Stephens (b.1938) from Treforest, Glamorgan, is a literary journalist, translator as well as a poet and editor. He studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, the University Colege of North Wales, Bangor, and at the University of Rennes in France. He taught French at Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, from 1962-1966. In Merthyr Tydfil, he founded the Triskel Press and Poetry Wales. He wrote a pioneering book Linguistic Minorities in Eastern Europe in 1976. He wrote and published his own poetry, compiled and edited six anthologies of Welsh wiriting in English, edited the work of other poets, and published the Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales (1986 and 1998) amongst other works. He learnt Welsh as an adult and became an active member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Cymraeg as well as Plaid Cymru. From 1967 until 1990 he was Literature Director of the Welsh Arts Council. He was Visiting Professor in the English Department at Brigham Young University in Utah. He teaches Journalism and Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan. He writes about Welsh literature for the Western Mail.

Meic Stephens, poet and editor, was born in Trefforest and educated at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the University of Rennes. From 1962 to 1966, he taught French in Ebbw Vale. He established The Triskel Press at Merthyr Tydfil, where he lived at the time, and also launched the periodical Poetry Wales, which he edited from 1965 until 1973; also served for a year on the staff of the Western Mail. In 1967, Stephens was appointed Literary Director with the Welsh Arts Council. He published his first poetic works in Triad (1963). His work Linguistic Minorities in Western Europe (Llandysul, 1976) involved a detailed study of culture and politics in sixteen European states. Amongst the works edited by Stephens are an anthology of Anglo-Welsh poetry titled The Lilting House (with John Stuart Williams, London and Llandybïe, 1969), Artists in Wales (three volumes, Llandysul, 1971, 1973, 1977), the Writers of Wales series (with R. Brinley Jones, 1970- ), the poetic anthology Green Horse (with Peter Finch, Swansea, 1978), and Cydymaith i Lenyddiaeth Cymru (Llandysul, 1986).

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically.

Access Information

Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to sign the 'Modern papers - data protection' form.

Acquisition Information

Purchased from Meic Stephens, in 1989 and March 2007.

Note

Meic Stephens (b.1938) from Treforest, Glamorgan, is a literary journalist, translator as well as a poet and editor. He studied at the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, the University Colege of North Wales, Bangor, and at the University of Rennes in France. He taught French at Ebbw Vale, Monmouthshire, from 1962-1966. In Merthyr Tydfil, he founded the Triskel Press and Poetry Wales. He wrote a pioneering book Linguistic Minorities in Eastern Europe in 1976. He wrote and published his own poetry, compiled and edited six anthologies of Welsh wiriting in English, edited the work of other poets, and published the Oxford Companion to the Literature of Wales (1986 and 1998) amongst other works. He learnt Welsh as an adult and became an active member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Cymraeg as well as Plaid Cymru. From 1967 until 1990 he was Literature Director of the Welsh Arts Council. He was Visiting Professor in the English Department at Brigham Young University in Utah. He teaches Journalism and Creative Writing at the University of Glamorgan. He writes about Welsh literature for the Western Mail.

Meic Stephens, poet and editor, was born in Trefforest and educated at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and the University of Rennes. From 1962 to 1966, he taught French in Ebbw Vale. He established The Triskel Press at Merthyr Tydfil, where he lived at the time, and also launched the periodical Poetry Wales, which he edited from 1965 until 1973; also served for a year on the staff of the Western Mail. In 1967, Stephens was appointed Literary Director with the Welsh Arts Council. He published his first poetic works in Triad (1963). His work Linguistic Minorities in Western Europe (Llandysul, 1976) involved a detailed study of culture and politics in sixteen European states. Amongst the works edited by Stephens are an anthology of Anglo-Welsh poetry titled The Lilting House (with John Stuart Williams, London and Llandybïe, 1969), Artists in Wales (three volumes, Llandysul, 1971, 1973, 1977), the Writers of Wales series (with R. Brinley Jones, 1970- ), the poetic anthology Green Horse (with Peter Finch, Swansea, 1978), and Cydymaith i Lenyddiaeth Cymru (Llandysul, 1986).

Title supplied from contents of fonds.

Other Finding Aids

A hard copy of the catalogue is available in Minor Lists and Summaries 1990, pp.74-75, at the National Library of Wales. The catalogue can be accessed online.

Archivist's Note

May 2003

Compiled by Annette Strauch for the ANW project. The following sources were used in the compilation of this description: NLW, Minor Lists and Summaries 1990; Meic Stephens, The New Companion to the Literature of Wales (Cardiff, 1998)

Conditions Governing Use

Usual copyright regulations apply.

Appraisal Information

Action: All records have been retained.

Accruals

Accruals are possible.

Related Material

NLW MS 22003D, NLW MSS 23111-12E, NLW ex 1797, NLW ex 1055, NLW ex 835, Poetry Wales Archive, the Welsh Arts Council Papers, and three scrapbooks on 'The Arts in Wales'.

Additional Information

Published

Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru = The National Library of Wales