Clare Davies

I began my PhD research in the autumn of 2014 at Swansea University, where I had also completed a BA in English Literature and a MA in Modern Welsh Writing in English. My thesis explored ideas of tragedy and ethnicity in the work of T. S. Eliot, Raymond Williams, and Cornel West.  My time as a PhD student was a challenging but ultimately fulfilling one; not only was I able to undertake research in a topic I cared deeply about, I also had wonderful opportunities to attend conferences (the highlight was a conference at Harvard University in 2016) and meet fantastic people. I am currently working on a proposal to turn my thesis into an academic monograph.

During my third year of the PhD, I moved from Port Talbot to Aberystwyth to work at the Welsh Books Council, where I have worked ever since. July 2019 was a busy but very happy time; in the same month I graduated with a PhD from Swansea I was also made permanent at the Books Council, where I will now be working in the post of Grants Officer for English language materials. My work as a research student in the field of Welsh Writing in English, enabled by the Foundation’s support, has led directly to my employment at the Books Council. I was fortunate enough to receive support from the James Pantyfedwen Foundation to pay for my tuition fees while I was a PhD student; without this kind assistance, I would not have been able to undertake the doctoral research I had long hoped to do, and I am therefore immensely grateful to the Foundation for their support.