James Pantefedwyn Foundation

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Manon Elin James

Thanks to the financial support of the James Pantyfedwen Foundation, I have studied for my MPhil and PhD degrees in the Welsh Department at Aberystwyth University, completing these in 2018 and in 2022.

My PhD thesis examines the history and ideology of Adfer, a movement which campaigned and acted for the Welsh language in its strongholds in west Wales during the 1970s and 1980s, and asks what is the movement’s significance within Wales. To be able to answer this specific question, a range of views were discussed and analysed, including: the key factors that led to its establishment, its relationship with the Welsh Language Society, its philosophical thinking and the influences that contributed to its shaping, its campaigns and its activities. It also considers the response to the movement, with specific attention to the accusation that its thinking was Fascist, together with the legacy of Adfer to this day. I also took advantage of the willingness of a number of ex-Adfer members to be questioned about their involvement with the organisation, and I draw extensively on a series of valuable personal interviews.

I would like to emphasize how encouraging it was to receive these scholarships while studying for both postgraduate degrees and thank you again to the Foundation for its valuable support.