Mererid Hopwood

• Name — Mererid Hopwood • Honorific Suffix — FLSW • Born — 1964 • Birthplace — Cardiff, Wales • Occupation — Writer, bard, television presenter and academic • Title — Archdderwydd of the National Eisteddfod of Wales • Children — 3

She became the first woman in Eisteddfod history to be awarded the Chair at the National Eisteddfod in 2001 which was held in Denbigh. In 2003, she won the Crown at the National Eisteddfod in Meifod, and in 2008, the Eisteddfod's Prose Medal for her book O Ran. She is also an S4C presenter. In 2012, she was awarded the Glyndwr Award by MOMA, Machynlleth. In August 2009, Hopwood was put forward for the position of Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, following the death of Dic Jones. 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. In 2023, Hopwood was elected Archdruid for the period from 2024 to 2027; she is the second woman to hold the post, after Christine James. In June 2024 she spoke at a rally in favour of Welsh Independence in Carmarthen. A long-standing peace campaigner, she has openly opposed government plans to build a radar installation near St Davids. During the 2026 Pembrokeshire National Eisteddfod, an election was held to decide who would succeed Archdruid Mererid when her term ends in 2027, and Tudur Dylan Jones emerged as the winner.

• Sarah Kirsch (1997), study of the poet Sarah Kirsch • Singing in Chains: Listening to Welsh Verse (2004) • Seren Lowri (2005) • Plentyn (2005) • Ar Bwys (2007) • O Ran (2008) • Nes Draw (2015) • Cantata Memoria (libretto) to music by Karl Jenkins (2016) • Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd (libretto) to the opera by Gareth Glyn (2017) • Mae (2025)