Hywel Teifi Edwards obituary

Hywel Teifi Edwards, who has died aged 75, was an authority on the literature of 19th-century Wales, and wrote more in the course of 30 years than one person could adequately study and digest in an entire lifetime. He also displayed great eloquence, erudition and passion whether addressing rallies under the auspices of the Welsh Language Society, delivering a lecture at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, comforting the 10,000 mourners at the funeral of the rugby star Ray Gravelle in 2007, or at the National St David's Parade in Cardiff.

Born to a seafaring family in the tiny village of Llanddewi-Aberarth, in west Wales, Teifi Edwards made a name in his youth as a footballer, and he pursued his passion to Aberystwyth University. His favourite team was Arsenal, and he was immensely proud to visit the new Highbury stadium in north London with a TV crew a year ago. After graduating in Welsh, he undertook research under the foremost poet of his generation, Gwenallt (D Gwenallt Jones), who suggested that Teifi Edwards should pursue a theme in 19th-century Welsh literature.

Within 20 years, Teifi Edwards had become the foremost authority on the history of the annual National Eisteddfod of Wales. His book Yr Eisteddfod was published in 1976 as a celebration of 800 years of eisteddfods. Then came his magnum opus, Gwyl Gwalia: Yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yn Oes aur Victoria 1858-1868 (The Eisteddfod in the Victorian Era), published in 1980. A monograph in English for the University of Wales on the Eisteddfod appeared in 1989, followed by a book on the fascinating Eisteddfod held at the Chicago World Fair of 1893 (Eisteddfod Ffair y Byd, Chicago, 1893), in 1990.

Teifi Edwards was a scholar who had deep roots in the mining valleys of south Wales. He taught for a few years at Garw grammar school, Bridgend, before being appointed as an extramural lecturer for Swansea University. At Blaengarw he met a fellow academic, Aerona, who became his wife and mother to his son Huw (the television newsreader) and daughter Meinir.

The family moved in 1966 to the village of Llangennech, between Llanelli and Swansea, where Teifi Edwards soon became an activist, forming a village literary society, becoming a school governor and an elder in the local Presbyterian chapel (and writing a gem of a volume on its history), and then serving as a councillor.

Teifi Edwards had a high regard for those he met in the adult classes he held in Cross Hands, Brynamman, and all over the anthracite coalfield. This inspired him to prepare a volume on the image of the coalminer in Welsh prose and poetry between 1850 and 1950, which was published in 1994. He called it Arwr glew erwau'r glo – the Hero of the Coalfield.

Then, he edited 10 volumes in the South Wales Valley series which are invaluable. No other academic could have achieved such a feat or gathered together 60 leading academics to write the articles. No one could refuse his invitation – he was not afraid of using very strong language when roused.

In 1989, he was appointed professor of Welsh at Swansea University and when he retired in 1995 he was made emeritus professor. During his academic career he involved himself in parliamentary politics. At the general election of 1983, he contested Llanelli for Plaid Cymru against the sitting Labour MP Denzil Davies (for whom he had a very high regard), and stood four years later at Carmarthen, where he did well, since he had served for 14 years on Dyfed county council.

In his retirement, he travelled the length and breadth of Wales and also to the Liverpool and London Welsh societies. It was an incredible experience to witness him there, for he could lecture for 90 minutes without notes, and the large gathering would be mesmerised. He was the same on Welsh television, and a great favourite with the Llanelli-based TV company Tinopolis. It devoted its nightly programme Wedi Saith (After Seven) to his life and work on the day after his death. It was a superb tribute by his poetic friends to a giant of the Welsh nation.

Teifi Edwards is survived by his wife and children.

Hywel Teifi Edwards, literary historian, born 15 October 1934; died 4 January 2010

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