Elena Puw Morgan

Elena Puw Morgan (1900–1973, née Davies) was a Welsh writer. She became the first woman to win the Literary Medal at the National Eisteddfod, with the novel Y Graith (The Scar) in 1938. In addition to novels for an adult audience, Morgan published Welsh-language children's books.

Elena Puw Morgan
Born	Elena Puw Davies 1900 Corwen, Wales
Died	1973 (aged 72–73) Corwen, Wales
Nationality	Welsh
Known for	winning Literary Medal at Cardiff National Eisteddfod, 1938

Early life

Elena Puw Davies was born in 1900, the daughter of Lewis Davies and Kate Davies. Her father was a minister at the town's Independent chapel. She lived her life in Corwen in Wales.^[1]

Career

Morgan won the Literary Medal at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff in 1938, for her short novel Y Graith,^[2] as the first woman to be given this honour.^[3] Y Graith's heroine struggles with cruelty and poverty at the start of the 20th century.^[4] Another novel by Morgan, Y Wisg Sidan (The Silk Gown), was voted Best Welsh Book of 1939 by readers of the Western Mail.^[5]

Morgan produced some children's books in Welsh in the 1930s,^[6] including Angel y Llongau Hedd (1931) and Tan y Castell (1939). She also wrote stories for the magazine Cymru'r Plant.^[1][7]

Two of Morgan's novels, Y Wisg Sidan and Y Graith, were adapted for television. Y Graith was updated by her daughter Catrin Puw Davies and republished in 2000.^[4] Another novel, Nansi Lovell: Hunangofiant Hen Sipsi, about a Welsh Romani girl, was republished by Honno Press in 2018.^[8]

Personal life and legacy

Elena Puw Davies married a tailor and poet, John Morgan of Llangadfan, in 1931.^[1] The Morgans were friends with John Cowper Powys in Corwen.^[9]

Elena Puw Morgan died in 1973. Her granddaughters are Prof. Angharad Puw Davies and Prof. Mererid Puw Davies.^[10][11] She was featured in a display at the Corwen Museum in 2020.^[12] Morgan's letters are in various collections at the National Library of Wales.^[13][14][15]

Selected bibliography

• Angel y Llongau Hedd (1931)
• Nansi Lovell: Hunangofiant Hen Sipsi (1934)^[16]
• Y Graith (1938)^[4]
• Y Wisg Sidan (1939)
• Tan y Castell (1939)

References

1. "Novelist EP Morgan's family shop, Corwen". History Points. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
2. Edwards, Hywel Teifi (20 July 2016). The Eisteddfod. University of Wales Press. ISBN 978-1-78316-914-6.
3. Stephens, Meic (1998). Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru/The New Companion to the Literature of Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 841. ISBN 978-0-7083-1383-1.
4. Morgan, Elena Puw (1999). Y graith (in Welsh). Gwasg Gomer. ISBN 978-1-85902-745-5.
5. "Best Welsh Books of 1939". The Observer. 10 March 1940. p. 7. Retrieved 23 March 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
6. Koch, John T. (8 August 2012). The Celts: History, Life, and Culture. ABC-CLIO. pp. 793, 796. ISBN 978-1-59884-964-6.
7. Gymreig, Academi (2008). The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. University of Wales Press. p. 570. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6.
8. Morgan, Elena Puw (2018). Nansi Lovell: Hunangofiant Hen Sipsi. Dinas Powys. ISBN 978-1-909983-92-2. OCLC 1048621684.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
9. Powys, John Cowper (1974). John Cowper Powys-letters, 1937–54. University of Wales Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-7083-0551-5.
10. "Elena Puw Morgan – a writer ahead of her time | Elena Puw Morgan – awdures leol o flaen ei hoes". Events, Swansea University. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
11. "The June Gruffydd Memorial Lecture: 'The Novelist Elena Puw Morgan - Rethinking Modernism'". Wales Week London. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
12. Watkins, Lindsay (8 February 2020). "Corwen Museum Open Weekend Saturday 29th February and Sunday 1st March". Amgueddfa Corwen Museum. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
13. File 1169-75 – Elena Puw Morgan, Annedd Wen, Corwen; Evan Roberts Papers, National Library of Wales.
14. File: A/2548, Elena Puw Morgan; E. Morgan Humphreys Papers, National Library of Wales.
15. File A/3195 – Letter from Elena Puw Morgan, Annedd Wen, Corwen, Mer., re Trefin and Mrs Fraser's illnesses; Maxwell Fraser Papers, National Library of Wales.
16. Morgan, Elena Puw (1934). Nansi Lovell: hunangofiant hen sipsi (in Welsh). Gwasg Aberystwyth.