Dr Siwan Rosser
Dr Siwan Rosser is a Lecturer in the School of Welsh at Cardiff University. Her main area of research focuses on Welsh popular literature, best-selling texts with mass appeal that have been largely ignored by traditional literary criticism in Wales, despite, or even because of their popularity. Her first major volume Y Ferch ym Myd y Faled: Delweddau o'r Ferch ym Maledi'r Ddeunawfed Ganrif explored the representation of women in eighteenth-century ballads.
Other publications on the ballad genre include studies on Welsh women balladmongers, the broadside ballads of Elis y Cowper (Ellis Roberts) and the influence of English language and culture on Welsh ballads.
In 2007, her edition of the poetry of Jonathan Hughes, Llangollen (1721-1805) was published. As well as being the first in-depth study of this country poet’s work, this volume brings to light many issues relating to the function of popular poetry in eighteenth-century Wales. She is also developing research into Welsh children’s literature and is exploring the construction of the child and femininity, and issues relating to nationhood and Welsh identity in children’s fiction.
