THE ANGHARAD DODDS ESSAY PRIZE 2026
The Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion is pleased to be able to offer an Essay Prize of £500 for an academic essay by an early-career scholar. The essay can be on any topic in the Humanities and Social Sciences relating to Wales, its history, literature (English and Welsh), economics, politics, and culture including art and music. The Essay Prize, generously endowed by Robert John and Philippa Dodds John, is in memory of their late daughter, Angharad.
Applications are now welcomed from early-career scholars for the 2026 Essay Prize. Essays must be based on original research and should not have been previously published. The length of contributions shall not exceed 7,000 words, inclusive of footnotes. The successful essay will be published in the annual Transactions of the Society, one of the oldest scholarly journals in Britain, and the only one to specialise in interdisciplinary Welsh studies. Other submissions not awarded the prize may also be considered for publication if they are considered to have sufficient merit.
Eligibility
Applicants for the prize should be early career researchers who have been awarded the degree of PhD or M.Phil. within the past eight years.
How to apply
The closing date for the first round of the prize is 1 June 2026, and essays should be submitted to: The Secretary of the Cymmrodorion (secretary@cymmrodorion.org).
Entries can be written in English or Welsh and must be submitted by email as a PDF document, with numbered pages and all sources referenced in footnotes. The author’s name and any identifying details should NOT appear on the essay or file name as all submissions will be judged anonymously. Applicants should submit, along with their essay, a separate CV (two pages maximum) which includes their name and contact details and the date of award of Ph.D./M.Phil.
The judges reserve the right not to award a prize in any year if the standard of entries is not sufficiently high.
Please contact Professor Helen Fulton (Cymmrodorion Trustee) for inquiries or more information (helen.fulton@bristol.ac.uk).
Criteria for award of Prize
Essays will be considered by a panel of judges appointed by the Cymmrodorion Society. The judges will make their recommendation, including brief feedback for each applicant, to the Council of the Cymmrodorion Society. The panel will assess essays based on the following criteria:
• originality and rigour of research
• use of source material and command of primary and secondary evidence;
• clarity and quality of writing addressed to an intelligent but not exclusively scholarly audience;
• contribution of the essay to research on the culture of Wales.
The successful author will be informed by 31 July 2026 , and it is expected that the successful essay will be submitted for publication in the Transactions in 2027. Where possible, the Essay Prize will be presented to the successful applicant at an appropriate Society event.