Emeritus Professor Dafydd Johnston from the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies in Aberystwyth has been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy in recognition of his leading contributions to the history of Welsh literature and medieval Welsh poetry.

The British Academy welcomed a new group of leading international humanities and social sciences researchers to its Fellowship for 2023.

Joining a community of over 1,600 distinguished intellectuals, the newly elected Fellows of the British Academy become part of the UK’s national academy for the humanities and social sciences.

Prof Johnston was Director of CAWCS for twelve years from October 2008 until his retirement at the end of 2020.

He has published extensively on Welsh literature of all periods, including some of the English-language writers of Wales.

Vice-chancellor, Professor Elwen Evans, KC, said “I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to Professor Johnston on being elected a Fellow of the British Academy, and would want to take this opportunity to thank him for his excellent stewardship and inspirational dedication while Director of the University’s Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.”

Professor Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, Director of CAWCS, said: “This is indeed a highly esteemed acknowledgement of Professor Johnston’s remarkable contribution to scholarship.

“As we congratulate Dafydd on this honour, we thank him again for his leadership of CAWCS for 12 years and are very pleased that his connection with the Centre continues, as Emeritus Professor and as Editor of the Dictionary of Welsh Biography.”