French Celtomaniacs in Wales in the long nineteenth century Seminar

This paper will trace the growing awareness of 'Celticity' in French-language travelogues about Wales through the nineteenth century. It begins in France in the pre-Revolutionary period when Wales was little known and still less liked, considered at best remote and exotic, at worst backwords and wild, and it ends at the dawn of the twentieth century, by which time Welsh industry led the world. One thing that changes over the course of the nineteenth century, and shapes the kinds of travelogues and numbers of texts is industrial anxiety, from France’s wish to keep an eye on a key competitor on the world stage. Another is the coming of the railway network. But our concern will be Celticity. The meaning of Celticity for the French changes, and the type of Celticity the French discover in Wales changes in fascinating and sometimes very telling ways. Extracts from travelogues will be selected (and translated) to illustrate this. 

This seminar will take place via Microsoft Teams. Please ensure you book a place to receive the meeting link. The deadline for bookings is 3pm on the day of the seminar (20/10/21).