Synopsis "Eutopia: Studies in Cultural Euro-Welshness, 1850-1980"
As the Brexit debates confirmed, Wales's relationship to Europe has for far too long been discussed exclusively, narrowly, and in suffocating terms of its social, political, and economic aspects. By contrast, Eutopia sets out to explore the rich, inventive, and exhilarating spectrum of pro-European sentiment evident from 1848 to 1980 in the writings of Welsh intellectuals and creative writers. This book ranges from the era of O.M. Edwards, through the inter-war period when both right-wing and left-wing ideologies clashed, to the post-war age when major writers such as Emyr Humphreys and Raymond Williams became influential. This study clearly demonstrates that, far from being insular and parochial, Welsh culture has long been hospitably internationalist. As the very title, Eutopia, concedes, there have of course often been utopian aspects to Wales's dreams of Europe. However, while some may therefore choose to dismiss them as examples of mere wishful thinking, others may fruitfully appreciate their aspirational and inspirational aspects.
