Pennod 39 – Y Gymraeg a Byd Newydd Print

The Welsh Language and the New World of Print 

This episode focuses on that all-important technological development, the printing press. Given that discussing the history of Welsh literature is this podcast’s aim, we should see the arrival of this medium as an incredibly transformative milestone as far as creating and disseminating literature is concerned.
The first Welsh book was printed in 1546, and we explain the title-which-is-not-a-tile normally used in referring to it, Yn y Llyfr Hwn (‘In This Book’). Sir John Price was responsible for producing this landmark Welsh volume, but we note that he was a character who helped destroy some of Wales’ literary resources in addition to being responsible for pushing the Welsh language across the threshold of the world of print.