A Rattleskull Genius : The Many Faces of Iolo Morganwg

Better known by the bardic name of Iolo Morganwg, Edward Williams was one of history's great fantasists.

This is the first volume in an exciting interdisciplinary series of works on Iolo Morganwg, the most extraordinary figure in the entire cultural history of Wales.

As an industrious academic and charming romantic poet, the legacy he left behind was a cottage filled to the ceiling with manuscripts.

The question of their authenticity - or lack of it - has given headaches to academics ever since.

This volume, based on the rich unpublished material in the Iolo Morganwg papers at the National Library of Wales, contains a collection of essays by a wide range of leading scholars.

It provides a celebration and a critical re-evaluation of the diverse interests of Iolo Morganwg and the extent to which his ideas and writings shaped the Welsh cultural tradition.

It represents the first fruits of a major research project currently underway at the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies.