Tudur Hallam, a poet and academic, has been awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by Swansea University. The award was presented during a graduation ceremony at the university’s Bay Campus on December 9, 2025.
Professor Hallam recently achieved notable recognition at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham, where he received the Chair, which is regarded as the highest honour in Welsh literature. This marks his second time winning this distinction; he first won it at the 2010 Blaenau Gwent Eisteddfod. His latest composition, "Dinas (City)," addresses his personal experience with a cancer diagnosis.
Born in Penybanc near Ammanford, Professor Hallam earned a first-class degree in Welsh and completed his PhD at Aberystwyth University. He joined Swansea University’s Department of Welsh as a lecturer in 1999 and was appointed to the Chair of Welsh in 2011. He retired from this position in 2025 due to ill health and now holds the title of Emeritus Professor.
His academic work includes publications such as "Canon ein Llên," "Saunders y Dramodydd," "Llawlyfr Meistroli'r Gymraeg," and his poetry collection "Parcio." He also co-edited three volumes in the Ysgrifau Beirniadol series with Angharad Price. In 2016, Professor Hallam received a Fulbright Scholarship and worked as a visiting professor at the University of Houston, Texas, where he researched minority language revitalisation by comparing Welsh communities in the UK with Hispanic heritage communities in the US.
Reflecting on his career and recent recognition, Professor Tudur Hallam said: “I had a very happy career at Swansea University. I had the opportunity to work with distinguished scholars in many fields, and I enjoyed sharing with my students the thrill that creativity gives me. It was always a privilege to teach them and to see them develop and graduate. Today, receiving this honour from the University is a great privilege for me and my family. I can only say thank you and wish the University well as it continues to support the Welsh language into the future.”
Speaking on behalf of Swansea University, Professor Gwenno Ffrancon, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor Welsh Language, Heritage and Culture and Director Academi Hywel Teifi, stated: “Professor Tudur Hallam’s contribution to Welsh scholarship, literature, and culture is both extensive and profound. He is highly deserving of an Honorary Fellowship from Swansea University in recognition of his outstanding achievements.”