The literary tradition of the Neath and Afan Valleys and Tir Iarll (Maesteg and Porthcawl).

The aim of this thesis was to test what has been the standard view of English-language writing in Wales - that it is a very recent growth, beginning in 1915, and a phenomenon largely confined to the anglicised industrial valleys of South Wales. The research also looked at the possible relationship between writing in the two languages, Welsh and English. In order to investigate these questions one geographical area - Neddafan, the Neath and Afan Valleys, Maesteg and Porthcawl - was selected and the history of the English language in this area was considered, together with the growth of an audience for English language literature. The role of the Welsh language and of Welsh-language writers in the area was also considered. The study then took three specific examples: bilingualism and the translation of Welsh-language writing and culture for the English-speaking audience; local historians and historical novelists; and women writers, and looked at similarities in subject matter, approach and style between these writers, both in their categories and more generally. Finally the thesis looked at the writers of the twentieth century and their contribution to the literary culture of the area in that century. The conclusions reached are that English-language writing in Neddafan dates back to well before 1915; that much of it follows and/or adapts Welsh language traditions like that of the bardd gwlad (household poet); that its audience is most often the wider community, not an elite readership; and that the oral tradition and a sense of place are important factors in what is written and the forms it takes