Ellis Wynne

Born in 1671 at Lasynys Fawr near Harlech, he became a Welsh clergyman and author whose name is most closely linked with Gweledigaetheu y Bardd Cwsc (The Sleeping Bard). He studied at Jesus College, Oxford, and later served in the church in north Wales.

The Sleeping Bard, first published in the early 1700s, is widely regarded as one of the most important works in Welsh-language literature. Inspired in part by Spanish dream-vision writing, it uses sharp satire and imaginative scenes to explore sin, society, and the human condition.

He died in 1734, but his reputation has lasted because his prose is both energetic and memorable. For listeners coming to him for the first time, he offers a rare mix of moral seriousness, dark humor, and literary invention.