author
H. Elvet (Howell Elvet) Lewis
1860–1953
A Welsh minister, poet, and hymn-writer remembered for devotional writing that carried warmth and musical grace. He is especially associated with the bardic name Elfed and with bringing Welsh religious and literary traditions to a wide audience.
1 Audiobook
Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known Characters
by George Milligan, Walter F. (Walter Frederic) Adeney, J. Morgan (James Morgan) Gibbon, J. G. (John Gershom) Greenhough, H. Elvet (Howell Elvet) Lewis, Alfred Rowland, David Rowlands, W. J. (William John) Townsend
About the author
Born in Carmarthenshire, Wales, in 1860, Howell Elvet Lewis became widely known by his bardic name, Elfed. He was an Independent, or Congregational, minister as well as a devotional poet and hymn-writer, and his work linked religious life with the rich literary culture of Wales.
Lewis earned a notable place in Welsh public life. He won the Crown at the National Eisteddfod and later served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1924 to 1928. Alongside his poetry and hymns, he also wrote prose, including Sweet Singers of Wales, a work on Welsh hymn writers and hymn tradition.
For listeners today, Lewis stands out as a writer whose books and verse reflect faith, Welsh identity, and a lifelong love of song. He died in 1953, leaving behind a body of work that is still remembered in Welsh literary and religious circles.