Catherine Brennan – författare

Angers, Fantasies and Ghostly Fears is a ground-breaking study of writers all-too-often ignored by mainstream literary history. It will be essential reading for all those interested in the literary history of Welsh writing in English, women's writing in the nineteenth century, and the discourse of insular imperialism. Catherine Brennan analyses the work of seven Welsh women poets from a relatively neglected period in Welsh literary studies, the nineteenth century. Each of the writers considered, from Jane Cave and Felicia Hemans to Anna Walter Thomas, wrote in a period of rapid and intense social change, yet each maintained her own particular and deeply held connection with Wales. The author argues that although these writers are doubly marginalized by their gender and nationality from dominant cultural discourses, they nevertheless articulate highly significant questions of poetic identity and authority. Using a range of theoretical perspectives, she shows how consciousness of national identity and poetic representation intersect in this period and suggests that the work of these writers, taken as a whole, opens up new ways of understanding class, gender and 'Welshness' in the nineteenth century.

First published in 1997, this book revolves around a textual analysis of the Weberian thesis that 'classes', 'status groups' and 'parties’ are phenomena of the distribution of power within a 'community'. An internal reconstruction of Weber’s own ideas on what is called social stratification in contemporary sociological discourse is undertaken. The reason for this reconstruction inheres in the fact that Weber’s thought (especially in the field of social stratification) has been modified and misappropriated to such an extent that Weber himself is usually lost in the commentaries. Moreover, this reconstruction is crucial because the secondary literature does not contain a single account teasing out the analytic structure underlying Weber’s statements on the nature of social inequality in various societies. It is the principal intention of the book, then, to retrieve the essential form and significance of Weber’s ideas on social stratification.

First published in 1997, this book revolves around a textual analysis of the Weberian thesis that 'classes', 'status groups' and 'parties’ are phenomena of the distribution of power within a 'community'. An internal reconstruction of Weber’s own ideas on what is called social stratification in contemporary sociological discourse is undertaken. The reason for this reconstruction inheres in the fact that Weber’s thought (especially in the field of social stratification) has been modified and misappropriated to such an extent that Weber himself is usually lost in the commentaries. Moreover, this reconstruction is crucial because the secondary literature does not contain a single account teasing out the analytic structure underlying Weber’s statements on the nature of social inequality in various societies. It is the principal intention of the book, then, to retrieve the essential form and significance of Weber’s ideas on social stratification.

The definitive collection of Welsh women's poetry through the ages, this book includes classic poetry from the 15th century right up to contemporary works by living poets such as Menna Elfyn, Sheenagh Pugh, Glenda Beagan, Gillian Clarke and Elin ap Hywel. With poetry printed in both its original language and in English, the reader is able to discover the depths and extent of Welsh women's writings. With an extensive introduction, this collection is essential for schools, colleges, universities and all those with an interest in Welsh women's poetry.