Dr Christine James is a Welsh poet and academic. She has been Archdruid of Wales since June 2013, the first woman to hold that title. She presided over the ceremonies of the 2013 Eisteddfod in Denbigh. Her period of office lasts for three years. Like all holders of the title, she qualifies by virtue of having won one of the major literary prizes at a previous National Eisteddfod.Christine James was born in Tonypandy, Rhondda, and educated at Porth County Grammar School, then later at Aberystwyth University, where she gained a first-class honours degree in Welsh and was subsequently awarded a PhD for a thesis on the Laws of Hywel Dda. She currently lives in Cardiff and works as an associate professor in Swansea in the Department of Welsh, Academi Hywel Teifi, Swansea University. She is an elected Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales and of the Academi Gymreig (the Welsh Academy).She won the Crown at the 2005 National Eisteddfod for a poetry collection inspired by works of art, including a number in the National Museum Cardiff.Her first volume of poetry, Rhwng y Llinellau, was published by Cyhoeddiadau Barddas in 2013 and launched at the National Eisteddfod in Denbigh. It was awarded the prize for the best volume in the Poetry category in the Wales Book of the Year 2014 competition.
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