The Babell Lên is one of the Eisteddfod’s most popular attractions, and the University’s sponsorship will last for the next three years, covering the university’s centenary celebrations.

Professor Iwan Davies, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Swansea University, said: “The University is delighted to work with the National Eisteddfod to sponsor the Babell Lên. As the University looks back over the last century in contributing to maintaining and enriching the Welsh culture, there is no better way to celebrate that than by supporting and working with one of our main national institutions.”

Dr Gwenno Ffrancon, Director of Academi Hywel Teifi, said: “We all know that Professor Hywel Teifi Edwards' second home was the Literary Pavilion; his lectures were legendary! We look forward, therefore, to contributing to the lively annual lecture program, discussion panels and talks held in the pavilio. There will also be a special opportunity for us to draw on the work and expertise of Swansea University's distinguished writers and scholars, and to mark, in 2020, ten years since the Academi was established.”

Betsan Moses, Chief Executive of the National Eisteddfod, said: “We look forward to working with Swansea University over the next three years, to further develop our literary offer on the Eisteddfod Maes. We are very grateful to them for sponsoring the Babell Lên, and I am sure that this will be a special partnership for both organisations.

“Our literary activities are an integral and important part of the Eisteddfod, and it is pleasing to know that we have the support of an organisation such as Swansea University to work with us for this next period, starting this year at the Eisteddfod in Conwy.”

The Literature Pavilion program for the Conwy County Eisteddfod will be released this week. Among the events hosted by Academi Hywel Teifi are the annual Hywel Teifi Memorial Lecture, delivered by Professor Gwynedd Parry, a discussion on the work of novelist Elena Puw Morgan, a lecture on the life and work of Emyr Humphreys, and a talk on popular music from the Swansea Valley.

The 2019 Eisteddfod will be held in Llanrwst, Conwy County from 3-10 August 2019.