Is it possible to add Wales to the list of countries

[Caroline]

Would it be possible to add Wales to the list of countries for author details. I've just been updating the author page for Tony Conran, a fine Welsh poet who passed away last week. I found I could not bring myself to list United Kingdom as the country he was born in because he clearly comes from Wales and that is different.

Thanks

[Paula]

This is not a librarians issue - it belongs in feedback.

And Wales is part of the United Kingdom so it is appropriate to use that.

You can add to his description about his welsh origins if you feel the desire

[MissJessie]

Welsh people are of strongly independent and nationalistic temprement in my experience.

Asking them to refer to themselves as British, or UK, or English (God forfend) is an invitation to irritation. I speak here from experience.

Wales is a country and should be so identified.

[Banjomike]

The poet in question taught in the English Department at Bangor University. He taught English Literature and was a major force in translating Welsh poetry into English. I can't see that he was likely to be rabidly anti-UK.

[MissJessie]

Banjomike wrote: "The poet in question taught in the English Department at Bangor University. He taught English Literature and was a major force in translating Welsh poetry into English. I can't see that he was li..."

It isn't a question of the individual being rabidly anti-English; it's a matter of being pro-Welsh as a national trait, I think.

I don't think it's possible to differentiate between rabidly pro-Welsh, anti-English; pro-Welsh, pro English; being identified as an independent nation; being identified as part of the UK and clumped with Scotland, No. Ireland, England, etc.

[rivka, Former Moderator]

Alex wrote: "The reason for this discrepancy, I am assuming, is nothing more sinister than that the second list of 'countries' all possess country-code top-level domains, while the constituent countries of the United Kingdom are banded together by .co.uk."

Since our source for the list of countries is external, this is very likely.

[Banjomike]

MissJessie wrote: "and clumped with Scotland, No. Ireland, England, etc. "

In that case I will insist on being English. It does affect all of us, you know.

[MissJessie]

This is true. Yes it does. Absolutely.