Congratulations to our Chief Executive, Helgard Krause, as she joins the Gorsedd of the Bards for services to the arts in Wales.

Originally from Pfalz in Germany and multilingual, Helgard has a wealth of experience in publishing both in the UK and internationally.

She came to Wales in 2005 when she started working for the Books Council of Wales as International Sales Officer. She learnt Welsh in order to become the Council’s Head of Sales & Marketing and became fluent within a few months. From 2010–2017 she was Director of University of Wales Press, before returning to the Books Council in 2017 as Chief Executive.

Helgard said: ‘I feel privileged and deeply moved to receive this honour, joining an illustrious circle of bards, writers and other creatives who have contributed so much to the Welsh language and culture. It is a pleasure to be given a platform to further promote the publishing industry in Wales and highlight the importance of books and reading in general.’

Below the Archdruid, Myrddin ap Dafydd welcomes Helgard at the Gorsedd of the Bards ceremony.