BOOKTOBER CHALLENGE

• Want to read more but don’t know where to start?
• Can’t find the time for some ‘me’ time?
• Need an autumn challenge to focus on?

Join the Booktober challenge!

If you’re finding it hard to take time out to relax, or if you’d love to read more but never seem to have long enough to lose yourself in a good book, the Booktober challenge is a great way to start.

The challenge is to read one Quick Reads book a week during October. This special series of short books by well-known authors offers the perfect way to delve into a book – even if you only have a few minutes a day.

Quick Reads books offer both fiction and non-fiction titles and the new books for 2024 include works by Clare Mackintosh, Jo Nesbo and Malorie Blackman, as well as Welsh authors Nicola Davies and Hugh Warwick. Priced at £1, and at around 100 pages each, the books are perfect for a train trip to work, a lunchtime read or ten minutes with a cuppa. New titles are published each year to add to the series.

The new English-language Quick Reads published in Wales for 2024 are published by Graffeg:

Five Nights Out by ecologist Hugh Warwick takes us on a journey through Hugh’s interactions with some of our favourite nocturnal creatures, including hedgehogs, bats, owls and more. It includes many facts about each creature and is a retelling of some of Hugh’s own journeys trying to view them – Five Nights Out is a perfect read for any naturalist.

Piebald, a crime fiction thriller by Nicola Davies. Mattie’s life has been made more difficult recently by her mother’s latest boyfriend, Sargent, a minor local drug lord. As the reality of Sargent’s business interests becomes more and more obvious, Mattie realises she must get herself and Tyler out of danger.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We all know how hard it can be to find time to sit down with a book and take some time to ourselves. The beauty of the Quick Reads series is that they’re written for busy people, so you can enjoy a great read from a fantastic author in just a few short sessions. The Booktober challenge is an easy way to fit in some reading time every week, and maybe you’ll discover your next favourite author in the process!”

Matthew Howard, Publishing Director at Graffeg said “Quick Reads is a fabulous concept and we’re delighted to have been involved over the past three years. Just £1 gets you a quality read from a recognised author – perfect if you want to try something new or have limited time to read. This year you can have a night out with Hugh Warwick or put your feet up with Nicola Davies; either way, as entertainment goes it’s the best value there is.”

The Quick Reads programme, developed by the Reading Agency, is coordinated in Wales by the Books Council of Wales, thanks to funding from Welsh Government. This funding supports the publication of Quick Reads / Stori Sydyn books from Wales in both Welsh and English every year. The Welsh-language titles for 2024 are published by Y Lolfa: Tywyllwch y Fflamau by Alun Davies, and Deffro’r Ddraig – Rygbi Cymru 1998–2024 by Seimon Williams.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle MS, said: “Reading is a vital skill that is essential throughout our whole lives. The Booktober Challenge is a perfect opportunity to develop these skills where so many of us feel that we don’t have the time to do so. It is a great pleasure to be immersed in a book, and I am delighted that more Quick Read books have been published with the help of Welsh Government funding.

I wish you all good luck with this challenge. Happy reading!”

You can follow the Booktober challenge on Instagram @books.wales from 1–31 October 2024. A list of recent Quick Reads and Stori Sydyn titles is available on the Books Council’s website books.wales

Folding Rock –
Announcing a brand-new literary magazine for readers in Wales and beyond

The Books Council of Wales has today announced the recipient of £80,000 of annual funding to publish a new literary magazine from Wales.

Folding Rock: New Writing from Wales and Beyond will provide a platform for new and established writers, celebrating Welsh writing in English. It is founded by writer, editor and creative producer Kathryn Tann, and editor and designer Robert Harries.

The funding was awarded for a period of four years, up to March 2028, following the advertisement of an open tender for a new English-language literary magazine in March 2024. The process was concluded over the summer, and Folding Rock will publish its first issue in March 2025.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, said: “We would like to offer our warmest congratulations to Kathryn and Rob at Folding Rock for their successful application to secure this funding. The vision they presented to the publishing sub-committee was for a magazine that will champion and celebrate the best emerging and established Welsh and Wales-based writers, and create a powerful, visible pipeline for new talent to find publishing success.

“This goes to the heart of our work at the Books Council – creating opportunities to discover new writers, and ultimately to strengthen the publishing industry in Wales as the next generation of authors hone their craft.

“We are looking forward to working with this exciting new venture and to seeing the first issue of Folding Rock hot off the press early next year.”

Kathryn Tann from Folding Rock said: “Folding Rock is the result of many years of dreaming about how Rob Harries and I might use our skills, experience and steadfast belief in the writers of Wales to create something that readers and publishers everywhere will pay attention to. We are so grateful for all the support and encouragement we’ve had so far, and can’t wait to see where these next few years will take us.”

This funding comes from Welsh Government through Creative Wales, who fund the four-year franchises for English-language cultural periodicals. The grant is administered through the Books Council of Wales.

The Minister for Creative Industries, Jack Sargeant MS, said: “Creative Wales is committed to working with the Books Council of Wales to help support a vibrant and diverse publishing sector in Wales. The launch of Folding Rock marks an exciting new chapter for the Welsh publishing industry, offering a fresh platform for both emerging and established voices and celebrating Welsh writing in English, I look forward to the first edition in 2025!”

The first issue of Folding Rock will be published in March 2025. It will be published three times a year, with digital content alongside the print magazine. You can follow Folding Rock on social media channels https://linktr.ee/foldingrock and register for updates or find out more at foldingrock.com.