The Twelve by Liz Hyder (published by Pushkin Children’s Books) is the 2025 winner of the Tir na n-Og English-language Award for children and young people’s literature.

The winning title was announced at a special ceremony held this afternoon, Wednesday 21 May at Ysgol Penglais School in Aberystwyth. The ceremony was hosted by presenter Sara Gibson, with an audience of learners from the school who had the opportunity to meet some of the shortlisted authors.

The Twelve is a deeply captivating, darkly magical Young Adult offering. When Kit’s sister, Libby, vanishes into thin air on a family holiday and no one else seems to remember her, Kit embarks on a dangerous journey to discover the truth. This book wraps you up in ancient magic and folklore, drags you to its rich depths and consumes you with its lyrical and haunting writing.

Liz Hyder said: “I feel very honoured to be this year’s winner for the prestigious English-language award. The Twelve was born out of a deep love of nature and is a love letter to Wales and her landscapes. It was a fantastic shortlist and I was gobsmacked to even be included. I’m very much looking forward to celebrating with a big mug of Welsh tea!”

 

Chair of the English-language judging panel, Elizabeth Kennedy, said: “Congratulations to Liz on winning the award this year. The Twelve is a story that pulls the reader in, tugging until you fall down the magical rabbit hole into Welsh history, folklore and nature. It’s a perfect combination of enthralling writing; beautiful illustrations and undisputed Welsh background, making it the well-deserved winner of this year’s award.”

The other shortlisted titles for the English-language category were:

• Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins by Claire Fayers (Firefly)
• Cynefin, Wales and the World – Today’s Geography for Future Generations by Dafydd Watcyn Williams (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
• Megs by Meleri Wyn James, illustrated by Shari Llewelyn (Y Lolfa)

Also announced today was the winner of the 2025 English-language Readers’ Choice Award. This is a special award chosen by the children and young people who took part in the Tir na n-Og Shadowing Scheme. The winner of the English-language Readers’ Choice Award is Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins by Claire Fayers (Firefly).

Established in 1976, the annual Tir na n-Og Awards celebrate the best books for children and young people in Wales. They are organised by the Books Council of Wales and sponsored by CILIP Cymru Wales.

Sue Polchow, Community Development Manager – CILIP Cymru Wales said: “As the membership body for librarians and information professionals in Wales, we are proud to again sponsor the wonderful Tir na n-Og Awards for 2025. Unique book awards which help children and young people discover the joy of reading outstanding stories from Wales which are about Wales. Many congratulations to all the winning authors!”

The winners of the Tir na n-Og Awards in the two Welsh-language categories will be revealed at Eisteddfod yr Urdd Dur a Môr at Margam Park on Tuesday 27 May.

You can find out more about the Tir na n-Og Awards on the Books Council of Wales website: books.wales.