BOoks Council of Wales announces over 40 projects that share £500,000 of funding in third year of New Audiences Grant

The Books Council of Wales has announced the 44 projects across Wales that have received funding through the New Audiences Grant for 2024.

Applications totalling almost £1 million were received for the £500,000 fund, which was made available by Welsh Government through Creative Wales, to support and develop the publishing industry in Wales.

Applications were invited under three themes: book promotion and marketing programmes that reach new readers in Welsh and English; provide opportunities to new voices in news services and popular magazines; and develop and publish new content that represents Wales in all its diversity.

Among the projects to receive funding are:

Atebol: promoting books from Sebra, the new publishing imprint for adults, to new audiences
Atebol will build on the early success of Sebra, their new and contemporary imprint which has a strong focus on developing new audiences and talent. This will include a cutting-edge digital material creation package to promote books, a visual project and working with a specialist external company to develop the style of Sebra’s covers.

Material Queer
Material Queer will commission a range of Welsh or Wales-based journalists to deliver articles in explorative formats such as video or audio in order to reach new audiences across multiple platforms, with a particular focus on social media. The call-out for submissions will be nationwide. The journalists selected will be provided opportunities for connection and learning and will be mentored throughout their commission. Material Queer’s aim is to diversify not just the news, but who tells it and how, in Wales; creating important structural change which will ultimately strengthen the industry.

Urdd Gobaith Cymru
The Urdd’s intention is to offer an opportunity to develop and mentor a young person to contribute cartoons to Cip magazine and nurture talents and skills that will contribute to the publishing world in Wales in the future. We will offer mentoring opportunities with experienced and inspiring individuals with the aim of developing the ability to tell a story through words and pictures.

Seren Books: Change from Within
Through this project, Seren will appoint an early-career individual with lived experience of racism, ableism and/or poverty as a Desk Editor at Seren where they will gain first-hand experience of working within the book trade in Wales. The role will include upskilling in copy- and creative-editing through mentoring and a short training course. With mentor support, they will also lead a project to commission new fiction and non-fiction titles by writers who have lived experience of racism, ableism and/or poverty via an open call-out. Successful writers and the Desk Editor will then be supported to develop their pitches into publication proposals for Seren’s 2025/26 publishing programme.

Lucent Dreaming: Anthology of Welsh Deaf and Disabled writers
Lucent Dreaming will commission and develop a bilingual anthology titled Beyond/Tu Hwnt: Anthology of Welsh Deaf and Disabled Writers/Blodeugerdd o Ysgrifenwyr Cymraeg Byddar ac Anabl, edited by Bethany Handley, Megan Angharad Hunter and Sioned Erin Hughes, with a view to publication. The book will feature work from 20+ contributors. The project will develop writing for publication from Deaf and Disabled writers. This anthology aims to create a space for, and preserve, the rich and diverse voices of contemporary Wales for future generations to come.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are very grateful to Creative Wales and Welsh Government for supporting this vital fund again, especially in a year when this additional funding will make such an impact to the businesses and initiatives that have been awarded grants. Competition for the grant this year was higher than ever with many excellent applications, and while we were not able to fund all of them, we were delighted to see so many creative, forward-thinking proposals submitted. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of these exciting projects at the end of the year.”

Since 2022, Creative Wales has supported the New Audiences Grant with over £1.5 million in funding, supporting over 100 different projects across Wales.

The Minister for Creative Industries, Sarah Murphy, said: “To have supported over 100 projects under our New Audiences Grant is such a fantastic achievement. This funding allows for real opportunities for new and diverse voices to be heard across Wales and beyond.

“The volume of high-quality applications received shows how there is real demand for this funding, to further develop and support a publishing industry that represents the whole of Wales. Pob lwc / good luck to all those supported through the fund.”

The full list of projects awarded funding in this round is published on the Books Council’s website Grants | Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

Where the River Takes Us by Lesley Parr (published by Bloomsbury Publishing) is the 2024 winner of the Tir na n-Og English-language Award for children and young people’s literature.

 Author Lesley Parr has won the Tir na n-Og English-language Award with Where the River Takes Us, a pacy 1970s adventure set in a Welsh valley, published by Bloomsbury.

The winning book was announced at a lunchtime ceremony on Friday 17 May, at the CILIP Cymru Wales conference in Cardiff, by singer, actor and presenter Miriam Isaac.

This is the second time Lesley has won the Tir na n-Og English-language Award, following the success of wartime novel The Valley of Lost Secrets in 2022. This year’s winning novel is set in 1974; a time of strikes, hardship and the three-day week, but it is also a story full of humour and friendship:

February 1974. Whispers echo through the valley – tales of a wild beast roaming the mountains. When a reward is offered for proof of its existence, Jason and his friends are determined to find the creature first. But for Jason it’s more than a quest – the money is a way for him and his brother to stay together. So the four friends set off, following the river north, not realising that this journey will push them to their limits. An extraordinary adventure awaits …

Lesley Parr said: “I’m over the moon that Where the River Takes Us has won the Tir na n-Og Award in the English Language category. I love to write about my kind of Wales; ordinary people doing extraordinary things against a backdrop of working-class Welshness. To receive an accolade at this level – and from my own country – is a very special thing.”

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.

The Chair of the judging panel, Simon Fisher, said: “Congratulations to Lesley on winning this year’s Award. Where the River Takes Us is a beautiful and genuine portrayal of friendship and family strife. Action-packed and brilliantly written, this pacy tale of 70s hardships and the hunt for a wild cat is totally gripping and lots of fun.”

Jamie Finch, Chair of CILIP Cymru Wales, said: “On behalf of CILIP Cymru Wales, we are delighted once again to support the annual Tir na n-Og Awards, which showcase some of the most inspiring and entertaining books penned for children and young adults in Wales.

We are grateful to the Books Council of Wales for organising these awards, and, of course, to the judging panels who have the unenviable task of picking the winners.”

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

• Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones (Knights of Media)
• The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle by Michelle Briscombe (Candy Jar Books)

Where the River Takes Us has also been announced today as the winner of the English-language Readers’ Choice Award. This is a special award chosen by children and young people who took part in the Tir na n-Og Shadowing Scheme and nominated their own winner from the shortlisted titles.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, said: “Warmest congratulations to Lesley on her achievement winning the English-language Tir na n-Og Award for the second time, and for also winning the Readers’ Choice Award this year. Thank you to everybody involved in this year’s awards, with special thanks to the librarians, teachers and booksellers who play such a vital role helping young readers discover these wonderful books.”

The winners of the two Welsh-language category Tir na n-Og Awards 2024 will be revealed at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Meifod at 1pm on Wednesday 29 May 2024.

Further details about the awards and the titles can be seen on the Books Council’s website.

The Books Council of Wales is inviting applications for a third round of the New Audiences Grant, thanks to £500,000 of funding from Welsh Government through Creative Wales.

The purpose of the grant is to support and develop the publishing industry in Wales. Grants are available for publishers, charities or organisations based in Wales to:

Create promotional and marketing plans that will reach new audiences 

• Grants available for up to £20,000 per applicant for book promotion and marketing programmes that reach new readers in Welsh and English.

Provide opportunities to new voices in the periodical press

• Grants available for up to £15,000 per applicant to develop new and diverse voices within news services and popular magazines.

Publish new content that reflects Wales in all its diversity

• Grants available for up to £30,000 per applicant to develop diverse cultural content from Wales, which leads to publication in books, magazines or online in Wales.

 Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are delighted to be able to offer the New Audiences Grant for a third year, and we are grateful to Creative Wales for continuing to support our work to create opportunities within the publishing industry and support content that reflects all of Wales.”

Grant criteria and guidelines and the link to the application form can be found on the Books Council website, Grants | Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru The deadline for applications is 12 noon, Tuesday 2 April 2024.

The Books Council of Wales and influencer, presenter and book lover Ellis Lloyd Jones revealed the English-language shortlist for this year’s Tir na n-Og Awards on Friday 15 March at 12pm, on their Instagram and TikTok channels. The awards celebrate the very best of stories from Wales and about Wales that were published in 2023.

The Tir na n-Og Awards are the oldest awards for children’s literature in Wales and are held every year by the Books Council of Wales, supported by CILIP Cymru Wales. They celebrate the talents of authors and illustrators who either create original works in Welsh, or who write about authentically Welsh themes or backgrounds through the medium of English.

Ellis will reveal the books on the shortlist from a special bookshop location. This year the stories celebrate all things beastly, ghostly and mysterious, and will take young readers on three awesome adventures rooted in Welsh history and myth.

 The shortlist for the best English-language book with an authentic Welsh dimension is:

The Ghosts of Craig Glas Castle by Michelle Briscombe (Candy Jar Books)
Follow Flora and Archie as they delve into the spooky secrets of the past in Craig Glas Castle. While Dad values the antiques, will the castle’s ghosts provide enough clues for Flora and Archie to discover the secrets of the mysterious garden and right the wrongs of the past? A fast paced and exciting story filled with phantoms, friendship, and family.

Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend by Lizzie Huxley-Jones (Knights of)
The lake has been calling to twelve-year-old Vivi Conway. On the day she and her Mams will move from Wales to London, she sneaks out to investigate what is calling her there. Instead of a quiet swim, she finds Excalibur (much smaller than she expected), a ferocious monster (much scarier in real life than in her mythology books), a new friend (which she doesn’t want at all) called Dara, and a ghostly dog named Gelert (who can talk). A fantastic, inclusive story full of Welsh myths and legends which sweeps you away on a gripping adventure.

Where the River Takes Us by Lesley Parr (Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd)
February 1974. Whispers echo through the valley – tales of a wild beast roaming the mountains. When a reward is offered for proof of its existence, Jason and his friends are determined to find the creature first. But for Jason it’s more than a quest – the money is a way for him and his brother to stay together. So the four friends set off, following the river north, not realising that this journey will push them to their limits. An extraordinary adventure awaits …

 Highly recommended
The panel also wanted to give special recognition to the four titles submitted from the Welsh Wonders series (Broga); a series of books celebrating the lives and achievements of notable Welsh people, and their lasting influence in Wales and beyond:

Ann (by Menna Machreth, illustrated by Emily Kimbell), Laura (by Mari Lovgreen, illustrated by Sara Rhys), Betty (by Nia Morais, illustrated by Anastasia Magloire), and Wallace (by Aneirin Karadog, illustrated by Alyn Smith).

Independent panels of judges select the shortlists and decide on the winners for the Welsh and English awards each year. This year, the judges on the English-language panel were Simon Fisher (Chair), Elizabeth Kennedy, Karen Gemma Brewer and Katie Rees.

Simon Fisher, Chair of the English-language judging panel says: “The judges are extremely happy with this year’s shortlist. The Tir na n-Og Award is all about authentic Welsh subject matter which these three stories have in abundance. The judges believe that the shortlist is relevant and relatable to children across Wales and that the assured writing delivers a captivating and enjoyable experience. The three titles each have a unique and lasting identity that allows readers to explore and understand emotive topics whilst also adding to a shared cultural identity.”

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “Congratulations to the authors and illustrators on this year’s shortlists. The entries were excellent once again this year and I’d like to thank the judging panels for all their work to select the shortlists from amongst so many wonderful titles. I’m looking forward to finding out which books win the awards in the summer and wish all the finalists the very best of luck.”

Ellis Lloyd Jones says: “I’ve always enjoyed reading and nothing beats a good book that makes you smile, that takes you on adventures and transports you to different worlds. And the best thing about the Tir na n-Og Awards is that they celebrate all books from Wales! This year’s shortlist does not disappoint – every book is full of mystery, adventure and magic.”

You can see the announcement at:

Instagram: xellislloydjonesx and books.wales

TikTok: @ellislloydjones

The shortlisted titles for the Welsh-language Tir na n-Og Awards 2024 were announced on the Heno programme on S4C on Wednesday 13 March.

This year, young readers can once again choose the winners in a special category: the Readers’ Choice Award. This award is chosen by children and young people who take part in the Tir na n-Og shadowing scheme. Schools, libraries and other children’s reading groups can register to take part and be unofficial judges to choose winners from the shortlisted books, with the guidance of the shadowing pack. You can find out how to register on the Books Council’s website, books.wales 

The winner of the English-language category will be announced on Friday 17 May at the CILIP Cymru Wales conference in Cardiff. The winners of the Welsh-language categories will be announced at 1pm on Wednesday 29 May at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Meifod.

Bookshops and libraries will be holding Tir na n-Og Treasure Hunts over the Easter holidays with the chance for children aged 4–11 to take part. Ask your local bookshop or library for details.

Further information about the awards and the shortlisted titles can be found on the Books Council’s website.