The Books Council of Wales is delighted to announce the six Welsh-language books shortlisted for the 2021 Tir na n-Og Awards, which celebrate the best books from Wales for children and young people.
The primary age category includes Ble Mae Boc – Ar Goll yn y Chwedlau by Huw Aaron (Y Lolfa), Mae’r Cyfan i Ti by Luned Aaron (Atebol) and Sw Sara Mai by Casia Wiliam (Y Lolfa).
The books reaching the shortlist in the secondary age category are Y Castell Siwgr by Angharad Tomos (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch), Llechi by Manon Steffan Ros (Y Lolfa) and #helynt by Rebecca Roberts (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch).
Hywel James, Chair of the panel of judges for the Welsh-language primary and secondary categories, said: “As judges, we have been able to graze our way through a feast of children’s and young people’s literature. All the books offered a wonderful choice to young readers, and contributed to our literature by filling gaps that feed the imagination and develop their understanding of the past or an awareness of the world around them.
“This year’s titles included some very attractive picture story books by new authors and illustrators, a development that deserves special praise for creating high quality original publications. There were very impressive titles in the young adults’ category too, with some quite shocking content as they strived to convey the challenges of coming of age either in contemporary Wales or at key stages in our history.”
Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, said: “Our warmest congratulations to the shortlisted authors and our thanks to everyone across the book sector in Wales for ensuring not only that our judges were provided once more with a range of high-quality publications, but also that there is a selection of excellent books available to young readers in Wales. I would also like to thank our judges for their valuable work and feedback which helps to maintain and improve standards year on year.”
The Welsh-language shortlists were revealed on S4C’s Heno programme on Thursday, 11 March, and the programme will announce the names of the winners on Thursday, 20 May 2021.
Primary Age Shortlist
Ble Mae Boc – Ar Goll yn y Chwedlau by Huw Aaron (Y Lolfa)
Summary: 10 illustrated double pages, with each spread offering a chance to find Boc, the little red dragon, who’s hiding in every picture. A uniquely Welsh twist on the Where’s Wally? books.
A taste of what the judges had to say: “This is a volume that offers a fantastic feast of pictures and hours of amusement for a child as they try to find the little dragon… It’s an ideal gift book for all ages.”
Mae’r Cyfan i Ti by Luned Aaron (Atebol)
Summary: A tender and sensitive bedtime story for a parent to present the wonders of the natural world to a child. We follow the whole day from dawn to dusk as we read about the wonderful world that awaits the child.
A taste of what the judges had to say: “A very high-quality picture story book. The simplicity of telling the story through poetry is ideal for the nursery age group and brilliantly conveys the element of surprise that young children have about the world around them as well as nostalgia on the part of the adult.”
Sw Sara Mai by Casia Wiliam (Y Lolfa)
Summary: Welcome to the world of Sara Mai, where cleaning up elephant poo is a lot more appealing than going to school, and where it’s much easier to understand the behaviour of a bear from South Africa than the other girls in Year 5.
A taste of what the judges had to say: “This is a novel that deals with a contemporary subject, tackling the issue of bullying and prejudice against people from a different ethnic background. The story grips the reader from the beginning with plenty of details about the characters without overwhelming us or slowing the flow of the story, which holds our attention to the end.”
Secondary Age Shortlist
#helynt by Rebecca Roberts (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
Summary: Missing the bus to school can change your life… Rather than go home, Rachel decides to go on an adventure in the town of Rhyl (after all, the bailiffs have taken her father’s car), and she finds herself in a seaside nightclub. She feels safe there, a different experience to school where she is bullied because of her disability.
A taste of what the judges had to say: “It is a story that grips the reader from beginning to end, conveying some of the real impact of poverty and domestic violence on a young person in contemporary Wales… This is an excellent, perhaps ‘classic’, example of a teenage ‘genre’ book – and that is not an easy feat to achieve.”
Llechi by Manon Steffan Ros (Y Lolfa)
Summary: Gwenno is dead – perfect, clever, beautiful Gwenno, who was popular with both swots and cool people. Her body was found in the slate mine, the police are everywhere around Bethesda, and everyone is looking for her.
A taste of what the judges had to say: “The murder mystery story line of this novel is very similar to some contemporary popular television series, and so this story will certainly appeal greatly to a wide range of readers.”
Y Castell Siwgr by Angharad Tomos (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
Summary: Two girls on two continents. One lord with a thirst for profit. A heart-wrenching story about a slave girl, a maid, a ship and a castle, and about suffering beyond imagination.
A taste of what the judges had to say: “This novel takes us to challenging new territory with the story of two young girls, Dorcas and Yamba, and although the novel is in two parts, the links between them strengthen the narrative… This volume is a very important contribution to Welsh literature and will appeal to both young people and adults.”
Organised by the Books Council of Wales and sponsored by CILIP Cymru Wales, the annual awards celebrate the best books for children and young adults published in 2020.
The English-language books shortlisted for the 2021 Tir na n-Og Awards will be announced on the Radio Wales Arts Show at 18:30 on Friday, 12 March 2021.
The Books Council of Wales is encouraging people across Wales to share a story in celebration of World Book Day 2021 on Thursday 4 March.
Sharing a story could include reading at home with the family, sharing a story with your pet, reading in your favourite place, reading in an unusual location and more!
With only a week to go before the big day, the Books Council is also asking people to share their reading photos on social media during March, using the hashtags #ShareAStory #WorldBookDayWales. Prizes for the best pictures will be awarded at the end of the month.
The winners of a special competition organised jointly by the Books Council and Huw Aaron will also be announced on 4 March on BBC Radio Cymru’s Aled Hughes programme between 9 and 11 a.m.
The challenge for contestants was to identify as many characters as possible from Welsh children’s books and television programmes in a colourful poster designed by Huw Aaron for his book Ble mae Boc? Ar goll yn y chwedlau, published by Y Lolfa in November 2020.
Meet the Authors
World Book Day celebrations look very different this year with a number of author sessions happening in a virtual way. The past year has shown the need for flexibility and also the value of having quality material to promote reading in a digital format. To help inspire young people to pick up a book and read for pleasure, the first in a series of videos with some of Wales’ leading children’s authors will be released on the Books Council’s website and social media channels on 4 March, featuring short readings as well as activities.
The main aim of these resources is to support families and schools whilst they are distance learning but they will also be a valuable resource for classroom use once schools re-open for all ages.
The authors include Huw Aaron, Lund Aaron, Myrddin ap Dafydd, Huw Davies, Nicola Davies, Malachy Doyle, Valériane Leblond, Lucy Owen and Manon Steffan Ros. More videos featuring authors from Wales will be published over the coming months.
Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, said: “World Book Day is an opportunity for us to celebrate our love of books but the transformative power of reading is with us all year round. Although we may not be able to hold our usual events this year, the message is the same – that reading for pleasure does us all a world of good, in these difficult times perhaps more than ever. So celebrate with us by sharing a story on the 4th of March as a family, with friends from afar, or even your cat or dog!”
Angharad Sinclair, Project Manager in the Books Council’s Department of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion, added: “Reading can open the door on new worlds and experiences, and we are delighted to be able to offer a great range of £1 books once again this year ensuring that a choice of Welsh-language books is available alongside the English. Research shows that spending 10 minutes a day reading with a child makes a big difference to their future success and the aim of this special day is to ensure that all children have access to the world of books and the benefits they bring.”
£1 Book Token
World Book Day is now celebrated in 100 countries across the world and aims to promote reading for pleasure, offering all children and young people the opportunity to have their own book.
As part of the annual event, children in the UK and Ireland receive a £1 book token which they can either exchange for one of the £1 World Book Day books or use towards buying another book.
Ha Ha Cnec! Jôcs Twp a Twpach (Broga) by Huw Aaron is the brand new £1 Welsh-language book for World Book Day 2021 and is available now through bookshops across Wales.
Three other Welsh-language books are available for £1 this year namely Stori Cymru – Iaith a Gwaith (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch) by Myrddin ap Dafydd, Na, Nel!(Y Lolfa) by Meleri Wyn James, and Darllen gyda Cyw (Y Lolfa) by Anni Llŷn.
The World Book Day £1 books are a gift from booksellers, who fully fund the cost of the £1 book token redemptions. The £1 books are also available in braille, large print & audio via Guide Dogs and RNIB.
World Book Day book tokens are valid from Thursday 18 February – Sunday 28 March 2021 but participating booksellers will honour the tokens beyond the 28 March while stocks last. Please contact your local bookseller to check if they are able to offer £1 off other titles. Read the full terms and conditions here.
While bookshop doors are temporarily closed, they are still open for business online and over the phone offering a click-and-collect or mail delivery service. Details of all independent bookshops in Wales can be found on the Books Council’s website.
Further information
The World Book Day campaign in Wales is coordinated by the Books Council of Wales and supported by the Welsh Government and Waterstones.
Every year, with a host of publishers and booksellers, World Book Day curates a list of bespoke £1 books for children and young people across the UK and Ireland.
World Book Day’s mission is to encourage children and young people to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own.
Copyright permissions on re-using published material in schools and colleges have been temporarily increased during lockdown, following efforts by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), the Books Council of Wales and the publishing industry.
The CLA announced on 9 February 2021 that, following consultation with their members, there will be a temporary increase in the copying limit in the Education Licence from the current 5% to 20% until 31 March 2021.
And the Books Council of Wales has made special arrangements with some of the country’s main publishers to make it easier for teachers to use their material during the Covid-19 pandemic.
CLA Education Licence
The temporary changes to the terms of the Licence mean that teachers can copy up to 20% of a print book, owned by the school, including scanned book content held on the school VLE.
The move, which applies to schools, sixth form and further education colleges in the UK, will give teachers and students more flexibility to access resources to support remote learning while schools are closed.
Education Platform users will also be able to copy up to 20% of a digital book available on the CLA’s Platform during this period.
Licensed schools should read the full conditions on the CLA website. The CLA has also published guidelines for teachers explaining their copying rights under the standard terms of the Education Licence.
All Local Education Authorities in Wales are currently registered with the CLA which means that the terms of the Licence are applicable to all their schools.
Publishers’ Permissions in Wales
The Books Council of Wales has also agreed special temporary permissions with a number of publishers in Wales for re-using published material in schools during the pandemic.
The aim is to make it easier for teachers to use content from books to support remote learning, including for example their ability to record and share book readings with pupils.
The terms and conditions of use vary from publisher to publisher, and full details of the temporary permissions agreed in Wales are available on the Books Council’s website.
Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion at the Books Council of Wales, said: “This is a challenging time for everyone, and schools in particular who continue to offer a quality education at a time when most pupils are learning from home. In today’s exceptional circumstances, we welcome the CLA’s announcement that copyright permissions are being increased to support educators through the latest lockdown. We are also very grateful to the publishers in Wales for their ready cooperation and support for children’s education, during what is also a difficult time for them as commercial enterprises.”
A brand-new digital platform to showcase e-books from Wales has been launched by the Books Council of Wales.
ffolio.wales will be the first-ever bilingual platform to focus on selling e-books from Wales to the wider world.
The not-for-profit site launches with more than 800 fiction and non-fiction titles for children and adults, as well as educational books for children in both Welsh and English.
More than 500 of the Welsh-language books on the website are available as e-books for the first time ever, and this figure will continue to increase.
Independent bookshops in Wales will benefit from every purchase, with a percentage of each sale going directly to help support these small businesses which are so important to our high street and our communities.
Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, Helgard Krause, said: “In launching ffolio, we are providing a not-for-profit digital platform with a unique offering – a platform hosted in Wales, where almost every single e-book stems from a Wales-based publisher. The service will help keep jobs in the publishing industry in Wales, as well as support independent bookshops which make such an important contribution to our communities and which will receive a commission on every sale.
“As a national charity dedicated to supporting publishing and promoting reading, we have a duty to ensure that readers of all ages and interests can choose books from Wales in a range of formats. ffolio affirms and widens that choice, and we are grateful to Welsh Government for funding this significant development.”
The development of ffolio is part of a two-year investment programme awarded in March 2020 by the Welsh Government through Creative Wales to enable the Books Council to upgrade its digital systems and introduce a new integrated IT system for the sale, supply and distribution of books.
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “ffolio is an exciting new platform which will showcase the wealth of creative talent, make the work of Welsh authors more accessible and also benefit the publishing sector and our Welsh bookshops. It’s very important that people have access to books in the format of their choice – especially in the current circumstances.”
The website includes a wide selection of e-books suitable for young children which will support their reading for pleasure and help develop literacy skills.
Thanks to the co-operation of publishers in Wales, more e-books will also be available to schools through the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and can be used to support lessons.
For further information or queries, please email the Books Council at ffolio@books.wales.
Independent booksellers across Wales continue to take orders online, over the phone or click-and-collect.
If you just want to curl up with a good book, our booksellers have got a fabulous selection of titles to choose from. They also offer a unique personal service and great advice on what to buy.
We’ve listed below the contact details for independent bookshops across Wales or you can click on our interactive map to find your local bookshop:
Griffin Books, Penarth – www.griffinbooksonline.co.uk / info@griffinbooks.co.uk / 02020 706455 / Facebook: Griffin Books / Instagram @griffinbooksUK / Twitter @griffinbooksUK Click and collect available for prepaid orders from 9.00am-5.00pm, Monday to Saturday and also postal orders fulfilled as normal. You can order in advance via their online shop, email or phone – they cannot make new sales at the door.
Rydym yn defnyddio cwcis ar ein gwefan i roi'r profiad mwyaf perthnasol drwy gofio eich dewisiadau a'ch ymweliadau. Drwy glicio "Derbyn Oll", rydych yn cytuno i'r defnydd o holl gwcis. Fodd bynnag, gallwch weld "Gosodiadau Cwcis" i roi dewis fwy reoledig.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Mae'r wefan yma y ndefnyddio cwcis yn gwella eich profiad wrth lywio'r wefan. O'r rhain, mae'r rhai a ddynodir yn "angenrheidiol" yn cael eu storio yn eich porwr gwe gan eu bod yn hanfodol i'r ffordd mae'r wefan yn gweithio. Rydym hefyd yn defnyddio cwcis eraill i ddadansoddi sut mae ein ymwelwyr yn defnyddio ein gwefan. Caiff y cwcis yma eu storio yn eich porwr gwe gyda'ch bendith chi. Mae gennych yr opsiwn i wrthod y cwcis yma, ond gall eu gwrthod effeithio eich profiad o ddefnyddio'r wefan.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
