Mick Felton

The Books Council of Wales is saddened to hear of the passing of Mick Felton.

As Seren’s publisher, Mick played a pivotal role in Welsh publishing for four decades. The industry and the writers of Wales owe him an enormous debt of gratitude.

The Books Council appreciates the colossal amount of quiet, behind-the-scenes work of publishers in general, and by Mick in particular, to ensure that Welsh publishing and Welsh writers continue to thrive. This is very often a labour of love and Mick gave his all to his calling.

The retirement he deserved was cut cruelly short and our thoughts are with his colleagues at Seren and those closest to him.

18 November 2024

Islwyn Ffowc Elis (1924–2004): A few reminiscences by Robin Chapman

In mid-summer 1996, having been commissioned to write a small volume on Islwyn for the Writers of Wales series, I wrote to him to say I would be visiting the Lampeter area, where he lived, within a few weeks, and that I would appreciate an opportunity to meet him. In response, I received a bulky package: a letter rebuking me for calling him ‘Dr Elis’ (‘I’m Islwyn to my friends’) and inviting me to visit his home for coffee, or lunch, or afternoon tea. He had enclosed a detailed map in his own hand, suggestions of places to stay, and several pages of a CV and bibliography – all typed specifically for me. In the event we spent the morning at his home, and part of the afternoon at a nearby hotel (with Islwyn insisting on buying the drinks), before I took my leave of him laden with a pile of papers, pamphlets, and newspaper cuttings – and an invitation to call again.

And as the short English critique – and the substantially more extensive Welsh biography I wrote in its wake – came together (the second was published in 2003, a few months after his death), the contact and packages continued apace: comments on draft chapters, snippets of recollections, sources and names that could prove useful – and one quite lengthy essay, ‘Pam y blynyddoedd mud? Ymgais i esbonio’, in which he attempted to explain why his talent had blossomed so impressively in the 1950s and ended so abruptly by the mid-1960s.

In fact, there was hardly any need for the essay. Part of the explanation was evident in every package I received: his unstinting benevolence. I was not the only one to bear witness to it.

Islwyn’s main principle in life was to please. Satisfying his parents’ expectations was his motive in entering the ministry. He wrote Cysgod y Cryman (1953) to promote popular literature in the Welsh language, and even after he had ventured to become a full-time author, he spent months writing Wythnos yng Nghymru Fydd (1957) as a gift to Plaid Cymru, yielding to Gwynfor Evans the right to decide whether the plot and its contents were acceptable. It was the same desire to be helpful that prompted him, despite himself, to stand as parliamentary candidate in Montgomeryshire in 1962, and to do the same thing again in 1964, although by then he lived far away from the constituency. In between both campaigns, under pressure from his wife’s family, he was persuaded to apply for a permanent position as lecturer at Trinity College, Carmarthen – and found himself on call when Gwynfor launched his historic by-election campaign two years later. Between the pressure he put on himself to serve the popular reading needs of the Welsh nation, his feeling of guilt in turning his back on the calling that others wished for him, his feeling of duty towards his party, and a teaching post he had no desire to hold, from then on there was no escape. And time and time again throughout his career, he found it impossible to say ‘No’. A sketch for a drama company? A pleasure. Adjudicating at an Eisteddfod? No problem. Reading a collection of short stories written by a young, unpublished writer? More than happy to oblige.

I won’t forget my visit to Lampeter, the generosity and the conversation – and Islwyn’s word of advice to me as I left, heavily laden: ‘Please don’t go to any trouble on my behalf. Don’t work too hard.’

WALES CHILDREN’S & YOUNG PEOPLE’S BOOK COVER OF THE YEAR AWARDS 2024

The Books Council of Wales has announced the shortlisted titles in its brand-new Children’s Book Cover of the Year Awards, which will be awarded for the first time in 2024.

The awards have two categories – Welsh-language Book Cover and English-language Book Cover. The shortlisted books have been selected by the nine members of the Books Council of Wales’ Young People’s Panel, and the two category winners will be chosen by a public vote to be held online from 12-25 November. Voting will close at midday, 25 November 2024.

The shortlisted books are:

English-language Book Cover:

Ceri & Deri: 1,2,3 Cover illustration by Max Low. Cover design by Joana Rodrigues, Graffeg. Author Max Low. Published by Graffeg.

Lilly & Myles: The Torch Cover illustration by Hannah Rounding. Cover design by Joana Rodrigues, Graffeg. Author Jon Roberts. Published by Graffeg.

Tapper Watson and the Quest for the Nemo Machine Cover illustration by Becka Moor. Author Claire Fayers. Published by Firefly.

The Song that Sings Us Cover artwork by Jane Matthews. Author Nicola Davies. Published by Firefly.

Welsh-language Book Cover:

Ac Rwy’n Clywed Dreigiau / And I Hear Dragons Cover illustration by Eric Heyman. Cover design by Becka Moor. Editor: Hanan Issa. Published by Firefly.

Diwrnod Prysur Cover illustration and design by Huw Aaron. Author Huw Aaron. Published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch.

Mwy o Straeon o’r Mabinogi Cover illustration by Valériane Leblond. Cover design by Gwasg Rily Publications. Author: Siân Lewis. Published by Gwasg Rily Publications.

Mynd i Weld Nain Cover illustration by Lily Mŷrennin. Cover design by Richard Pritchard. Author Delyth Jenkins. Published by Y Lolfa.

The awards have been established to celebrate and recognise the contribution of illustrators and designers in bringing stories to life, and creating eye-catching, attractive books that appeal to young readers.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are so excited to launch our very first Book Cover of the Year Awards this year to honour and recognise the outstanding quality of book design for children’s and young people’s books in Wales.

“These awards celebrate the talented designers and illustrators who create book covers that grab attention, convey just enough of the story, and have the perfect balance of title, author and imagery – and ultimately inspire young readers to pick up their next book. We can’t wait to see which books will be chosen as the winners in the public vote over the coming weeks and wish everyone shortlisted the very best of luck.”

The designer/illustrator of the winning cover in each category will win or share a cash prize of £500. The winners will be decided by an online public vote for each category, between 12-25 November. Voting will close at midday, 25 November 2024. You can vote once in each category at the following link:

Vote here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ClawrLlyfrPlantYFlwyddyn

The winners will be announced on Thursday 28 November 2024.

Wales at Frankfurt Book Fair: Showcasing Wales at the world’s largest content fair

Wales will have a presence at Frankfurt Book Fair this October for the second year in a row, thanks to funding from Welsh Government via Creative Wales. The Books Council of Wales is coordinating Wales’ presence at the fair to promote the very best books and authors from Wales on an international stage.

Frankfurt Book Fair takes place each year in October and is the largest content fair in the world, with representation from countries from across the globe travelling to Germany to showcase the very best of their books and literature across all genres.

This key cultural event attracted 4,000 exhibitors from 95 countries in 2023, as well as over 100,000 trade visitors from 130 countries.[1] By attending, Wales-based publishers can meet representatives from other creative industries, such as film and games, as well as other publishers, to discuss collaborations, rights and licensing, and build relationships

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are delighted to be coordinating Wales in Frankfurt this year and to attend alongside our publishing colleagues to celebrate literature from Wales and present it to the world.

“The bilingual publishing sector in Wales forms part of the foundational economy which is a Welsh Government priority sector within the Creative Industries. Thanks to Welsh Government, publishers from Wales have this opportunity to make new business contacts from across Europe and the world, to exchange ideas and open up new markets for books and content from Wales in both languages.”

Richard Davies from publisher Parthian Books said: “The bookfair in Frankfurt is the shop window of the world of books. It is a great opportunity for Parthian to be part of the Wales stand and introduce exciting emerging writers, like Joshua Jones and Lloyd Markham, to an international audience.”

The Minister for the Creative Industries, Jack Sargeant, said: “We are committed to supporting Welsh publishers and authors and it’s good news that they will be represented once again this year at Frankfurt. I wish every success to the Welsh delegation as they seek to ensure more words and stories from Wales are heard and read all over the world.”

Frankfurt Book Fair is open from 16–20 October 2024. You can find out more about the fair here: Frankfurter Buchmesse | Home

[1] Get to know Frankfurter Buchmesse

Bethan Gwanas receives highest Welsh accolade in the field of Children’s Books:
Announcing the recipient of the 2024 Mary Vaughan Jones Award

The 2024 Mary Vaughan Jones Award, the highest honour in the field of children’s books in Wales, is awarded to Bethan Gwanas, in celebration of her exceptional contribution to children’s and young people’s literature.

The award is presented every three years by the Books Council of Wales in memory of Mary Vaughan Jones, who died in 1983. It is awarded to a person who has made a special contribution to the field of children’s literature in Wales.

Over her career as an author, Bethan Gwanas has published 51 books for children, young people and adults – for both fluent Welsh speakers and learners. She has made a wide and valuable contribution to children’s and young people’s literature, and her stories often feature strong and determined female characters, such as Efa in the series Y Melanai.

She has won the Tir na n-Og Award twice – with Llinyn Trôns in 2001 and Sgôr in 2003. Many of her books for children and young people are now considered classics such as Llinyn Trôns, Ceri Grafu, Gwylliaid, Pen Dafad and the Cadi series for younger readers.

Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “Bethan Gwanas’ contribution to children’s and young people’s literature in Wales is exceptional, and it’s a pleasure to present her with the 2024 Mary Vaughan Jones Award in recognition of her many achievements in this field. In addition to writing amazing stories, Bethan is passionate about promoting reading and Welsh-language books, and she works tirelessly with schools and libraries, and online, to inspire children and young people to read. Many congratulations, Bethan, on this well-deserved award.”

Bethan Gwanas said: “I had such a shock. I was in a meeting when all of a sudden, the Books Council boss walked in: “Bethan, you thought you were here for a meeting, but…” It felt like a cross between This Is Your Life and Y Brodyr Bach. My first thought was, “Are you mad?” but then I realised: “No, I deserve this!” Some people get a clock after a lifetime of service. I get the Mary Vaughan Jones Award! And yes, I’m over the moon and thank you from the bottom of my heart for this honour. It means the world to me.”

Bethan Gwanas was raised in Brithdir near Dolgellau. After graduating in French from the University of Aberystwyth she worked in a number of jobs, including with VSO in Nigeria, sourcing extras for S4C TV programme Rownd a Rownd, leading activities such as canoeing and climbing at the Glan-llyn outdoor activity centre, and presenting Welsh-language TV shows on gardening and travelling.

A special event will be held in November to celebrate Bethan’s achievement and present her with the award in the company of family and friends from the book world and beyond.

INSPIRING YOUNG READERS IN THE CLASSROOM

Teachers across Wales have a new resource to help them inspire a love of reading with young learners.

Today, 1 October, the Books Council of Wales has launched a Celebrate Reading Pack for primary and secondary schools, full of ideas, activities and special resources to enjoy reading in the classroom.

The pack was created following feedback received from teachers in Wales asking for resources that would help them to celebrate reading all year round, in addition to the popular reading celebrations such as World Book Day in March, and UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day in April.

Ruth James, a teacher from Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr said: “There were a whole host of brand new ideas that would engage pupils to read. Having a resource like this is so valuable. We will definitely be using a number of the activities this year and encouraging the rest of the staff to use them too. I can’t stress enough the importance of creating a reading culture in class.”

Bethan Jones, Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion said: “We’re so pleased to offer this pack to teachers across Wales to help them instil a love of reading, and to enjoy books with learners in the classroom.

“From the review we held in 2023, we received a clear message from teachers that they would welcome resources to help them create more opportunities to celebrate reading in class throughout the year.

“The pack focusses on a range of books from Wales, and includes activities, discussion guides, author recordings, and links to subjects across the Curriculum for Wales, together with ideas that can also be adapted for studying other books.

“The pack is also full of great ideas to celebrate books in schools inside and outside the classroom – from reading events, book swaps, displays and assemblies – to put reading and a love of books at the heart of school life.

“We really hope that it will answer the call from teachers for resources to help them in the classroom, and make reading for pleasure a part of the day-to-day life of the school.”

The Celebrate Reading Pack is available for schools to download from the Books Council of Wales website: Celebrate Reading Pack | Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru

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.

This year, nine young writers have been able to take a step closer to realising their ambitions to become published authors, thanks to a generous bequest from Marie Evans, who wished to support young people to develop their writing skills.

Thanks to Marie’s family, the Books Council of Wales was able to organise a writing retreat, to give young authors the chance to spend two days in the company of author Sioned Erin. They were able to take time to discuss writing, share ideas and take part in individual discussions with Erin to receive her feedback on their own work. The group also spent time with the Books Council’s Head of Publishing Development, to gain an insight into how publishing works and the path to becoming a published writer.

Caryl, who took part in the sessions, said “it has meant the opportunity to step out of the busyness of everyday life and take time for what is so important to me. It has inspired me to write again.”

Megan said that the retreat has meant that the group could “inspire each other, celebrate our creativity and our differences and take advice on the most difficult aspects of creative writing.”

Sioned Erin won the Prose Medal at the National Eisteddfod, Ceredigion in 2022 with her volume of short stories, Rhyngom. She led the retreat, sharing her own experiences from starting out as a writer to becoming an award-winning published author.

She said: “These are the first workshops I have held as a creative facilitator. There are some negative voices in your head at the beginning, and you often question whether you are good enough and experienced enough to hold these kinds of workshops. But really, there was no need for me to worry for a second. The group, and Bethan from the Books Council, were so lovely, so supportive and exceptionally hardworking, and the feedback has been so heartening and such a boost. These workshops are extremely valuable to those who attend them, but I’m keen to stress how valuable they are to the people who run them, too. Thank you so much for the opportunity.”

Bethan Jones, Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion at the Books Council of Wales said: “We would like to say thank you so much to Marie’s family for enabling us to hold this writing retreat in her memory. Marie worked for the Books Council for over 30 years and her wish was to support young people to develop their writing skills. Her gift has given nine young people the opportunity to work with an established author, and to share their experiences, inspiration and ideas with other young writers.”

The writers were selected following an open call-out held in 2023 which invited young writers aged 18–25 to apply with a sample of their work, and nine were invited to take part. The first retreat session was held in January 2024, and the second day was held in June. We wish the group all the best and hope that they will keep in touch as they continue on their writing journeys.

Young readers from Ysgol Twm o’r Nant in Denbigh have been getting ready to tackle this year’s Summer Reading Challenge with author Leisa Mererid at a launch event at Denbigh Library this afternoon, Wednesday 10 July 2024.

The children have signed up for the Challenge, created by national charity The Reading Agency, which aims to keep kids reading over the summer holidays with events, activities and brilliant books – all available to access for free from local libraries.

This year’s Summer Reading Challenge, Marvellous Makers, celebrates creativity – from dance to drawing, junk modelling to music – there’s something for everyone.

And author Leisa Mererid got the class from Ysgol Twm o’r Nant off to a great start, by introducing her book Y Wariar Bach, with some yoga moves and breathing exercises.

Meira Jones, from Denbigh Library, said: “We are so excited to have the national launch of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge at Denbigh Library, Denbighshire. The Challenge encourages the children to read for pleasure throughout the summer, improving their reading skills and confidence. It’s all about imagination and creativity this year so there is something for everyone, come to your local library and join in the Marvellous Makers fun!”

Dafydd Davies, Headteacher at Ysgol Twm o’r Nant said: “Ysgol Twm o’r Nant is very pleased to be part of this launch at Denbigh Library. As a school we are very active in promoting reading for pleasure and are sure that being part of this launch will encourage our young learners to continue to read over the summer holidays.”

The annual Summer Reading Challenge is delivered by The Reading Agency. It is supported in Wales by the Books Council of Wales, thanks to funding from Welsh Government. In partnership with local libraries, the scheme aims to prevent the “summer dip” learning loss many children experience over the holidays when they aren’t in school. With libraries’ support, it provides a free, fun way to keep young minds active.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, said: “I know what a great pleasure it is to be truly absorbed in a book. The Summer Reading Challenge is a really fantastic way for children to develop reading skills, discover new authors and gain a lifelong passion for books.

“That’s why we are funding the scheme again this year to make sure all children have the opportunity to continue their reading during the summer holidays.”  

Young readers aged 4–11 can sign up for the Challenge at their local library, or online, and unlock rewards, discover new reads, log their reading and enjoy a range of free activities. Find out more at your local library or at summerreadingchallenge.org.uk