How can books benefit our mental health? That’s the topic for debate at this year’s annual World Book Day event organised by the Books Council of Wales.
At Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Thursday 5 March 2020, a panel of six experts will discuss the benefits of ‘bibliotherapy’ where self-help books are used to support mental health and wellbeing.
A wide range of books is available as part of the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme, which provides helpful reading to support health and wellbeing on a variety of topics including mental health and dementia.
The scheme is delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with public libraries across Wales and England, with the Books Council of Wales ensuring that a selection of the books is available in the Welsh language as well as in English.
The Reading Well Books on Prescription for mental health scheme provides useful information and support for managing common mental health conditions or dealing with difficult feelings and experiences.
Some of the books also include personal stories from people who live with or care for someone with mental health needs.
Book reviewer and editor Bethan Mair will chair the discussion panel for World Book Day. “Books are my world,” said Bethan “but my life has also been blighted by periods of depression and anxiety. It isn’t always easy to talk about these things, even more so when you’re used to wearing a ‘nothing-wrong-here’ mask in public. But knowing you’re not alone, and that other sufferers have come through the experience, can be a huge comfort.
“Self-healing is an important element in all mental health treatments,” she added “yet we must have a helping hand to heal – and a book can always be at hand. The Reading Well Books on Prescription come in all shapes and sizes, for all kinds of situations, and this pioneering provision in Welsh can only be a force for good. I’m looking forward very much to chairing a lively, informative and revealing discussion on an issue which touches so many lives.”
Other panel members include:
• Manon Elin James – a founding member of the meddwl.org website which provides support and information on mental health disorders through the medium of Welsh.
• Bethan Hughes – Principal Librarian at Denbighshire Libraries who leads on the well-being agenda and the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme across Wales.
• Sharon Marie Jones – a children’s author who has written extensively about her grief and mental health following the death of her five-year-old son in a car accident in 2016.
• Dr Harri Pritchard – an experienced GP and a regular contributor to the media on medical issues.
• Angharad Tomos – an award-winning writer who has written about her severe postnatal depression.
Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, Helgard Krause, said: “World Book Day is an opportunity to celebrate the written word and to reflect on how reading can be good for us on so many levels. At a time of increasing debate around mental health problems, we are proud to be working with The Reading Agency and Welsh Government to promote the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme in Wales. All of the self-help books in this scheme have been endorsed by health experts and it is vitally important to ensure that this high-quality material is also available in Welsh.”
Debbie Hicks MBE, Creative Director at The Reading Agency, said: “One in four of us will face a mental health issue at some point in our lives. This World Book Day, we are delighted to be showcasing the proven power of reading to help people understand and manage their mental health and wellbeing. We are proud to work with the Books Council of Wales and public libraries to deliver Reading Well Books on Prescription in Wales, enabling the scheme to reach even more people in Welsh and English.”
The World Book Day event will open with a reception at 6pm at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Thursday 5 March 2020, followed by the discussion at 6.30pm.
All titles in the Reading Well Books on Prescription scheme are available to borrow from public libraries throughout Wales. They can also be recommended by health and social care professionals to support treatment.
Representatives from 12 book publishing companies across Wales attended a special training session at Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth, in February 2020 on international metadata standards for the book sector.
Representatives from 12 book publishing companies across Wales attended a special training session at Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth, in February 2020 on international metadata standards for the book sector.
The event was organised by the Books Council of Wales as part of its annual programme of training for the publishing sector.
The training was provided by EDItEUR, the organisation which specialises in book metadata, identifiers and e-commerce standards – particularly ONIX, the internationally recognised standard for sharing metadata for books, e-books and audiobooks.
Head of Business and Finance at the Books Council of Wales, Mererid Boswell, said: “Technological advances are developing very quickly in the publishing industry as in other areas, and it is vitally important that publishers are familiar with the latest systems. By using ONIX to its full potential, it is possible to ensure that books are discovered easily and efficiently – thereby increasing sales. This is particularly relevant for smaller publishers or titles in minority languages such as Welsh.”
Garmon Gruffudd, Chair of Cwlwm Cyhoeddwyr Cymru which represents Welsh-medium publishers, said: “It’s good to see that the Books Council is investing in training for publishers, particularly in international fields such as ONIX and the importance of metadata in terms of identifying, discovering and selling books.”
The training session also introduced participants to Thema, the new global book subject classification for the trade, and ISNI, the international standard name identifier.
The Books Council of Wales and Literature Wales are proud to announce the names of the successful writers chosen to take part in our debut Welsh-language Writing for Young Adults course, tutored by Bethan Gwanas and Manon Steffan Ros in February 2020.
The Books Council of Wales and Literature Wales are proud to announce the names of the successful writers chosen to take part in our debut Welsh-language Writing for Young Adults course, tutored by Bethan Gwanas and Manon Steffan Ros in February 2020.
This course will offer guidance in the craft of writing for young adults and will hopefully encourage more writers to venture into this area, leading to the creation of brand new, original Welsh-language books in the future. This week will include practical workshops, a study of the field of writing for young adults in Wales and internationally, and readings from visiting writers.
27 strong applications were submitted, and choosing the final participants wasn’t easy for the panel. The group is a mix of emerging writers looking to write for young adults for the first time, and some who already has some experience.
The writers are, Llio Maddocks, Megan Angharad Hunter, Mared Llywelyn, Ceinwen Jones, Helen Llewelyn, Rhys Thomas, Lowri Taylor, Lleucu Non, Morgan Dafydd, Catrin Lliar Jones and Gareth Evans-Jones.
Writers’ Development in Wales is one of the three Activity Pillar in Literature Wales’ work. The course is a part of their main priorities of Developing Emerging Writers, as stated in their Strategic Plan for 2019–2022.
In the same way, filling the gap in provision for young adults and developing the field is one of the Books Council of Wales’ Welsh priorities following a review of the field by Dr Siwan Rosser of Cardiff University. This course, which is held at Tŷ Newydd with the financial backing of the Books Council, is therefore extremely timely.
Please note that staff at the Distribution Centre will be undertaking their annual stocktake from Monday 27th of January until Wednesday the 29th of January, during which time orders will not be processed.
A special invitation to be part of the Tir na n-Og Reader’s Choice Award.
Dear Readers,
We at Books Council of Wales HQ are busy getting ready for next year’s Tir na n-Og Children’s Book Awards and are very excited to be able to offer you the opportunity to be a very important part of the action.
Our judging panel have been super busy over the Christmas holidays reading all the books submitted for consideration.
The shortlisted titles will be announced on 27 March, just before the Easter break, along with a resource for any readers that would like to act as unofficial judges (some call it a Shadowing Scheme). It includes details on all the books and authors that have made it on the shortlist as well as suggestions for activities linked to the books.
The judging panel is made up of individuals that have expertise in the field of children’s literature and, although they are all lovely and clever, they are all adults. This is where you come in. We want to hear what you, the readers, think of them.
This is the plan.
We will send you a set of the shortlisted titles before the Easter break (27 March) so that you have time to either read them together as a group or pass them around to read individually. You then discuss the books and decide which one you think should win the Tir na n-Og Reader’s Choice Award.
Your votes would be added to those of all the other Reader’s Choice Shadowing Groups and the winner announced at the Awards Ceremonies, held at Bangor University on May 13, 2020 ( for the best English-language title with an authentic Welsh background) and at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Denbighshire on May 28 2020 ( for the best original Welsh-language titles in the primary and secondary categories).
As part of the Reader’s Choice Shadowing Scheme you would be invited to this prestigious ceremony and there you will have the opportunity to meet the shortlisted authors in the flesh. We would be thrilled if you were to be part of this year’s Awards.
Please let us know (name of school/group, category that you would like to shadow: English-language, original Welsh primary/original Welsh secondary, number of readers and contact details) by 14 February at the latest so that we can make sure that you receive the books.
WE WILL BE DISTRIBUTING THE FREE SETS ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS – SO BE QUICK! (You can still take part in the shadowing but will have to fund your own books.)
The Friends of the Book Council of Wales our holding a competition to find new ideas for Welsh-language novels for young adults, and are offering a generous prize.
Authors are asked to send the first few chapters of a Welsh-language novel for young adults, together with a synopsis of the remainder of the novel by 20 February 2020.
The competition will be adjudicated by the author Meinir Pierce Jones, the composer and former librarian Robat Arwyn Jones, and Gwawr Maelor, a lecturer in Welsh-language education at Bangor University, in consultation with young readers.
The winner will receive £1000, awarded by the Friends of the Books Council of Wales, with the hope that the winning novel will be published within a year.
The competition is open to all, both new and established authors.
Competition requirements
Write the first few chapters of a Welsh-language novel for young adults, and provide a synopsis of the remainder of the novel.
The adjudicators are Meinir Pierce Jones, Robart Arwyn Jones, Gwawr Maelor. The adjudicators will also consult young readers for their opinion.
Prize
£1,000, with the hope that the winning novel will be published within a year.
The adjudicators will share their feedback with publishers in Wales, in the hope that the best entries will be commissioned.
Closing date for submissions
The first few chapters and the synopsis should be sent under a pseudonym to cyfeillion@llyfrau.cymru by 20 February 2020. Electronic submissions only.
Announcing the winner
The name of the winner will be announced at the 2020 Urdd Eisteddfod at Denbigh, with hope that the winning novel will be published within a year. For further information, contact: cyfeillion@llyfrau.cymru
A Wici-Llên editathon will be held at the Books Council of Wales office, Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth on Friday, 10 January 2020 between 12:00 and 16:00.
Wici-Llen aims to create and enrich information about Welsh Literature on both Wikipedia and Wikidata platforms. The project is a partnership between the National Library of Wales and Menter Iaith Môn, supported by a grant from the Welsh Government.
Jason Evans, National Wikimedian, National Library of Wales, will be present at the editathon to provide guidance and advice on preparing and editing pages.
We warmly welcome you to attend the event. Bring your technical equipment with you.
The Books Council of Wales are launching a new competition with the Urdd for the 2020 Eisteddfod.
The Books Council of Wales are launching a new competition with the Urdd for the 2020 Eisteddfod.
This is a golden opportunity for illustrators aged between 18 and 25 to compete for the chance to see their work in print, alongside a new original story by author Manon Steffan Ros.
Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Books explained “The task is to create a ‘dummy’ book that will including rough sketches for a children’s picture book as well as finished artwork for at least four double-page spreads. Manon’s words will form one part of the story with the illustrations adding another dimension to the narrative.”
She added “We will naturally be looking for a visually creative talent that will appeal to a young audience as well as to the adult who will be sharing the story. We will also be assessing the artistic skill of the applicants to use text with imagery, their interpretation of narrative, storytelling and characterisation.”
Arwel ‘Rocet’ Jones, Head of the Publishing Grants Department at The Books Council said “Many of our most iconic children’s books in Welsh are picture books, from the Sali Mali series to Rala Rwdins, and developing illustrators who can tell original stories for younger readers is as important as developing authors. I truly hope that this competition will help to nurture new talent in this field.”
Text for the story will be supplied by contacting the Urdd or the Books Council. Details of the competition can be found on page 57 of the Competition Schedule on the Urdd’s website. Closing date for entries is March 1 2020.
For further information, contact Helen Jones, Head of the Children’s Books and Reading Promotion Department, Welsh Books Council, Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 2JB 01970 624151 helen.jones@books.wales
Literature Wales announces a New Children & Young People’s Category and Ceremony Location
Literature Wales has today announced the inclusion of a new category to the annual Wales Book of the Year Awards. The introduction of a category for books written for Children and Young People will expand the reach and impact of the award and help raise the profile of Wales and its talented authors.
Supporting Literature Wales’ Strategic Plan for 2019-22, this new category will help to inspire and encourage a new generation of creative readers and writers from Wales. Literature Wales will engage with children and young people to ensure their voices and opinions are heard, as they will have the opportunity to cast a vote in the Children and Young People’s Choice Award.
Lleucu Siencyn, CEO of Literature Wales said “Getting children and young people involved in literature, to identify with the content they read and fall in love with words and stories, can have a lasting positive effect as they grow into adulthood. Through the development of our new Strategic Plan, and sector and partner consultation it became apparent that our stakeholders were eager to see writing for children and young people represented at Wales’ biggest annual literary celebration. We wholeheartedly agree, and this important addition clearly establishes that literature for children is on a par with that which is intended for adult readership.”
The Children and Young People’s category will join the three other longstanding categories – Poetry, Fiction, and Creative Non-Fiction – in both Welsh and English, with one of the four category winners announced as the overall Award Winner at a glittering ceremony next summer. Submissions for the Children and Young People’s category will be intended for readership up to 16 years of age, and fiction, poetry and literary non-fiction are all eligible.
This is the first of a number of announcements for the 2020 award. Further announcements made in 2020 will include information on new partners and sponsors, as well as revealing the judging panels.
Meanwhile, following a successful event at Aberystwyth Arts Centre in 2019, Literature Wales is pleased to confirm that the 2020 Wales Book of the Year Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday 25 of June 2020 and will return to Aberystwyth Arts Centre’s Theatr y Werin for a second year running.
Dafydd Rhys, Director of Aberystwyth Arts Centre said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Wales Book of the Year Awards here at Aberystwyth Arts Centre for the second year running. Aberystwyth is without doubt the ‘spiritual home’ of Welsh literature and we are so looking forward to celebrating Welsh writing at its finest.”
Key Dates for 2020
The Wales Book of the Year Short List will be announced on Tuesday 12 May 2020, and the Award Ceremony will be held on Thursday 25 June 2020. The names of the judging panel will be released during March 2020.
Free event; Book Signings; Author Readings and more…
Friday 01 November 2019 at 7:30pm – Poetry & Music at Monachty Hotel
Saturday 02 November 2019 11am-5pm and Sunday 03 November 10am-4pm – Book Fair at the Memorial Hall
Authors attending Alun Davies; Alys Einion; Chris Armstrong; Colin R Parsons; Daniel Davies; Derek Moore Geraint Evans; Huw Davies; Ifan Morgan Jones; Jackie Biggs; Jacqueline Jeynes; John M Hughes Karen Gemma Brewer; Kathy Miles; Lazarus Carpenter; L E Fitzpatrick; Medi Jones-Jackson Megan Hayes; Meleri Wyn James; Rhiannon Ifans; Sharon Marie Jones; Will Macmillan-Jones Ysgol Gynradd Aberaeron; more to be announced
Children’s Story Telling; Writing Workshops; Author Readings; Book Signing.
Sponsored by Gwisgo Bookworm with more information on Facebook: gwyllyfrauaberaeronbookfestival or on www.gwisgobookworm.co.uk / 01545 238 282
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