Jul 3, 2020
Author Claire Fayers has won the 2020 Tir na n-Og English-language award for her fantasy adventure story, steeped in Norse legend and Welsh mythology.
Storm Hound was one of four books with an authentic Welsh background shortlisted for the prestigious award for children’s and young people’s literature, which is organised annually by the Books Council of Wales.
The announcement of the winning title was made live on the Radio Wales Arts Show on Friday 3 July 2020.
Speaking about her win, Cardiff-based Claire Fayers said: “I am thrilled to have won this year’s Tir na n-Og English-language award. I have been reading books from the Tir na n-Og shortlists for as long as I can remember. They represent the best of Welsh literature for children and young people, so to actually win is an immense honour.”
Storm Hound (Macmillan Children’s Books) tells the story of Storm of Odin, the youngest stormhound of the Wild Hunt that haunts lightning-filled skies. He has longed for the time when he will be able to join his brothers and sisters but on his very first hunt he finds he can’t keep up and falls to earth, landing on the A40 just outside Abergavenny. Enter twelve-year-old Jessica Price, who finds and adopts a cute puppy from an animal rescue centre. In an electrifying adventure, she soon starts to see that there’s something different about her beloved dog.
The Chair of the 2020 Tir na n-Og English-language judging panel, Eleri Twynog Davies, said: “Congratulations to Storm Hound – a magical story, with strong themes of friendship and belonging. The characters were wonderfully developed and presented us with moments of humour and poignancy.
“All four books on the shortlist had their stories set against a Welsh background, where a sense of place contributed to the their overall appeal. This is one of the central criteria for this award, and one which we as judges felt was lacking in many of the other entries. It is so important that the children of Wales can see themselves reflected in Welsh literature, and that children outside Wales have a window on another culture.”
The three other titles shortlisted for the 2020 Tir na n-Og English-language award were The Secret Dragon by Ed Clarke (Puffin), Max Kowalski Didn’t Mean It by Susie Day (Puffin) and Where Magic Hides by Cat Weatherill (Gomer).
Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, said: “Instilling a love of reading in our children and young people is incredibly important. Not only does it help develop their knowledge and literacy skills, it also supports their mental health and well-being. The Tir na n-Og Awards help celebrate great writing for the younger generation and ensure that stories with a distinctive Welsh setting are represented in the best of our country’s literature. Our sincere thanks and congratulations to all involved in this year’s awards, but particularly today to Claire Fayers.”
Amy Staniforth from CILIP Cymru Wales, which sponsors the Tir na n-Og Awards, said: “After such a difficult few months for everyone, CILIP Cymru Wales are just delighted to congratulate Claire Fayers on winning this year’s Tir na n-Og English-language award. We know that librarians all over Wales will be excited to be able to share Storm Hound with their users via their click and collect services.”
Nicola Heywood Thomas, presenter of the Radio Wales Arts Show, said: “New writing for children and young people is so important to fire their imagination and to get them hooked on books. Great stories have an impact that can stay with readers throughout their lives. This award showcases the brilliant range of talent in Wales. Congratulations to all involved.”
Claire Fayers was presented with a cheque for £1,000 and a specially commissioned poem by Children’s Laureate Wales Eloise Williams.
The winners of the Welsh-language categories of the 2020 Tir na n-Og Awards will be announced on S4C’s Heno programme at 6.30pm on Friday, 10 July.
Jun 29, 2020
The Books Council of Wales and Arad Goch theatre company have teamed up to produce readings of the Welsh-language books for children and young people which have been shortlisted for the Tir na n-Og 2020 Awards.
The Books Council of Wales and Arad Goch theatre company have teamed up to produce readings of the Welsh-language books for children and young people which have been shortlisted for the Tir na n-Og 2020 Awards.
As all their theatrical productions have been postponed due to the coronavirus lockdown, Arad Goch actors in Aberystwyth have turned to performing and recording their voices over the internet.
With everyone contributing from their homes and Jeremy Turner directing from a distance, the actors have been reading extracts from the six Welsh-language books to reach this year’s Tir na n-Og shortlist – three from the primary age category and three from the category for secondary schools.
Files of the readings recorded on Zoom are available free of charge from Monday 29 June 2020 on the Books Council’s #lovereading channel on the amam.cymru platform as well as on Hwb, the Welsh Government’s digital learning website.
Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion at the Books Council of Wales, said: “The quality of the Tir na n-Og books has been particularly high once again this year and it’s really important to share this creativity with children and young people. At a time when libraries and schools have been shut, we are extremely grateful to Arad Goch for working with us to create original and unique Welsh-language content that is available digitally and free of charge. We hope that these readings will be a valuable resource for schools and parents now and in the future, and that they will bring pleasure to children and young people across Wales. We would like to thank Arad Goch, the publishers Atebol and y Lolfa, and the authors for their enthusiasm and support.”
Jeremy Turner, Artistic Director of Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch, said: “Arad Goch has a long and successful history of working in partnership and co-production with organisations in Wales and abroad, including with the Books Council on many occasions in the past. We have also created several theatrical productions based on books and their stories. It’s been a pleasure therefore to have the opportunity once again to work with the Books Council during this strange time, to create recordings of the fantastic books which have been nominated for this year’s awards. I enjoyed reading all of them and would like to thank our actors, technicians and editor for their work. Thanks also to the Arts Council for its support during these uncertain times.”
The actors involved include Ffion Wyn Bowen, Lynwen Haf Roberts, Gruffydd Evans and Ioan Gwyn, with Eugene Capper as sound technician and editing by Carwyn Blayney.
The Welsh-language winners of the Tir na n-Og 2020 Awards will be announced on S4C’s Heno programme at 6.30pm on Friday, 10 July, with the winner of the English-language category announced on the Radio Wales Arts Show on Friday, 3 July 2020.
Jun 19, 2020
The Books Council of Wales warmly welcomes the First Minister’s announcement that bookshops are among the businesses which will be allowed to reopen from Monday 22 June 2020.
The Books Council of Wales warmly welcomes the First Minister’s announcement that bookshops are among the businesses which will be allowed to reopen from Monday 22 June 2020.
As always, the well-being of staff and customers must come first and we have been working with booksellers as they prepare to reopen safely in line with Covid-19 guidance. Not all shops may choose to open their doors immediately and others will revise their opening hours to the public. Whilst welcome, today’s announcement is another step on the long journey towards a new normality and our role as a Council is to support our sector throughout.
This is an incredibly challenging time for us all and over the last few months we have seen bookshops across Wales finding imaginative ways, in difficult circumstances, to continue to offer a personalised service to their customers. Many have been organising special online events, as well as selling over the internet or by telephone and sending parcels of books by post or delivering locally.
We would like to thank all booksellers for their commitment and resilience, especially at a time when books and reading are more important than ever. We are also grateful to Creative Wales for facilitating additional Welsh Government emergency funding for the book sector, which has helped to sustain shops as well as publishers during this difficult period.
On the eve of Independent Bookshop Week (20–27 June), this is an opportunity for us all to show our support for bookshops and celebrate their important contribution to our economy and our communities.
Details of all bookshops in Wales are available on gwales.com.
Jun 8, 2020
A series of short and snappy books by authors from Wales will be available for free download this summer.
A series of short and snappy books by authors from Wales will be available for free download this summer.
From tales of amazing dogs to the challenges of extreme running and from a contemporary love story to a legendary lost world, the Books Council of Wales has made the four latest titles in the popular Quick Reads series available as e-books in association with publishers Y Lolfa and Rily.
And for one month only from 8 June – 8 July 2020, they can be downloaded free of charge from the new amam.cymru digital platform.
This year’s writers include extreme adventurer Huw Jack Brassington, author Cynan Llwyd, journalist and lecturer Ifan Morgan Jones, and author and journalist Alison Stokes.
The aim of the Quick Reads/Stori Sydyn scheme is to get Wales reading with a selection of short, gripping books, which are also available in paperback format from bookshops and online booksellers for £1 each as well as through libraries.
Angharad Wyn Sinclair, Reading Promotions Project Manager at the Books Council of Wales, said: “As a result of the Covid-19 restrictions, we wanted to offer the new e-books free for the first time. These titles lend themselves perfectly to these turbulent times. They capture our imagination and transport us to another world, but they’re short enough to be read in a day or to pick up occasionally and enjoy a chapter at a time. What’s also great about Quick Reads is that they’re suitable for a wide range of readers, including those who may be more reluctant to pick up a book.”
Coordinated by the Books Council of Wales, the Quick Reads/Stori Sydyn scheme is supported by the Welsh Government to ensure that accessible, original material of interest to an audience in Wales is available in both English and Welsh.
Minister for Education, Kirsty Williams said “I’m delighted Books Council of Wales are providing these titles digitally and for free in light of the current pandemic. Whether these are used as a means of supporting learning, or just a means of escaping everyday realities, reading can be powerful, particularly in these strange and unsettling times.
“Part of our National Mission is to provide all learners with high level literacy skills, that form the foundations of all learning and are transferable into everyday life and the world of work. Literacy, numeracy and digital competence, will be mandatory cross-curricular skills within Curriculum for Wales 2022.”
Of the four titles being published this year, two are in Welsh and two in English, with one fiction and one non-fiction book in each language.
Herio i’r Eithaf – Huw Jack Brassington (Y Lolfa). Huw Jack Brassington challenges his mind and body to the limit in incredible races all over the world, such as the 47 Peaks, the Pioneer and the Coast to Coast. His story takes us to the world of triathlon, running and cycling, and he learns some hard lessons along the way.
Pobl Fel Ni – Cynan Llwyd (Y Lolfa). The story takes place over a period of 24 hours in Cardiff sometime in the near future, against a backdrop of racist rhetoric and attitudes, right-wing politics and a fragile economic situation. Lovers Nathan and Sadia attend a concert but are separated following an explosion at the event.
Hidden Depths – Ifan Morgan Jones (Rily). Rees has been running away all his life. But when a tale from his childhood turns out to be fact rather than fiction, he is drawn deeper into a hidden world that reveals a troubled truth – not only about his present, but also his past. The choice is clear: hold on or wait and fight.
Dogs for Life – Alison Stokes (Rily). They’re often our best friends and share a special bond with us. But what if your dog was more than just a pet? This book shares the stories of animals with very important jobs to do and shows how some amazing animals are changing the lives of loved ones.
All four titles will be available for free download from the amam.cymru platform from 8 June – 8 July, with paperback copies also available for purchase for £1 from bookshops across Wales, the Books Council’s gwales.com and other websites.
A wide selection of Quick Reads titles can also be borrowed from libraries, either as e-books or as hard copies, when normal services resume.
May 22, 2020
The winners of the prestigious 2020 Tir Na n-Og Awards for children and young people’s literature are to be announced in July 2020.
The winners of the prestigious 2020 Tir Na n-Og Awards for children and young people’s literature are to be announced in July 2020.
The judges’ choice for the best book written in English with an authentic Welsh background will be revealed on the BBC Radio Wales Arts Show programme at 6.30pm on Friday 3 July 2020.
The winning titles in the Welsh-language primary and secondary age categories will be announced on the Heno magazine programme on S4C at 7pm on Friday 10 July 2020.
Organised by the Books Council of Wales, the annual award ceremonies are usually held in May at the Urdd National Eisteddfod and at the CILIP Cymru Wales librarians’ conference, which sponsors the awards.
New arrangements to announce the winners on radio and television have been made in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Helen Jones, Head of Children’s Books and Reading Promotion at the Books Council of Wales, said: “We are delighted that the BBC Radio Wales Arts Show and S4C’s Heno programmes have stepped in to the breach to offer a high-profile platform to honour the winners of the 2020 Tir na n-Og Awards. These annual awards highlight the incredibly high standard of writing for children and young people in Wales and beyond.”
The shortlist for the 2020 Tir na n-Og Awards was revealed in March, with two Welsh-language categories, and a further award for the best book written in English with an authentic Welsh background.
Welsh-language Shortlist (Primary)
Y Ddinas Uchel – Huw Aaron (Atebol)
Genod Gwych a Merched Medrus – Medi Jones-Jackson (Y Lolfa)
Pobol Drws Nesaf – Manon Steffan Ros and Jac Jones (Y Lolfa)
Welsh-language Shortlist (Secondary)
Byw yn fy Nghroen – Ed. Sioned Erin Hughes (Y Lolfa)
Tom – Cynan Llwyd (Y Lolfa)
Madi – Dewi Wyn Williams (Atebol)
English-language Shortlist
Max Kowalski Didn’t Mean It – Susie Day (Puffin)
Storm Hound – Claire Fayers (Macmillan Children’s Books)
The Secret Dragon – Ed Clarke (Puffin)
Where Magic Hides – Cat Weatherill (Gomer)
All the titles on the Tir na n-Og shortlists can be bought through local bookshops currently offering postal deliveries, through the Books Council’s gwales.com website and other online booksellers.
More information about the Tir na n-Og Awards 2020 Shortlists
The winners will each receive a cash prize of £1,000 and a specially commissioned and illustrated poem celebrating their achievement.
Children’s Laureate Wales Eloise Williams will compose the English-language poem, with the Welsh-language poem written by Bardd Plant Cymru Gruffudd Owen.
