Mar 24, 2020
Following the introduction of more stringent measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, the Books Council’s offices at Castell Brychan and our Distribution Centre in Aberystwyth are now closed at least until mid April.
Following the introduction of more stringent measures to try to slow the spread of coronavirus, the Books Council’s offices at Castell Brychan and our Distribution Centre in Aberystwyth are now closed at least until mid April.
A number of our staff are working from home as we continue to do all that we can to support the publishing industry in exceptional circumstances and ensure we come through these difficult times.
We are therefore able to continue to offer the following services:
• Strategic and operational leadership, which includes assessing the current needs of the wider books sector with Welsh Government.
• Financial advice and planning (mererid.boswell@books.wales)
• Processing of regular payments to the industry including publishing grants, support for editorial staff, support for writers and other freelance workers (arwel.jones@books.wales)
• Book editing services (huw.meirionedwards@books.wales)
• Design services (sion.ilar@books.wales)
• Promotion of books and reading for pleasure on digital and other platforms (mari.sion@books.wales).
You can contact staff in the above posts either through their work email addresses or via post@books.wales. Booksellers should contact their usual sales representatives.
Distribution Centre
The temporary closure of the Distribution Centre is of course a blow to our operations as an institution and for the sector in Wales and beyond. However, the health and wellbeing of our communities is a priority at the moment, and we need to pull together to support the efforts to halt the spread of the virus.
Our Distribution Centre will not be able to accept or deliver stock during this period so we are asking our publishers to postpone sending books, magazines and other resources until we re-open.
The Centre’s management team are available to answer any questions our customers may have and the best email address for queries is post@books.wales.
Tir na n-Og Awards
We will be pressing ahead with our plans to publish the shortlists for the 2020 Tir na n-Og children’s literature awards by issuing a news release on our website and through the media this Friday 27 March. Our intention is to announce the names of the winners in May but we have not yet set new dates, following the cancellation of the CILIP Cymru Annual conference and the Urdd National Eisteddfod where the ceremonies were due to be held.
Our industry, like others across the country, is facing truly unprecedented challenges and it is impossible to predict the scale and scope of the impact at this time. However, our central role and contribution to the culture, education and Welsh-language remain undiminished. For now, our focus must be on protecting our people and supporting our communities.
Keep safe. Be kind. And stay home to save lives.
HELGARD KRAUSE
Chief Executive
Mar 18, 2020
The Books Council of Wales is monitoring developments closely and implementing a series of special measures in response to the latest situation and guidelines.
The Books Council of Wales is monitoring developments closely and implementing a series of special measures in response to the latest situation and guidelines.
The aim is to take appropriate steps to ensure our core mission of supporting the publishing industry continues, while doing all that is practically possible to help reduce the potential spread of the virus and safeguard our staff and stakeholders.
• Our Distribution Centre for books and resources in Glanyrafon, Aberystwyth, is still operating but is closed to external visitors, with the exception of pre-arranged essential collections and deliveries to a designated area. If you need to make any such arrangement, please contact the Centre on 01970 624455 or distribution.centre@books.wales.
• From Wednesday 18 March 2020, the majority of staff based in our main offices at Castell Brychan in Aberystwyth are working from home. They continue to provide our usual services such as book editing, design and grant administration, and their work contact details remain the same (both telephone and email).
• Castell Brychan is closed to visitors during this period. Staff will not be travelling to face-to-face meetings with external contacts and will use video or phone systems for such meetings. Our contact details for general enquiries are 01970 624151 or castellbrychan@books.wales.
• We have cancelled or postponed all public events until the end of May, including book launches and school visits. We will re-assess the situation in the light of circumstances at the time but in the meantime, we are planning and discussing alternative arrangements for the promotion of books and reading.
• We are in regular contact with publishers, booksellers, distributors and others to ensure that we fully understand the challenges they face and work with them to offer advice and practical support. We encourage the industry in Wales to get in touch with us to discuss any business concerns they may have.
• For those who are self-isolating and looking for reading material, we have a series of reading lists on our gwales.com website. These curated lists include publications suitable for all ages and interests, as well as our latest best sellers, new titles, books of the month, reviews and more.
We know this is an extremely challenging period for everyone and that the situation is likely to continue for some time to come.
Our mission as the Books Council of Wales remains unchanged, and we will do all that we can to support the publishing industry and our community during these worrying, uncertain days.
HELGARD KRAUSE
Chief Executive, Books Council of Wales
Mar 5, 2020
Welsh Government has announced additional capital funding for the Books Council of Wales to invest in information technology systems which will support the growth of the publishing industry in Wales.
Welsh Government has announced additional capital funding for the Books Council of Wales to invest in information technology systems which will support the growth of the publishing industry in Wales.
The additional £750,000 has been secured from the 2020-21 budget and will allow the Books Council of Wales to introduce a new integrated IT system to manage the sale, supply and distribution of books, which will also support the work of Wales’ publishers.
In a further boost to the publishing industry, the Books Council of Wales will receive additional capital funding of £145,000 during the current financial year. Publishing has been identified as a sector for growth following the launch of Creative Wales in January. A healthy publishing industry is an essential part of Wales’ cultural identity and Creative Wales’ support of the Books Council of Wales, will help support essential services for the publishing industry in both the Welsh and the English languages.
Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Lord Elis-Thomas, said: “On World Book Day when we celebrate stories and the love of reading, I’m delighted that we are able to support the Books Council of Wales to invest in this vital sector of the Welsh economy. This will be a significant boost to the Books Council of Wales but also the whole publishing industry in Wales. Supporting a successful, bilingual publishing industry in Wales not only makes a contribution to our wider economic growth strategy for the creative industries in Wales, it also supports numerous micro business initiatives mainly based in rural Wales that contribute to their local economies.”
The Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales, Helgard Krause said: “We are very grateful to the Welsh Government for supporting our exciting plans to upgrade our IT systems, ensuring we continue to compete with the publishing industry across the UK and beyond. Our distribution centre provides an excellent service to publishers and booksellers and will be able to offer an even better service following this system upgrade. By investing now in a series of transformational improvements, we will help publishing and bookselling businesses to grow thereby supporting the growth of Wales’ foundational economy and the creative industries, as well as promoting reading.”
Feb 25, 2020
Book lovers across Wales will join together to celebrate World Book Day, which takes place this year on 5 March 2020.
Book lovers across Wales will join together to celebrate World Book Day, which takes place this year on 5 March 2020.
The Books Council of Wales is inviting schools, bookshops, colleges, libraries, businesses and households to join the largest annual celebration of books and reading in the United Kingdom and Ireland, by taking part in activities and events across Wales and by simply sharing in the pleasure of reading.
To mark World Book Day 2020, the Books Council of Wales has announced the publication of two special edition books for children in Welsh, available to buy for just £1, or children can redeem their £1 World Book Day book token in exchange for one of the books. These titles will also be available in accessible braille, large print and audio versions, thanks to the support of the RNIB.
Darllen gyda Cyw, written by Anni Llŷn and published by Y Lolfa, follows the tales of popular S4C favourites Cyw and her friends and is aimed at younger Welsh readers, and families learning Welsh with young children.
Stori Cymru – Iaith a Gwaith, written by the Archdruid of Wales Myrddin ap Dafydd and published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, tells the history of Wales and the work of its people through story, image and song.
Storytelling and sharing stories is also an important theme for World Book Day in 2020 with a UK-wide campaign to launch a ‘reading revolution’ by sharing a million stories. Anyone can participate in the campaign: families, schools, bookshops and libraries, nurseries, etc. Once registered at worldbookday.com/share-a-million-stories participants are able to find out everything they need to know, including guidelines, FAQs, story-sharing tips and information on what counts as a story share.
As part of the celebrations, the Books Council of Wales has launched a special Top Trumps-style game for children across Wales, featuring characters from Welsh books old and new. The battle cards, which feature some Welsh favourites such as Sam Tân and Siôn Blewyn Coch, will bring a smile of nostalgia to the faces of parents too.
The Council will also mark World Book Day with two special events for children at Theatr Felinfach in Ceredigion on 4 March and the Riverfront Theatre in Newport on 5 March.
School children from across the region will be invited to attend Theatr Felinfach to share a story with Welsh authors and illustrators, including Myrddin ap Dafydd, Casia Wiliam, Aneirin Karadog, Huw Aaron and Elidir Jones.
On World Book Day itself, children will attend the Riverfront Theatre for a further story-sharing event with BBC Wales presenter and children’s author Lucy Owen, storyteller and author Atinuke, Mark Llewelyn Evans, author of ABC of Opera, and Rhondda writer and illustrator Siôn Tomos Owen.
And at a special event 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.
www.cllc.org.uk/newyddion-news/news-detail?diablo.lang=eng&id=13336
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.
As well as distributing the tokens to nurseries and schools, from Wednesday 5 February to Tuesday 17 March, the £1 World Book Day token will also feature on every single McDonald’s Happy Meal™ box across the UK and Ireland. Children and families can swap it for one of a wide range of World Book Day free books, including the Welsh-language books, or get £1 off a book or audiobook costing £2.99 or more, at their local participating bookshop or supermarket between 27 February and 29 March.
Feb 23, 2020
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