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.