Wales Book of the Year

The Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors. Established in 1992, the awards are currently administered by Literature Wales, and supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government and the Welsh Books Council.

Wales Book of the Year
Awarded for	Best Welsh and English language works by Welsh or Welsh interest authors
Location	Cardiff, Wales
Country	Wales
Presented by	Literature Wales
First awarded	1992
Website	literaturewales.org/our-projects/wales-book-year

Competition format

The longlist of ten works in each language is published in April and the shortlist of three works in each language at the Hay Festival in May. The winners are announced in June or July. Since 2006, the winners have each received £10,000. From 2007, four runners-up (two in each language) also each receive £1000. In 2009, Media Wales sponsored a voted "People's Choice" award for the English-language works.^[1]

The format was again changed in 2012, expanding the entries to three categories, fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry; with English and Welsh language winners in each field.^[2] In 2019, a sub-category for books for children and young people was added, to be awarded from the 2020 award onwards.^[3] An overall winner in each language is still chosen.

Regarding eligibility, the competition specifically excludes self-published authors.^[4] The Welsh national book award therefore differs from Ireland's national book award, since the latter does not preclude self-published titles from being nominated.^[5]

Winners

English language

Year	Author	Title	Genre	Publisher	Reference
2024	Tom Bullough	Sarn Helen: A Journey Through Wales, Past, Present and Future	Non-fiction	Granta	[6]
2023	Caryl Lewis	Drift	Fiction	Doubleday	[7]
2022	Nadifa Mohamed	The Fortune Men	Fiction	Viking, Penguin Random House	[8]
2021	Catrin Kean	Salt	Fiction	Gomer	[9]
2020	Niall Griffiths	Broken Ghost	Fiction	Jonathan Cape	[10]
2019	Ailbhe Darcy	Insistence	Poetry	Bloodaxe Books	[11]
2018	Robert Minhinnick	Diary of the Last Man	Poetry	Carcanet	[12]
2017	Alys Conran	Pigeon	Fiction	Parthian	[13]
2016	Thomas Morris	We Don't Know What We're Doing	Fiction	Faber and Faber	[14]
2015	Patrick McGuinness	Other People's Countries	Non-fiction	Jonathan Cape	[15]
2014	Owen Sheers	Pink Mist	Poetry	Faber and Faber
2013	Rhian Edwards	Clueless Dogs	Poetry	Seren	[16]
2012	Patrick McGuinness	The Last Hundred Days	Fiction	Seren	[17]
2011	John Harrison	Cloud Road	Non-fiction	Parthian
2010	Philip Gross	I Spy Pinhole Eye	Poetry	Cinnamon
2009	Deborah Kay Davies	Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful	Fiction	Parthian
2008	Dannie Abse	The Presence	Non-fiction	Hutchinson
2007	Lloyd Jones	Mr Cassini	Fiction	Seren
2006	Robert Minhinnick	To Babel and Back	Fiction	Seren
2005	Owen Sheers	The Dust Diaries	Non-fiction	Faber and Faber
2004	Niall Griffiths	Stump	Fiction	Jonathan Cape
2003	Charlotte Williams	Sugar and Slate	Non-fiction	Planet
2002	Stevie Davies	The Element of Water	Fiction	The Women's Press
2001	Stephen Knight	Mr Schnitzel	Fiction	Viking
2000	Sheenagh Pugh	Stonelight	Poetry	Seren
1999	Emyr Humphreys	The Gift of a Daughter	Fiction	Seren
1998	Mike Jenkins	Wanting to Belong	Fiction	Seren
1997	Siân James	Not Singing Exactly	Fiction	Honno
1996	Nigel Jenkins	Gwalia in Khasia	Non-fiction	Gomer
1995	Duncan Bush	Masks	Poetry	Seren
1994	Paul Ferris	Caitlin: The Life of Caitlin Thomas	Non-fiction	Hutchinson
1993	Robert Minhinnick	Watching the Fire Eater	Non-fiction	Seren
1992	Emyr Humphreys	Bonds of Attachment	Fiction	Macdonald/Sphere

Creative Non-fiction

• 2016: Jasmine Donahaye Losing Israel (Seren)^[14]
• 2014: Meic Stephens Rhys Davies: A Writer's Life
• 2012: Richard Gwyn The Vagabond's Breakfast (Alcemi)

Roland Mathias Poetry Award (discontinued)^[18]

• 2019 Ailbhe Darcy, Insistence (Bloodaxe Books)^[11]
• 2016 Philip Gross – Love Songs of Carbon (Bloodaxe Books)^[14]
• 2015 Tiffany Atkinson – So Many Moving Parts (Bloodaxe Books)^[15]
• 2014 Owen Sheers – Pink Mist (Faber & Faber)
• 2012 Gwyneth Lewis – Sparrow Tree (Bloodaxe Books)

Welsh language

Fiction^[19]

• 2024: Mari George, Sut i Ddofi Corryn^[6]
• 2023: Llŷr Titus, Pridd^[7]
• 2022: Ffion Dafis, Mori^[20]
• 2021: Megan Angharad Hunter, tu ôl i'r awyr (Y Lolfa) ^[21]
• 2020: Ifan Morgan Jones, Babel^[22]
• 2019: Manon Steffan Ros, Llyfr Glas Nebo (Y Lolfa)^[11]
• 2016: Caryl Lewis Y Bwthyn^[14]
• 2015: Gareth F. Williams Awst yn Anogia (Gwasg Gwynedd)^[15]
• 2014: Ioan Kidd Dewis (Gomer)
• 2013: Heini Gruffudd, Yr Erlid ^[16]
• 2012: Jon Gower, Y Storiwr (Gomer)^[17]
• 2011: Ned Thomas, Bydoedd (Y Lolfa)
• 2010: John Davies, Cymru: Y 100 lle i'w gweld cyn marw (Y Lolfa)
• 2009: Wiliam Owen Roberts Petrograd (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas)
• 2008: Gareth Miles Y Proffwyd a'l Ddwy Jesebel (Hutchinson)
• 2007: Llwyd Owen Ffydd Gobaith Cariad (Y Lolfa)
• 2006: Rhys Evans Gwynfor: Rhag Pob Brad (Y Lolfa)
• 2005: Caryl Lewis Martha, Jac a Sianco (Y Lolfa)
• 2004: Jerry Hunter Llwch Cenhedloedd (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
• 2003: Angharad Price O! Tyn y Gorchudd (Gomer)
• 2002: Grahame Davies Cadwyni Rhyddid (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas)
• 2001: Owen Martell Cadw dy ffydd, brawd (Gomer)
• 2000: Gwyneth Lewis Y Llofrudd Iaith (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas)
• 1999: R. M. Jones Ysbryd y Cwlwm: Delwedd y Genedl yn ein Llenyddiaeth (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru)
• 1998: Iwan Llwyd Dan Ddylanwad (Gwasg Tâf)
• 1997: Gerwyn Wiliams Tir Neb: Rhyddiaith Gymraeg a’r Rhyfel Byd Cyntaf (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru)
• 1996: Sonia Edwards Glöynnod (Gwasg Gwynedd)
• 1995: Aled Islwyn Unigolion, Unigeddau (Gomer)
• 1994: T. Robin Chapman W.J. Gruffydd (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru)
• 1993: Robin Llywelyn Seren Wen ar Gefndir Gwyn (Gomer)
• 1992: Gerallt Lloyd Owen Cilmeri (Gwasg Gwynedd)

Creative non-fiction

• 2016: Gruffydd Aled Williams Dyddiau Olaf Owain Glyndŵr (Y Lolfa)^[14]
• 2014: Alan Llwyd Bob: Cofiant R. Williams Parry 1884 – 1956 (Gomer)
• 2012: Allan James John Morris-Jones^[23]

Roland Mathias Poetry Award

• 2016: Mererid Hopwood Nes Draw (Gwasg Gomer)^[14]
• 2014: Christine James Rhwng y Llinellau (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas)
• 2012: Karen Owen Siarad Trwy’i Het^[23]

References

1. Academi: Wales Book of the Year Longlists Announced (accessed 23 April 2009)
2. "Shortlist for Wales Book of the Year 2012 unveiled". BBC News. 11 May 2012. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
3. "Wales Book of the Year Award 2020". Literature Wales. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
4. "Eligibility Criteria". Literature Wales. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
5. "General Eligibility Guidelines". Retrieved 28 January 2016.
6. Matilda Battersby (4 July 2024). "Wins for Tom Bullough and Mari George at Wales Book of the Year 2024". The Bookseller. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
7. "Caryl Lewis and Llŷr Titus win Wales Book of the Year Award 2023". Literature Wales. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
8. "Nadifa Mohamed's The Fortune Men is the 2022 Wales Book of the Year". Literature Wales. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
9. "Catrin Kean's Salt wins the 2021 Wales Book of the Year Award". Literature Wales. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
10. "Niall Griffiths' Broken Ghost wins the 2020 Wales Book of the Year Award". Literature Wales. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
11. Katie Mansfield (20 June 2019). "Poet triumphs at Wales Book of the Year Awards". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
12. "Wales Book of the year Winners 2018 - Literature Wales". Literature Wales. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
13. "Wales Book of the Year winner revealed". BBC News. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
14. "Wales Book of the Year 2016: A hat-trick for Thomas Morris' debut collection". Literature Wales. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
15. "Patrick McGuinness wins second Welsh Book of the Year award". BBC News. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
16. "Wales Book of the Year: Rhian Edwards' Clueless Dogs wins hat-trick". BBC News. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
17. "The Last Hundred Days is Wales Book of the Year in English language". BBC News. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
18. "Roland Mathias Poetry Prize". Brecknock Society. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
19. Academi: Wales Book of the Year: Past Winners and Judges (Welsh language)
20. "Welsh-language Wales Book of the Year 2022 Winners". Literature Wales. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
21. "Wales Book of the Year".
22. "Wales Book of the Year 2020". Literature Wales. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
23. Price, Karen (12 July 2012). "Patrick McGuinness named winner of Wales Book of the Year Award 2012". walesonline.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2012.

External links

• Literature Wales: Wales Book of the Year
• WalesOnline: Book of the year
• Wales Book of the Year at lovethebook