Three-year Funding for English-language Publishers in Wales
The Welsh Books Council has announced three-year revenue funding for five publishing companies in Wales, enabling them to produce high-quality, appealing books for readers in Wales and beyond. Previous recipients, Seren Books, Parthian Books, Gomer and Honno Press have all been granted a renewal of funding. However, this time a new children’s publisher, Firefly Press, will also receive this grant for the very first time.
Firefly was established in 2013 and has produced lively and enthralling titles for children and young adults that have received critical and popular acclaim. Last year Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare won the Branford Boase Award for best children’s book by a new author as well as picking up a prize from The Bookseller for the publisher’s innovative marketing and publicity campaign. The press is run by Penny Thomas and Janet Thomas in Cardiff and Aberystwyth. The Welsh Books Council is the body responsible for supporting and developing publishing and the book trade in Wales with funding from the Welsh Government. Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure remarked: "Publishing provides an important platform to promote the culture of Wales both at home and internationally, and books from Wales both enrich our culture and benefit our economy. I welcome this investment and hope it will help publishing in Wales to develop even further over the next three years." Professor Daniel G. Williams, Chair of the Welsh Books Council’s Publishing Grants Panel said: "We are delighted to welcome Firefly into the Revenue scheme. Their books will add to the range of good quality titles funded by this grant that have, in recent years, attracted the attention of the judges of the Man Booker Prize, the Costa Prize and the Dylan Thomas Prize, as well as being enjoyed by readers in Wales." A grant of c. £250,000 will be shared between the five recipients for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2020. The funding enables publishers to produce an annual programme of books and provides a contribution towards overheads, helping publishers and books from Wales to compete in a market that is often dominated by much larger UK publishers.
