The Future of Welsh Literature
The winning manuscripts for this year’s New Welsh Writing Awards were revealed at Hay Fest yesterday.
Peter Goulding won in the Rheidol category with On Slate and JL George won in the dystopian novella category with The Word. The winning authors were presented with their prizes of £1,000 as an advance against e-publication by New Welsh Review and a critique by top London literary agent Curtis Brown, Cathryn Summerhayes.
ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY PRIZE FOR A DYSTOPIAN NOVELLA
WINNERS
FIRST PLACE: JL George (Pontypool, Wales) – The Word
SECOND PLACE: Rhiannon Lewis (Abergavenny, Wales) – The Significance of Swans
THIRD PLACE: Rosey Brown (Cardiff, Wales) – Adrift
RHEIDOL PRIZE FOR WRITING WITH A WELSH THEME OR SETTING
WINNERS
FIRST PLACE: Peter Goulding (Thetford, England) – On Slate (Non-fiction)
SECOND PLACE: Sarah Tanburn (Penarth, Wales) – Hawks of Dust and Wine (Fiction)
THIRD PLACE: Richard John Parfitt (Penarth, Wales) – Tales from the Riverbank (Non-fiction)
The New Welsh Writing Awards 2019 sought new works of between 5,000 – 30,000 words across two categories: the Aberystwyth University Prize for a Dystopian Novella (judged by NWR editor Gwen Davies) and the Rheidol Prize for Writing with a Welsh Theme or Setting (co-judged by Cynan Jones and NWR editor Gwen Davies).
The second prize winners received £300 vouchers towards a week-long residential course at Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in Gwynedd, North Wales; and third prizes were for a two-night stay at Gladstone’s Library in Flintshire, North Wales. The top six shortlisted authors also received a one-year subscription to New Welsh Review.
Categories: Literary Awards
I’m sure this is a real thrill for all the nominees: maybe you’ll be reading one of their books soon!
I hope so, Marcie. I’m really looking forward to the e-publication of the winning manuscripts. The New Welsh Review magazine is also publishing the highly commended and shortlisted nominees in its autumn edition.
How wonderful! Congratulations to the winners. I will be seeking out their work. Feeling a teeny bit jealous of their fabulous prizes – and those two nights in Gladstone’s Library in Flintshire 😃
I live very close to Gladstone’s Library – it’s a fabulous place. I’ve always promised myself a night there. Perhaps next year. 😏
Please consider it seriously, Paula, I would love to read your blog post on the experience and I’m sure others would too. Can’t do that sort of thing in Australia!
Oh, alright then. You’ve twisted my arm! 😉 It’s certainly something I would love to do – and I couldn’t possibly keep the experience to myself. Hopefully we’ll return to some sort of normality by the end of the year. D has her final chemo on Wednesday followed by surgery in July, so the end is in sight. 😊
That’s great news, Paula. You will have earned your night at the library. Best wished to D for that final chemo session 🤗
Thank you, Sandra. The cruise is getting closer, too. 🤗
That’s wonderful, Paula ♥ Sending kind thoughts to you and D for the final chemo session. Lots of good things to look forward to – viva la holidays!
Thank you so much, Gretchen. Would you believe her chemo was delayed due to her bloods being awry (plus very low magnesium). She had a transfusion today (not for the first time) and we hope her infusion will get ahead tomorrow. That holiday can’t come soon enough! 🤗
Keep smiling 😊
These awards are such a brilliant way to celebrate writers that may otherwise have gone under the radar, and I must admit I’ve not read work by any of them. Well done to them all!
Hope you’re keeping well, Paula xx
They’re all new authors to me too, Caz, but not for very much longer I hope. I’m fine thanks – hope all is good with you. 🤗