For the very first time this year Literature Wales will hold two simultaneous events to announce the 2011 Wales Book of the Year Short List.
On Thursday 19 May 2011 the two events will be held at Galeri, Caernarfon and Espresso Bar at John Lewis, Cardiff. The audience will be the first to hear which writers, three in Welsh and three in English, have reached the Short List.
Heledd Cynwal will be at the Espresso Bar in the company of judges Kate Crockett and Jon Gower and Managing Director of John Lewis Cardiff Chris Earnshaw. Morgan Jones will be in Galeri along with judges Gerwyn Wiliams and Deborah Kay Davies. The announcement in Galeri will be followed by a live set from musician Lleuwen Steffan.
There will be light refreshments at both events along with a chance to purchase the shortlisted books.
Literature Wales announced the Wales Book of the Year 2011 Long List on Wednesday 13 April 2011. The awards, worth £10,000 to the winners, are presented to the authors of the best books of the year in English and Welsh.
The English language judges are: writer and editor Francesca Rhydderch (Chair); fiction writer and Wales Book of the Year 2009 winner Deborah Kay Davies; and author and broadcaster Jon Gower.
The titles which have won a place on this year’s Long List are as follows: In the Shadow of the Pulpit by M. Wynn Thomas, In the Frame by Dai Smith, Cloud Road: A Journey through the Inca Heartland by John Harrison, Fireball by Tyler Keevil, Clay by Gladys Mary Coles, Into Suez by Stevie Davies, Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds, What the Water Gave Me: Poems After Frida Kahlo by Pascale Petit, Jilted City by Patrick McGuinness and Doctor Placebo by Alan Wall.
The authors that are on the Welsh language Long List are: Tony Bianchi, Hywel Gwynfryn, Elin Haf, Jerry Hunter, William Owen, Angharad Price, Dewi Prysor, Gwyn Thomas, Ned Thomas and Gareth F. Williams. The Welsh language judges are Simon Brooks, Gerwyn Wiliams and Kate Crockett.
Do you have a favourite amongst the ten? Remember that you have a chance to cast your vote on the Wales Online website for your Readers’ Prize Winner 2011.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Cineworld, Cardiff on Thursday 7 July.
Wales Book of The Year is administrated by Literature Wales and is supported by the Arts Council of Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government, Welsh Books Council, John Lewis, Media Wales, Golwg360, and Tinopolis.
