Wales Book of the Year Awards 2023

by Suzie Good

grade novel, The Last Firefox (Penguin Random House Children’s) and in the Welsh category, Gwenllian Ellis took home The Golwg360 Barn y Bobl Award for Sgen i’m Syniad – Snogs, Secs, Sens (Y Lolfa).

Last, but by no means least in the Children & Young People Award, Luned Aaron & Huw Aaron won the Welsh language award with Dwi Eisiau Bod yn Ddeinosor, (Atebol) and Lesley Parr took the English category with When the War Came Home (Bloomsbury Children’s Books).

The Cardiff Times was lucky enough to grab five minutes of Lesley’s time to answer a few questions about her work and what it felt like to win this special award:

What is When the War Came Home about?

This July the Tramshed, in Cardiff, opened its fairy-lit doors to host the Wales Book of the Year Awards. After four years of online ceremonies, this in-person event proved to be a special and sparkly evening, celebrating Wales’ best writers, attracting publishers and agents from across the UK.

Hosted by Literature Wales, and led by one of last year’s winners Ffion Dafis, the Wales Book of the Year Award is an annual prize honouring writers from across Wales. Prizes are awarded in English and Welsh language categories across four genres: Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Poetry and Children and Young People.

The Overall English-Language Wales Book of the Year, as well as the Rhys Davies Trust Fiction Award, went to Caryl Lewis, with her novel Drift, published by Doubleday (an imprint of Transworld, Penguin Random House). Drift is Lewis’ first English language novel and wowed judges with its lyrical tale of lost identity. Lewis is the first writer to win the overall award in both English and Welsh, having succeeded in 2005 with Martha, Jac, a Sianco and Y Bwythyn in 2016. This year’s Welsh Language Overall Award went to Llŷr Titus, with his novel Pridd (Gwasg y Bwthyn). Both Lewis and Titus take home a prize of £3000.

In Poetry, Paul Henry won the English award with As If to Sing (Seren Poetry Wales Press Ltd) and Elinor Wyn Reynolds won in the Welsh language category for Anwyddoldeb (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas).

The Creative Non-fiction Awards went to Isabel Adonis for And… a memoir of my mother (Black Bee Books) and to Gareth Evans-Jones in the Welsh language category for Cylchu Cymru (Y Lolfa).

All of the above winners were carefully chosen by judges from the worlds of TV, publishing and writing, but we mustn’t forget the popular categories: awards voted for by the reading public. For Wales Arts Review People’s Choice Award, Lee Newbury won with his children’s middle

A girl called Natty moves to a new place and discovers what she believes in, and how to fight for it. More than anything, it’s a story about people. It explores themes of community, inequality and justice, class and the aftereffects of World War I on a South Wales village.

What was the inspiration for this book?

It started as a feminist exploration of life for women and girls after the war, but became about rights in general and the way very young soldiers (who lied about their age to join up) came back different people.

What does winning the WBOTY Children and Young People Award mean to you?

A lot! This was a very difficult book to write and to receive an accolade for it at this level – and from my own country –feels like validation as well as reward.

Why are awards like this so important?

They celebrate Welsh culture, diversity and heritage in many different ways, and shine a light on people who don’t always get the media coverage of more well-known/celebrity authors and illustrators.

What are you writing at the moment?

A story set in 1980 against a backdrop of the fear of nuclear war. My main character Marcus is an angry young man; the perceived bad kid who just needs people to give him a chance. I’m extremely fond of him.

Lesley’s novel When the War Came Home can be bought in any good bookshops and would make a fabulous choice for a children’s summer read.

The Cardiff Times would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Lesley and all the winners of Wales Book of the Year, as well as the short-listees who, yet again, prove without doubt that Wales is a writing tour de force. Da Iawn pawb.

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