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Literature Wales Writers' Bursaries 2011

MEDIA RELEASE

7 April 2011

Twenty four writers, including six who are currently unpublished, have been awarded a Writer’s Bursary by Literature Wales. The bursaries which total £90,000 will allow the writers to take time out of employment to write. As well as supporting new talent, bursaries have also been awarded to a number of established figures in the literary world. Fiction, poetry and creative non-fiction are all well-represented in the 2011 list.

For the first time, graphic novels are included. Carol Swain will develop her graphic novel Gast set on a remote Welsh hill farm. Huw Aaron will take time out from his work as a freelance cartoonist and artist to produce an illustrated retelling of the ancient Welsh language poem The Gododdin.

English language fiction in Wales will be particularly enriched, with eight authors taking time out to work on their new novels: Robert Minhinnick will write Limestone Man, a follow up to his 2007 novel Sea Holly. Susie Wild, Cynan Jones, Lorraine Jenkin, Tia Jones, Angharad Penrhyn Jones, Julia Crompton (writing as Julia Forster), and Romy Thomas (writing as Romy Wood) will all write new English language novels. Rachel Trezise will develop her new collection of short stories.

Emily Hinshelwood’s Miscellaneous Fund bursary will see her travelling the Heart of Wales Line, researching climate change in Wales for her new poetry collection.

Literature Wales’ Bursaries Panel is pleased to support new writing by previously unpublished writers. New Writers’ Bursaries have been awarded to: Jonathan Edwards, Richard Roberts, Angharad Penrhyn Jones, Karl Drinkwater, Huw Aaron and Mari Lisa. Sixteen of this year’s authors are first time bursary recipients.

The Welsh-language recipients are Gwyneth Lewis, Meic Stephens, Arwel Vittle, Aled Jones-Williams, Tudur Hallam, Alan Llwyd and Mari Lisa.

Peter Finch, Chief Executive of Literature Wales said: Peter Finch, Chief Executive Literature Wales commented: “Bursaries are increasingly important in difficult financial times. Wales has never before produced so many great writers. Keeping them creating is a task that Literature Wales sees as central. Our Bursary scheme, which buys time off from employment in order to write, hits that target square on.”

Katie Gramich, Chair of Literature Wales Bursaries Panel commented: “The sheer literary quality of some of the works-in-progress that we were fortunately able to fund was breath-taking and showed clearly that Wales is still the home of some formidable literary talent.”

[ENDS]

For more information contact:
Literature Wales, Chief Executive: Peter Finch,
Mount Stuart House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff, CF10 5FQ
029 2047 2266 / post@literaturewales.org
www.literaturewales.org

Note to Editors:
• Literature Wales was formed in April 2011. The Chief Executive of Literature Wales is Peter Finch. Literature Wales is made up of Yr Academi Gymreig / The Welsh Academy, the Society for Writers of Wales, and Tŷ Newydd Writers’ Centre. Its many projects and activities include Wales Book of the Year, the National Poet of Wales, Writers on Tour funding scheme, writing courses at Tŷ Newydd, Translators’ House Wales, funding and advice for writers, the BayLit and Tŷ Newydd festivals, Young People’s Writing Squads, fieldworkers in the south Wales valleys and north Wales.
• Literature Wales is one of six national arts companies in Wales, each representing different artform genres. Literature Wales is the Arts Council’s agent to develop and implement literature activity.
• Literature Wales works with the support of the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.
• Yr Academi Gymreig was established in 1959, following discussions between poets Bobi Jones and Waldo Williams. The English-language branch, The Welsh Academy, was formed ten years later.
• Tŷ Newydd Writers’ Centre was founded in 1990. National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke is the President of Tŷ Newydd.
• Literature Wales is one of the resident organisations of the Wales Millennium Centre, where it runs the Glyn Jones Centre.

Bursaries
• Literature Wales Writers’ Bursaries are awarded annually and full details are available at www.literaturewales.org
• A full list of all bursary recipients is shown below.

Literature Wales Bursaries Panel 2010-11:
Katie Gramich (Chair), Catrin Beard, Carolyn Jess-Cooke, Catherine Fisher, Amanda Hopkinson, Idris Reynolds.

Literature Wales Writers’ Bursaries 2011

Name	Language of proposed work	Bursary	Amount awarded
Rachel         Trezise	English	Published	£4,000
Karl Drinkwater	English	New Writer’s Bursary	£2,000
Cynan Jones	English	Published	£4,000
Meic Stephens	Welsh	Published	£4,000
Carol Swain	English	Published	£4,000
Lorraine Jenkin	English	Published	£1,560
Tia Jones	English	Published	£4,000
Arwel Vittle	Welsh	Published – Children’s Writer	£6,000
Christine Harrison	English	Published -Children’s Writer	£4,000
Alan Llwyd	Welsh	Published	£6,000
Aled Jones-Williams	Welsh	Published	£6,000
Emily Hinshelwood	English	Miscellaneous Fund	£939.00
Gwyneth Lewis	Welsh	Published	£5,000
Robert Minhinnick	English	Published	£6,000
Romy Thomas (writing as Romy Wood)	English	Published	£700.00
Julia Crompton (writing as Julia Forster)	English	Published	£1,197
Angharad Penrhyn Jones	English	New Writer’s Bursary	£3,000
Tudur Hallam	Welsh	Published	£5,000
Mari Lisa	Welsh	New Writer’s Bursary	£3,000
Jonathan Edwards	English	New Writer’s Bursary	£4,000
Richard Roberts	English	New Writer’s Bursary – Children’s Writer	£1,604
Huw Aaron	English	New Writer’s Bursary	£5,000
Susie Wild	English	Published	£5,000
Total:			£86,000