Announcing the Wales Book of the Year Shortlist 2025
Wales Book of the Year is an annual award which celebrates outstanding literary talent from Wales across many genres in both English and Welsh. There are four categories in each language – Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction, and Children & Young People, with one of the category winners going on to win the Overall Award and claiming the title, Wales Book of the Year. The overall English-language prize is sponsored by Cardiff University’s School of English, Communication and Philosophy, and the overall Welsh-language prize is sponsored by Cardiff University’s School of Welsh.
Today, Sunday 11 May, on the Lynn Bowles show on BBC Radio Wales, the English-language shortlist was revealed by judge Carole Burns, with Executive Director of Literature Wales, Claire Furlong, providing additional information about the Award. The broadcast follows the Welsh-language shortlist announcement which took place on Ffion Dafis’ BBC Radio Cymru programme between 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm this afternoon.
The Shortlist
Literature Wales is delighted to announce the 12 books in the running for Wales Book of the Year 2025:
Poetry
Girls etc, Rhian Elizabeth (Broken Sleep Books)
Little Universe, Natalie Ann Holborow (Parthian Books)
Portrait of a Young Girl Falling, Katrina Moinet (Hedgehog Poetry Press)
Fiction
Earthly Creatures, Stevie Davies (Honno)
Clear, Carys Davies (Granta)
Glass Houses , Francesca Reece (Headline Publishing Group, Tinder Press)
Creative Non-Fiction
Tir: The Story of the Welsh Landscape, Carwyn Graves (Calon Books)
Nightshade Mother: A Disentangling, Gwyneth Lewis (Calon Books)
Nature’s Ghosts: The world we lost and how to bring it back, Sophie Yeo (HarperNorth)
Children & Young People
A History of My Weird, Chloe Heuch (Firefly Press)
Fallout, Lesley Parr (Bloomsbury)
Why Did My Brain Make Me Say It?, Sarah Ziman (Troika)
To find out more about the shortlisted titles, head over to www.literaturewales.org.
The Judging Panel
A panel of judges is appointed each year to read, debate and select their favourite titles. This year’s English-language panel are: award-winning author and the inaugural Children’s Laureate Wales, Eloise Williams; author, journalist, and former lecturer of literature at Aberystwyth University, Ned Thomas; award-winning author and journalist, Carole Burns; and performer, facilitator, and Senior Platform Manager at Wales Millennium Centre, Jason Camilleri.
On behalf of the judging panel, Eloise Williams said:
“The shortlist displays such a wealth of literature in every category. It’s a dynamic selection of titles which highlights incredible talent, expertise, knowledge, and craft from a vibrant community. It feels like an exciting time to be a Welsh writer sending words from Wales to the world. “
The Welsh-language Shortlist
Poetry
Rhuo ei distawrwydd hi, Meleri Davies (Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp)
Pethau sy’n Digwydd , Siôn Tomos Owen (Barddas)
O’r Rhuddin, Sioned Erin Hughes (Y Lolfa)
Creative Non-Fiction
Oedolyn (ish!), Melanie Owen (Y Lolfa)
Camu, Iola Ynyr (Y Lolfa)
Casglu Llwch, Georgia Ruth (Y Lolfa)
Fiction
Nelan a Bo, Angharad Price (Y Lolfa)
Madws, Sioned Wyn Roberts (Gwasg y Bwthyn)
V + Fo, Gwenno Gwilym (Gwasg y Bwthyn)
Children and Young People
Cymry. Balch. Ifanc., edited by Llŷr Titus and Megan Angharad Hunter (Rily Publications LTD)
Arwana Swtan a’r Sgodyn Od, Angie Roberts and Dyfan Roberts (Gwasg y Bwthyn)
Rhedyn, Myrddin ap Dafydd (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
The members of the Welsh-language judging panel are: award-winning poet and playwright, Menna Elfyn; author and winner of the 2023 People’s Choice Award, Gwenllian Ellis; writer and playwriter, Dr Miriam Elin Jones, who is a lecturer in Welsh at Swansea University; and author and translator Hammad Rind.
Leusa Llewelyn, Artistic Director of Literature Wales said:
“This is one of my annual highlights – when our panel of experts share what they consider to be the very best books published in the previous year. Many thanks to the judges for their incredible work. Congratulations to all the authors on the shortlists – I hope this announcement will send readers in their droves to their local bookshops and libraries. I can’t wait to celebrate all the fantastic books and to see which authors take to the stage to collect their trophies and prizes in our prestigious awards ceremony in Cardiff in July.”
What next?
The Wales Book of the Year awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, 17 July at Sherman Theatre, Cardiff. 12 prizes and a total of £14,000 will be shared amongst the writers – £1,000 each for the category winners and an additional £3,000 for the overall winners in both languages. In addition, they will receive iconic Book of the Year trophies specially designed by the talented artist, Angharad Pearce Jones.
Tickets to the ceremony will be on sale from the Literature Wales website from 11 May onwards.
The People’s Choice Award is sponsored by Nation Cymru and Barn y Bobl Prize is sponsored by Golwg360. Head over to your local bookshop or library now to grab a copy of the shortlisted books before voting for your favourite book on their websites.
Sponsors and Supporters
The Wales Book of the Year Award is sponsored by a host of generous and supportive sponsors. In addition to the sponsors of the overall English and Welsh-language Awards, Cardiff University’s School of English, Communication and Philosophy, and School of Welsh, category sponsors include: Rhys Davies Trust, supporting the English-language Fiction award; Hadio, sponsoring the English-language Creative Non-Fiction Award; HSJ Accountants, sponsoring the Welsh-language Fiction Awrad; and Cronfa Elw Park-Jones supprting the Welsh-language Children and Young People prize. Penderyn Distillery are providing sponsorship for the Award Ceremony. Read more about our Sponsors and Partners.
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