In Which I Have Written a Book

Well, I have had an exciting weekend. On Friday evening, Storm Hound was announced as the winner of the Welsh Books Council Tir na n’Og award in English language category. I am so happy about this. I’ve been following the Tir na n-Og for ages and I’m always slightly in awe of the authors who win so to be among them feels slightly surreal.

There was a common theme this year of magical things waiting to be discovered and I’ve been inspired to seek out the extraordinary in everyday life. If you haven’t read the whole shortlist yet, I thoroughly recommend them. I am terrifically grateful to the Welsh Books Council. They are a lovely bunch of people, so enthusiastic, and great to work with. Diolch yn fawr iawn i chi gyd.

Here’s the press release in the Wales Arts Review.

You can hear my interview on the Radio Wales Arts Show, available via BBC Sounds.

And you can read all about the award, including some very interesting stats on the nominees and winners, on the Family Bookworms website.

Along with the prize money, I received this amazing award, written by the current Welsh children’s laureate, Eloise Williams. I feel another story coming on, just looking at it.

Storm Hound is on the libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge this year so if you haven’t read it yet, this summer will be a good time.

That is not all the good news, however, because I am delighted to be able to share details of my next book. In a wonderful twist of serendipity, it is a collection of Welsh stories, part of the Scholastic Classics series.

Here’s a look at the beautiful cover by David Wardle.

 

Enjoy Wales’s rich heritage of myth and fairy tales, re-told for young readers.

From magical Welsh dragons that destroy a castle night after night, to a princess made out of flowers and a fairy changeling brother; from loyal hunting hound Gelert, to a boy who asks questions and goes on to become the greatest Welsh bard ever known… This book includes traditional favourites and classic myths and legends from Welsh folklore.

I had such a great time writing this book. I spent many. many hours researching Welsh folklore when I wrote Storm Hound and all those stories were still knocking about in my head. It’s been a joy to put some of them on paper to share with you.

Welsh Fairy Tales, Myths and legends will be published on February 4th 2021, and you can find it on Amazon to pre-order.