A Fresh-faced Start for Welsh Publishing

Massive congratulations need to go to Welsh writer Rachel Trezise for winning the Dylan Thomas literary prize in Swansea last week. The new £60,000 prize for an English writer under the age of 30 is one of the biggest literary awards in the world.
The shortlist for the prize announced in London last month, included writers from Zimbabwe, the US, Northern Ireland, England and Wales.

Trezise was born in the Rhondda in 1978. Her hard-hitting and raw book:
“In and out of the goldfish bowl”, which was awarded the Orange Futures Prize heralded the arrival of a major new literary talent. This latest collection of prize winning short stories is called: “Fresh Apples” and is what the Big Issue have described as: ‘a unique social commentary on life in 21st century south Wales’ - Order your copy now from Parthian Books!

On a ‘closer to home note’, I am doubly pleased with the success that this recognition will bring to Parthian who are based (along with a plethora of other Welsh publishing houses) here in Mid & West Wales.

I am proud that it is largely because of the Culture Committee’s review into Welsh Writing in English that this success story has been enabled. Welsh Assembly Government please take note of how important the publishing industry is to Wales!

In the next couple of weeks we shall see the launching of more ‘Library of Wales’ titles at Waterstones and other venues both here and over the border. Whilst supporting the classics is undoubtedly important, I would urge Alun Pugh and Andrew Davies (Creative Industries brief) not to take their eye of the ball in terms of the importance of new writing and the potential it holds for our economy. Rachel Trezise is an absolute testament to that.