Five Welsh publishers receive £250k funding

Five Welsh publishing companies have received a grant of £250,000 from the Welsh Books Council.

Firefly Press, based across Cardiff and Aberystwyth, is a new recipient of the funding, along with Seren Books, Parthian Books, Gomer and Honno Press which have received the grant before.

The money, shared between all five publishers, will provide funding for the next three years.

Ken Skates, cabinet secretary for economy and infrastructure in Wales, said: “Publishing provides an important platform to promote the culture of Wales both at home and internationally, and books from Wales both enrich our culture and benefit our economy. I welcome this investment and hope it will help publishing in Wales to develop even further over the next three years.”

Run by Penny Thomas and Janet Thomas, Firefly Press was founded in 2013 and publishes mainly children’s and young adult titles. Last year its title Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare won the Branford Boase Award for best children’s book by a new author.

Professor Daniel G. Williams, chair of the Welsh Books Council’s Publishing Grants Panel, added: “We are delighted to welcome Firefly into the Revenue scheme. Its books will add to the range of good quality titles funded by this grant that have, in recent years, attracted the attention of the judges of the Man Booker Prize, the Costa Prize and the Dylan Thomas Prize, as well as being enjoyed by readers in Wales.”

The funding enables publishers to produce an annual programme of books and provides a contribution towards overheads.