Parthian publishes Welsh Bright Young Things

Independent, Carmarthen-based publisher Parthian is launching four titles in September to celebrate young writing talent.

The Bright Young Things series includes two novels, a short story collection and travel writing by four young British authors, Susie Wild, Tyler Keevil, Wil Gritten and James Smyth. The cover designs come from graphic artist, Tim Albin, who won the £500 contract in a competition last year.
Albin’s designs mix “literal and lateral” content from the texts—such as train tracks and birds in flight for Gritten’s Letting Go.

The books will be published as trade paperbacks in September at £9.99 each, and every print purchase of a title will include a free e-book of the same.

Dominic Williams, managing director of Parthian, said: “The series is a cultural export so our decision to add-on e-books was a matter of choice and availability. It’s not something we think everyone should do with everything, because it shouldn’t be a giveaway, but for this series it shows we’re engaged with reader choice.”

The series will also be promoted ahead of the launch by an author tour this summer. Readings are planned for Hay Literary Festival and Green Man festival, both held in the Brecon Beacons. Williams also plans to get independent media coverage from literary magazines such as Raconteur, and its main marketing tool, The Bright Young Things website, is already online. Several of the authors already have a strong online presence and Williams said he was using the website as a portal to guide readers on to the authors’ blogs and writing.

All of the Bright Young Things contributors have a Welsh connection. Wild lives in South Wales, Keevil lives in Powys, Gritten was brought up in North Wales and Smythe teaches at Cardiff University. All but Gritten were discovered in the making of Parthian’s new writing anthology, Nu, published in 2009. Designer Albin runs an agency in Bangor, and last year got a contract for branding for the Wales Book of the Year prize.