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Big boost for Welsh Lit
Eighteen writers, of whom 4 are unpublished, have been awarded a total of £95,000 in writing bursaries by Academi, the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency. A writing bursary gives published and unpublished writers the time to write. As well as supporting new talent, bursaries have been awarded to many established figures in the literary world.
For 2008 new Welsh fiction is boosted as Matthew David Scott changes direction, moving from urban fiction to fantasy with his third novel The Revelation of Johnny Anielski. Following the success of her debut novel A Girl’s Guide to Modern European Philosophy (Serpent’s Tail 2007), Charlotte Greig will work on her second novel The Music Mistress. This will be a retelling of the ballad of Tam Lin through a modern love life in crisis. An Academi bursary will allow Pontypridd based playwright Laurence Allan to write his first novel, provisionally entitled Cycling Behind a Wheelchair. Lara Clough author of Facing the West Wind, (Honno 2006), will work on her second novel Cold Cod Carl, set in the rural Welsh borders. Tom Bullough, author of The Claude Glass (Sort Of Books, 2007), will work on his third novel, The Red Jacket. This novel will be a mix of the pastoral and urban, detailing the emotional breakdown of a middle-aged Welsh Londoner who returns to his remote home village in Radnorshire. Broadcaster, producer and writer Jon Gower will complete a new collection of short stories Too Cold for Snow.
Poet and literary translator P C Evans will work on his second poetry collection in English, Cadaver Dog Cantos.
An Academi bursary will buy novelist and documentary film-maker Sarah Broughton research and writing time to complete a creative non-fiction biography of Irish-Welsh actress Anna Kashfi, who made it to Hollywood and married Marlon Brando. Sarah has just published her first novel Other Useful Numbers (Parthian, 2007). Writer and exhibition curator Jill Piercy will revise an earlier work on Welsh artist Brenda Chamberlain and research and develop this into a new full length biography.
Emerging Welsh writers Anna Lewis, Joanna Owen, Brett Jocelyn Epstein, and Zillah Slingsby Bethell have been awarded New Writers’ bursaries. Sue Barrow has been awarded a Children’s Writer’s Bursary to work on The Other Elisabeth, her second novel for teenagers. Debbie Moon has been awarded an Enabling bursary.
The Welsh-language recipients are Chaired poet Ceri Wyn Jones, who is an English language editor with Gomer Press, novelist and lecturer Llion Iwan, and author, playwright and scriptwriter Geraint Lewis.
Peter Finch, Chief Executive of Academi said: “Bursaries are the single most effective way to help writers – they buy valuable time and space in a world where both those commodities are increasingly rare. Bursaries are the contemporary equivalent of the patronage of yore. At the Academi we are proud to have discovered such a diverse and deserving range of recipients. We only wish we could extend our help more.”
Gwen Davies, Chair of the Academi Bursaries Panel commented: “The negative impact of the Olympics on Lottery funding is evident, since funds for the bursaries scheme have remained static and we wish that ACW note that should improved levels of payments to artists/writers remain a priority, then increased funding to this scheme will be essential.”
Notes to editors
Academi
• Yr Academi Gymreig is the Welsh National Literature Development Agency and Society for Authors. It was established in 1959, following discussions between Bobi Jones and Waldo Williams.
• In 1998 the Society’s role increased greatly when it won the Arts Council of Wales franchise to become Wales’ National Literature Promotion Agency.
• The Academi works in partnership with Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre in Llanystumdwy. The Academi works with the support of the Arts Council of Wales.
• The Academi is responsible for organising the Book of the Year award, literary events (conferences, dinners, poetry tours, lectures), writers’ bursaries, Writing Squads, various support schemes.
• The Academi has joined the Urdd, Welsh National Opera and other organisations as a resident of the Wales Millennium Centre.
Bursaries
Writers’ Bursaries are awarded annually by the Academi and full details are available at www.academi.org.
A full list of all bursary recipients is shown below. Academi will be pleased to supply further biographical details for journalists wishing to run features on writers who may be of particular interest to their readers.
Academi Bursaries Panel 2007-08:
Gwen Davies (Chair), Catherine Fisher, Kathryn Gray, Amanda Hopkinson, Idris Reynolds.
Academi Writers’ Bursaries 2008
Matthew David Scott - Published Writer’s Bursary £9,500
Debbie Moon Enabling -Bursary £225
Brett Jocelyn Epstein - New Writer £1,000
Geraint Lewis - Published Writer’s Bursary £8,000
Joanna Owen -New Writer’s Bursary £3,000
Llion Iwan - Published Writer’s Bursary £7,000
Anna Lewis - New Writer ’s Bursary £2,000
Charlotte Greig - Published Writer’s Bursary £7,000
Lara Clough - Published Writer’s Bursary £3,000
Ceri Wyn Jones - Published Writer’s Bursary £9,675
Jill Piercy - Published Witer’s Bursary £1,200
Laurence Allan - Published Writer’s Bursary £7,800
Sue Barrow - Children’s Writer’s Bursary £7,000
P C Evans - Published Writer’s Bursary £5,000
Jon Gower - Published Writer’s Bursary £8,000
Zillah Slingsby Bethell - New Writer ’s Bursary £3,500
Sarah Broughton - Published Writer’s Bursary £8,500
Tom Bullough - Published Writer’s Bursary £3,600
Total: £95,000
10 March 2008
Academi
Mount Stuart House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FQ.
Chief Executive: Peter Finch
phone: 029 2047 2266 fax: 029 2049 2930
www.academi.org post@academi.org
Academi is supported by the Arts Council of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Academi works in partnership with the Tŷ Newydd Centre for Writers.
Registered charity number 50640