The Winner
Wales Book of the Year 2008 - Dannie Abse and Gareth Miles win
Gareth Miles and Dannie Abse holding their awards
The English-language prize was awarded to Dannie Abse for his moving account of life following the death of his wife - The Presence, published by Hutchinson.
The Welsh-language prize was awarded to Gareth Miles for his novel - Y Proffwyd a’i Ddwy Jesebel, published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch.
At the Hilton Hotel, Cardiff on the evening of Tuesday 1 July, the Wales Book of the Year Award was won by Dannie Abse and Gareth Miles, each pocketing a cheque for £10,000. Equal runners up were Tony Bianchi, Nia Wyn, Ceri Wyn Jones and Tom Bullough.
The Presence written after Abse’s wife Joan was killed in a car accident in June 2005, is both a journal of his grief and a portrait of a marriage which lasted more than fifty years. His book was described in the Independent as "supremely fresh and vital…matching profound emotion with witty observation…a truly marvellous book".
The judges for the 2008 English-language Award were academic and literary critic Damian Walford Davies, writer and broadcaster Trevor Fishlock and journalist and broadcaster Mavis Nicholson.
The judges for the Welsh-language award were academic and poet Huw Meirion Edwards, author and former winner of the Wales Book of the Year (1995) Aled Islwyn and broadcaster and S4C presenter Sian Thomas.
The Wales Book of the Year Award is a joint project managed by the Academi and funded by the Arts Council of Wales. It has the support of both the BBC and the Welsh Books Council. The prize enhances writing in Wales and against a background of increasing book production marks out Welsh works of creative writing that really matter. Winning is a significant event.
Welsh Assembly Government Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas said:
“From the Black Book of Carmarthen to Rape of the Fair Country, Wales has a fantastic literary history in both our national languages. The Wales Book of the Year Award builds on this by recognising the amazing talent we have to offer. We can justly claim that we are continuing to make our mark on the literary map of the world in both English and Welsh."
Peter Finch, Academi Chief Executive commented:
“The annual Wales Book of the Year Award rewards the best creative books our country has produced. In times of rising publication numbers it is increasingly hard fought over. The idea that one book in each language should win over all others may be controversial but the award is certainly deserved. Dannie Abse is up there at the top of the Welsh tree. Academi applauds.”
The Wales Book of the Year Award is administered by Academi, and funded by the Arts Council of Wales through its income from the Welsh Assembly Government. The Wales Book of the Year 2008 Award Ceremony 2008 is supported by BBC Wales.