The Wales Book of the Year award is administered by Literature Wales with funding from the Arts Council of Wales, and is supposed to be presented to the ‘best’ Welsh-language and English-language works published each year in three categories: Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction.
Well, isn’t this lovely you might say? What could possibly be wrong with it? Read on…
Unfortunately, the writers and judges of this award are all members of the self-appointed gravy train once again. Rarely do we see a writer from outside their ranks winning a prize or judging the competition. Don’t believe us? Just check the list of names (and surnames for family members) of the winners, shortlisted writers and judges – yep, you’ve guessed it – like everything else at Literature Wales they take it in turns to get the cash!
While you’re at that why not cross-reference with the list of bursary recipients. It really does make quite interesting reading, unlike their mostly shitty books.
2017 Award:
English
to be announced…
Judges
Tyler Keevil (previous bursary winner), Dimitra Fimi and Jonathan Edwards (previous Pulp of the Year winner and bursary winner)
Welsh
to be announced…
Judges
Catrin Beard (finger in many cash pies, including: on LW board plus the corrupt translation / holiday scam), Mari George (previous bursary winner) and Eirian James (runs a bookshop that sells the LW crap)
2016 Award:
English
Thomas Morris
Philip Gross
Thomas Morris
Jasmine Donahaye
Judges
Tony Brown (previous bursary winner), Caroline Sanderson and Justin Albert
Welsh
Caryl Lewis
Mererid Hopwood
Caryl Lewis
Gruffydd Aled Williams
Judges
Lleucu Roberts (previous bursary winner), Llion Pryderi Roberts (previous bursary winner) and Huw Stephens
2015 Award:
English
Patrick McGuinness
Tiffany Atkinson
Cynan Jones
Jonathan Edwards
Judges
Alex Clark
Tessa Hadley
Paul Henry
Welsh
Gareth F. Williams
Rhys Iorwerth
Llŷr Gwyn Lewis
Lleucu Roberts
Judges
Annes Glynn
Hywel Griffiths
Gareth Potter
2014 Award:
English
Owen Sheers
Meic Stephens
Mike Jenkins
Jemma L. King
Tessa Hadley
Tyler Keevil
Francesca Rhydderch
M. Wynn Thomas
Thelma Wheatley
Judges
Jasper Rees
Andrew Webb
Nadia Kamil
Welsh
Ioan Kidd
Christine James
Alan Llwyd
2013 Award:
English
Rhian Edwards
Samantha Wynne Rhydderch
Deryn Rees-Jones
John Harrison
Meic Stephens
Jeremy Moore
Jon Gower
James Smyth
Gee Williams
Matthew Francis
Judges
Jasper Fforde
Ffion Hague
Richard Marggraff Turley
Welsh
Llion Jones
Eigra Lewis Roberts
Aneirin Karadog
Manon Steffan Ros
Dewi Prysor
Tony Bianchi
Meic Stephens
Aled Jones Williams
Heini Gruffudd
Judges
Alun Gibbard
Bethan Elfyn
Elin ap Hywel
2012 Award:
English
Patrick McGuinness
Robert Minhinnick
Joe Dunthorne
Gwyneth Lewis
Philip Gross
Tiffany Atkinson
Richard Gwyn
Byron Rogers
Iain Sinclair
Judges
Dr Spencer Jordan
Dr Sam Adams
Trezza Azzopardi
Welsh
Jon Gower
Manon Rhys
Mihangel Morgan
Karen Owen
Ifor ap Glyn
Gerwyn Wiliams
Allan James
Alan Llwyd
Glenda Carr
Judges
Jason Walford Davies
Bethan Mair Hughes
Kate Woodward
2011 Award:
English
John Harrison
Pascale Petit
Alastair Reynolds
Judges
Francesca Rhydderch
Jon Gower
Deborah Kay Davies
Welsh
Ned Thomas
Dewi Prysor
Angharad Price
Judges
Simon Brooks
Kate Crockett
Gerwyn Wiliams
2010 Award:
English
Philip Gross
Nikolai Tolstoy
Terri Wiltshire
Judges
Ian Gregson
James Hawes
Sara Edwards
Welsh
John Davies
Caryl Lewis
Hywel Griffiths
Judges
John Gwilym Jones
Aled Lewis Evans
Branwen Gwyn
2009 Award:
English
Deborah Kay Davies
Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch
Gee Williams
Judges
Mike Parker
John Barnie
Tiffany Atkinson
Welsh
Wiliam Owen Roberts
Geraint V Jones
Hefin Wyn
2008 Award:
English
Dannie Abse
Nia Wyn
Tom Bullough
Judges
Mavis Nicholson
Damian Walford Davies
Trevor Fishlock
Welsh
Gareth Miles
Ceri Wyn Jones
Tony Bianchi
Judges
Siân Thomas
Huw Meirion Edwards
Aled Islwyn
2007 Award:
English
Lloyd Jones
Jim Perrin
Christine Evans
Judges
Carolyn Hitt
Katie Gramich
Patrick McGuinness
Welsh
Llwyd Owen
T. Robein Chapman
Gwen Pritchard Jones
Judges
Elinor Jones
John Rowlands
Gwion Hallam
2006 Award:
English
Robert Minhinnick
Kitty Sewell
Ifor Thomas
Judges
Nicola Heywood Thomas
John Sam Jones
Daniel Williams
Welsh
Rhys Evans
Dafydd Johnston
Manon Rhys
Judges
Catrin Beard
Elan Closs Stephens
Ieuan Wyn
2005 Award:
English
Owen Sheers
Trezza Azzopardi
Richard Collins
Judges
Charlotte Williams
Tony Brown
Patrick Hannan
Welsh
Caryl Lewis
Bethan Gwanas
Elin Llwyd Morgan
Judges
Meg Elis
Tony Bianchi
Hafina Clwyd
2004 Award:
English
Niall Griffiths
Emyr Humphreys
Gwyneth Lewis
Judges
Heike Roms
Sheenagh Pugh
Mario Basini
Welsh
Jerry Hunter
Jason Walford Davies
Owen Martell
Judges
Grahame Davies
Mererid Puw Davies
Lyn Ebeneser
We should add that each category winner receives £2,000 and the overall winner then wins an additional £6,000 of your taxpayers money. Judges also get paid of course.
LiteratureWales 
December 26, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Good on you people! Many people in the world of literature have known about this corruption for years. Julian Ruck is one who has spoken out and good on him! I wonder if Week In Week Out would do a story on this bunch of scroungers?
July 3, 2013 at 7:25 pm
What an excellent website! Have to agree with your comments 100%. No-one outside Wales has ever heard of these ‘writers’. I travel all over the UK as a book seller. I only have a few copies of the rubbish these people produce but I never sell any. Why? Because the majority of the sanitised sriting coming from Wales is so awful. Just pretentious crap most of it. I see a new book by Tony Curtis and Graeme Davies has just been released with poetry and imagery. Not bad photographs but the poetry is appalling. No doubt this book will win Wales Book of the Year next year – that is about the standard these people seem to commend. Oh yes and it’s probably their turn to get the tax payers money too!! Good luck with your campaign to root out these hangers on, you certainly have my support!
August 2, 2013 at 10:29 am
I see that talentless Rhian Edwards has been given some of our taxpayers money (£8,000) to cushion her maternity leave. Oh there’s nice. Does make me wonder how they find so many useless writers to become part of their group, or perhaps that is the point. A good writer might stand out, sell some books and then it would draw more attention to the rest of them. You can see how truly ordinary she is here – http://www.rhianedwards.co.uk/category/media
June 13, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Will update latest pile of pulp soon. Apologies, been away on holidays.
December 15, 2014 at 3:45 pm
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