BACKGROUND

The Welsh Books Council is a national body, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, which provides a focus for the publishing industry in Wales. It provides a number of specialist services (in the fields of editing, design, marketing and distribution) with a view to improving standards of book production and publication in both Welsh and English.

Although a number of bodies in the fields of education and the arts are concerned with aspects of publishing there is no other body in Wales concerned with the whole spectrum of publishing, from the author’s manuscript to distribution and sales promotion.

The Books Council is also committed to promoting reading and literacy in Wales. At the request of the Welsh Assembly Government, the Books Council is responsible for coordinating this year's National Year of Reading in Wales (2008). The Council is also responsible for coordinating an annual World Book Day in Wales.

The Books Council has a staff of 49 (FTEs), most of whom work in a number of specialist Departments which provide services to the book trade. The largest Department is the Distribution Centre which provides a wholesale distribution service to publishers and booksellers. Unlike the rest of the Council’s work, this Centre, which has an annual turnover of £5.5 million gross (£3.7 million net), is self-supporting and does not receive any subsidy from the public purse. The Books Council also has a Publishing Grants Department, which is responsible for distributing grants towards the cost of publishing books, magazines and related material in both English and Welsh.

The Welsh Assembly Government recently announced additional funding of £200,000 per annum over the next three years (2008/09–2010/11) to support the Welsh-language press.

The Books Council’s headquarters are at Castell Brychan, Aberystwyth. The Distribution Centre is situated in the Glanyrafon Enterprise Park, on the outskirts of the town.