THE 2007 TIR NA N-OG AWARDS

The Welsh Books Council announced the winners of the 2007 Tir na n-Og Awards on S4C's magazine programme 'Wedi Saith' on Monday night, 7 May.

The awards are presented annually by the Welsh Books Council to honour the work of authors and illustrators of children’s books in Wales in three categories: the best English-language book with an authentic Welsh background, the best Welsh-language book for the primary sector and the best Welsh-language book for the secondary sector. Two of the awards are sponsored by CILIP Cymru/Wales.

1. THE ENGLISH AWARD

Winner: Daniel Morden - Dark Tales from the Woods
The winner in the category of the best English-language book with an authentic Welsh background is DANIEL MORDEN for his book, Dark Tales from the Woods (Gomer/Pont), a collection of seven short stories for 9–11 year-olds. The stories are based on the gypsy lore of the gipsy family of Abram Wood and their origin in fairy tales and legends, from both Welsh and international context.

2. WELSH-LANGUAGE PRIMARY CATEGORY

Winner: Mair Wynn Hughes - Ein Rhyfel Ni (Gwasg y Bwthyn)
The winner of the best book in the Welsh-language primary category is MAIR WYNN HUGHES for her novel Ein Rhyfel Ni (Gwasg y Bwthyn), a story for 9–11 year-olds about two evacuees from Liverpool who came to a rural area on Anglesey and how they adapted to their new environment. This is the fourth time for Mair Wynn Hughes to win the Tir na n-Og Award.

3. WELSH-LANGUAGE SECONDARY CATEGORY

Winner: Gareth F. Williams - Adref Heb Elin (Cyfres Whap!) (Gwasg Gomer)
The winner of the best book in the Welsh-language secondary category is GARETH F. WILLIAMS for his novel Adref Heb Elin (Cyfres Whap!) (Gomer Press), a gripping novel about a seventeen year-old girl who disappears from her home and the consequences her disappearance has on her parents and sister. This is the third time for Gareth F. Williams to win the Tir na n-Og Award.

Menna Lloyd Williams, Head of the Children’s Books Department said that: 'the prize-winning volumes are a reflection of the high standard of books for children and young people published in Wales at present, and also the wide variety of titles available.'

Of special interest:
Daniel Morden – Monmouthshire
Mair Wynn Hughes – Anglesey
Gareth F. Williams – Vale of Glamorgan

For further details please contact: Elwyn Jones, Head of Administration and Public Relations, Welsh Books Council, Castell Brychan, ABERYSTWYTH, Ceredigion, SY23 2JB.
T (01970) 624151 F (01970) 625385 E elwyn.jones@cllc.org.uk