Author of the Month
Each month on the Libraries Wales website, we will focus on an inspiring author based in or writing about Wales. You’ll have an introduction to their latest book, a short biography of the author, what inspires them to write, and any advice they have for young writers, all available in exclusive interviews which you can read here.
Since introducing this feature, some of our focused authors to date have been Jon Blake, Dai Smith, Rob Gittins, and our very own Children’s Laureate Wales, Eloise Williams.
Are you a teacher or librarian? A special flyer will be available to download and print every month based on each of our showcased authors that can be used for educational purposes.
We will focus on two authors every month writing in English and Welsh. Link to the Welsh-language Author of the Month available here.
July 29, 2020
Emma Rea
Emma Rea graduated from St Andrews with a degree in Russian, and has worked as a magazine editor, a trader in newsprint, a book reviewer and tractor driver! She brought up her children in Powys, inspired by childhood memories of Wales and her grandmother’s stories of growing up in Mumbles. She is the author of […]
Read moreJune 26, 2020
Chloë Heuch
Too Dark to See is Chloë Heuch’s debut novel, published by Firefly Press on 2 July 2020. We caught up with Chloë, to find out what inspired her to produce this wonderful touching story for young adults … What inspired you to write this book? I lost my mum to cancer as a teenager. Losing […]
Read moreJune 17, 2020
Sam Adams
Sam Adams is a poet & author, and has written extensively on poetry and prose as both editor and critic. He is a former editor of Poetry Wales, and is the author of three monographs in the Writers of Wales series. The Road to Zarauz is a beautiful, elegiac rumination on youth, friendship and the dreams that […]
Read moreApril 29, 2020
Eloise Williams
Eloise Williams is the inaugural Children’s Laureate Wales 2019-2021, an initiative run by Literature Wales. She has published three books for young people with Firefly Press, Elen’s Island, Gaslight and Seaglass. Eloise’s fourth book – Wilde – will be published in May 2020. We caught up with Eloise to find out more about her new book, […]
Read moreApril 3, 2020
Rob Gittins
Shelter Me completes the trilogy begun by tense thrillers Gimme Shelter and Secret Shelter, revealing the dramatic conclusion to the gripping story of Ros Gilet, her family having been suddenly propelled into witness protection after violent events when she was a child. We asked Rob to reveal a little about his new crime thriller, which […]
Read moreMarch 10, 2020
Dai Smith
“In probing the meaning of Welsh lives in the twentieth century, Dai Smith’s novels offer sophisticated meditations on history and community, the past and the present…” Agenda. We asked Dai to tell us a little about his latest book The Crossing, and what inspires him to write … What inspired you to write The Crossing? […]
Read moreFebruary 7, 2020
Jon Blake
Thimble Wonga Bonkers is the third in the Lollies-shortisted Thimble Monkey series publishing on 20 February by Firefly Press. We asked Jon to tell us a little about his new book, and what inspires him to write … What inspired you to write Thimble Wonga Bonkers? I was ordered to write it by my son […]
Read more