21.6.18 Press Release – Nominations announced for 2018 Holyer an Gof Awards

Gorsedh Kernow’s hard working band of loyal reader reviewers has been keeping the organising committee very busy once again with an impressive 350 reports submitted for the much anticipated annual Holyer an Gof Publishers’ Awards, now in its 22nd year.

“We are pleased that the number of entries is up this year, especially in the non-fiction history, language and creative arts class and the overall quality of writing, illustrating and publishing is better than ever,” said Holyer an Gof co-organiser Gareth Parry, Mab Meliner Gwlan.

“The Gorsedh Kernow Holyer an Gof Awards continue to attract entries from all round the publishing world and with the phenomenal growth in self publishing we are particularly pleased to see entries coming in from this hard to reach sector, especially from new authors writing about Cornwall.”

Promoted annually by Gorsedh Kernow for publications relating to Cornwall or the Cornish language, Holyer An Gof has become a model for Cornish awards and Gorsedh Kernow is very pleased to encourage all supporters of Cornish publishing.

“These Awards have become an important and much-anticipated annual event,” said Grand Bard Merv Davey, Telynyor an Weryn, “but after years of steady growth in support from Waterstones for Holyer an Gof we all agreed that we had outgrown the space kindly provided in their Truro store by Andrew Forster and his hard working staff.”

Celebrating the work of Gorsedh Kernow promoting and creating real Cornish culture, now in its 90th anniversary year, it seemed appropriate to build on this success by linking up with an exciting new venue also marking an important milestone.

“We are delighted to announce that our Awards presentation evening this year will be held at the Royal Institute of Cornwall Museum in Truro, celebrating their 200th anniversary,” said Merv Davey, “and we look forward to welcoming winning authors, publishers and other invited guests to be part of this special evening.”

The nominations for the 2018 Gorsedh Kernow Holyer an Gof annual Awards are:

Class 1.0 – Cornish language books for teaching

There were no nominations in this class.

Class 1.1 – Cornish language books for children

Ted a Rewl an Bys by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, translated by Pol Hodge, published by Barrington Stoke.

 Class 1.2 – Cornish language books for adults

Cornish for All by Robert Morton Nance, published by Agan Tavas.

Dicky Holla by Rod Lyon, published by Kesva an Taves Kernewek.

Class 1.3 – Books translated into Cornish

Pystrior Marthus Pow Oz by L. Frank Baum, translated by Nicholas Williams, published by Evertype.

Class 2.0  – Books for children of primary age

A Song for Will and the Lost Gardeners of Heligan by Hilary Robinson & Martin Impey, published by Strauss House Productions.

Morgowr and the Leatherback Turtle by Judy Scrimshaw, published by Granny Moff Books.

The Little Sea Dragon’s Wild Adventure by Helen Dunmore, published by Mabecron Books.

Class 2.1  – Books for young adults

The Ghosts of Blackbottle Rock by Martyn Beardsley, published by Our Street Books, John Hunt Publishing.

Class 3 – Adult Fiction

Dan Daddow’s Cornish Comicalities by Alan M Kent, published by Ryelands (Halsgrove).

Falling Creatures by Katherine Stansfield, published by Allison and Busby Ltd.

Find Me by J.S. Munroe, published by Head of Zeus.

The Cove by Malcolm Richards, self published via CreateSpace.

To Untie a Sealed Knot by S.J. Haxton, self published via Boswell Book Publishing.

Class 4 – Poetry

A Certain Man edited by Simon Parker, published by Scryfa.

The Almost Island by Des Hannigan, published by Scryfa.

Class 5.0 – Non Fiction – History, Language and Creative Arts

A Cornish Celtic Way by Nigel Marns, self published.

Cornwall: A History (revised) by Philip Payton, published by University of Exeter Press.

Hark! The Glad Sound of Cornish Carols by Hilary Coleman and Sally Burley, published by Francis Boutle Publishers.

Linkinhorne by Simon Parker, published by Scryfa.

The Seaweed Cookbook by Caroline Warwick-Evans & Tim Van Berkel, published by Lorenz Books.

Class 5.1 – Non Fiction – Marine, Industrial Heritage and the Environment

Celebrating Pevsner edited by Paul Holden, published by Francis Boutle Publishers.

Mine Pumping Engines in 18th Century Cornwall by R.J. Stewart, published by the Trevithick Society.

Penlee Lifeboat Station: Service not Self by Rachael Campney, published by the RNLI.

Class 5.2 – Non Fiction in which illustrations predominate

Perranporth: Images and Stories from the Village and Parish by Perranzabuloe Museum Management Committee, published by Perranzabuloe Museum.

Stanhope Forbes: Father of the Newlyn School by Elizabeth Knowles, published by Sansom & Company.

Class 6 – Booklets

Fogou by Simon Parker, published by Scryfa.

The Great Cornish Cake Bake Cake Book by Judy Lawton, published by Cornwall Hospice Care Ltd.

End of Press Release

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For further information about the Gorsedh Kernow Holyer an Gof Publishers’ Awards please contact Holyer an Gof co-organiser Pat Parry, Gwylan Gernow, email  enquiries@holyerangofawards.org.uk

For general information about Gorsedh Kernow please contact Delia Brotherton, Myrghwyn Melynor, Gorsedh Kernow Honorary Secretary, email  hon.secretary@gorsedhkernow.org.uk

Further notes for editors

The Holyer an Gof Publishers’ Awards are promoted annually by Gorsedh Kernow for publications relating to Cornwall or the Cornish language and were launched in 1996 in memory of Redruth Publisher and Bard of Gorsedh Kernow, Leonard Truran, whose bardic name was Holyer an Gof – Follower of The Smith.

The awards were established and organised by members of Gorsedh Kernow to raise the standard and profile of publishing in Cornwall.

The panel of reader reviewers mainly comprises members of Gorsedh Kernow’s College of Bards and others with particular expertise.

Details of all the entries for 2018 can be found on the Holyer an Gof website www.holyerangofawards.org.uk

Winning entries in each category will be announced and prizes awarded at a special Presentation evening at the Royal Institution of Cornwall Museum in Truro. Each nominee will receive a Gorsedh Kernow certificate.  In addition there will be four Awards made during the presentation evening;

The Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek Cup – awarded for the best original work in Cornish (Kernewek).

The Gorsedh Kernow Ann Trevenen Jenkin Cup – awarded for authorship in the class for children and young adults.

The new Old Cornwall Society Holyer an Gof Cup – awarded to one of the winners in classes 5 and 6.

The Holyer an Gof Trophy, donated by the late Joan Truran, awarded to one of the winners in classes 1 to 4.

The winners of the Holyer an Gof Trophy and the Old Cornwall Society Holyer an Gof Cup will also each receive a £50 donation to the Cornish charity of their choice.

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