Winners announced for 2020 Holyer an Gof Awards

Gorsedh Kernow is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Holyer an Gof Publishers’ competition.  Sadly we’ve not been able to hold our usual gala awards event at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro this year because of Covid-19 restrictions.

Established and organised by Gorsedh Kernow to encourage publishing in Cornwall, this year’s winners were once again chosen from the best, recently published books about Cornwall, set in Cornwall or in Kernewek (the Cornish language).

“We were delighted that a major effort by our hard-working reader-reviewers meant that we were able to complete the ‘Holyer Year’ almost as usual, despite the problems caused by the Covid-19 epidemic,” said Holyer an Gof co-organiser Professor Gareth Parry, Mab Meliner Gwlan.

Gorsedh Kernow, which promotes Cornish culture, is keen to build on this year’s success and looks forward to 2021.  Submissions of books published in 2020 are welcome from November 1st.

The winners of the 2019 Gorsedh Kernow Holyer an Gof Publisher’s Awards are:

Class 1 -Dyllansow yn Kernewek – publications in the Cornish language

Class 1a – Cornish language books for teaching

Passio Christi (Student edition) edited by Roger Courtenay and published by Kesva an Taves Kernewek

Class 1c – Cornish language books for adults
Virgil’s Fountain (Fenten Feryl) written by Tim Saunders and published by Francis Boutle Publishers

Class 2 – Books for children

Class 2a – Books for children of primary age

The Mermaid’s Christmas Adventure written and illustrated by Michael Foreman and published by Mabecron Books

Class 2b  – Books for young adults

The Soul of Lyskerrys written and published by Robert Beck

Class 3 –  Fiction for adults

Hidden Depths written by Carla Vermaat and published by Carmichael Publishers

Class 5 – Non fiction

Class 5a – Non Fiction – Social, Cultural and Political History

Cornwall: Connectivity and Identity in the Fourteenth Century written by S.J.Drake and published by Boydell and Brewer Ltd.

Class 5b – Non fiction – Science, Environment and Industrial / Marine

Sea of Storms written by Richard Larn, illustrated by Oliver Hurst and published by Mabecron Books

Class 5c – Non fiction – Leisure and Lifestyle

Fifty Views of St. Michael’s Mount and Waves by Mike Newman published by Trevale Press.  N.B.  These two volumes of photographs have been awarded the prize jointly.

Class 5d – Non fiction – Memoir

Homesick written by Catrina Davies and published by riverrun, Quercus

Class 6 – Booklets

Swimming Mount’s Bay written by Penny Rumble and Sand Rothwell and published by Penny Rumble

The Holyer an Gof Cup – awarded to one of the winners in classes 1 – 4

Virgil’s Fountain (Fenten Feryl) written by Tim Saunders and published by Francis Boutle Publishers

The Federation of Old Cornwall Societies (FOCS) Holyer an Gof Cup – awarded to one of the winners in classes 5 and 6.

This is awarded jointly to:

Cornwall: Connectivity and Identity in the Fourteenth Century written by S.J.Drake and published by Boydell and Brewer Ltd.

and

Sea of Storms written by Richard Larn, illustrated by Oliver Hurst and published by Mabecron Books

The Kowethas an Yeth Kernewek Cup – awarded for the best original fiction work in Cornish or translation into Cornish:

Virgil’s Fountain (Fenten Feryl) written by Tim Saunders and published by Francis Boutle Publishers

The Ann Trevenen Jenkin Cup, awarded for authorship in Class 2, books for children and young adults:

The Mermaid’s Christmas Adventure written and illustrated by Michael Foreman and published by Mabecron Books

The website carries lists of submitted books in 2019-20, nominated publications and the list of winners this year.  http//www,holyerangofawards.org.uk

Further notes for Editors

Gorsedh Kernow exists to maintain the national Celtic Spirit of Cornwall and to give expression to such spirit, to encourage the study of Cornish history and literature, the Cornish language, to foster Cornish art, music, dance and sport and to link with other Celtic countries.

For further information about Gorsedh Kernow please visit our website  www.gorsedhkernow.org.uk

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