The Books Council of Wales has announced that Megan Farr will take up the post of Business Development Manager from June 2026.
Based in the Books Council’s Distribution Centre team, this strategic role works closely with publishers to identify new growth opportunities, supports publishing clients to reach their sales potential, and helps generate income to underpin the charity’s long-term sustainability.
Megan joins the Books Council from Bath Spa University where she is a Lecturer in Publishing for BA and MA courses. She brings 25 years’ experience across Welsh and UK publishing to the role, alongside a deep knowledge of the Welsh publishing landscape in both English and Welsh, and doctoral research directly focused on growing the international reach of books from Wales. She has held industry roles in Wales at Firefly Press, Graffeg and New Welsh Review, and in London at Bonnier and Macmillan Children’s Books. She is currently a board director at Seren Books.
Megan joins the team at an exciting time as the Distribution Centre continues its development following the successful implementation of the new software system KNK in 2024. The new system has transformed the Distribution Centre’s operational capacity and efficiency in its first 2 years, bringing increased efficiencies in stock and warehouse operations and advancements in information management.
With the re-launch of the consumer website, ffolio.wales, in February which now offers a one-stop online shop for books from Wales in all formats, the Distribution Centre continues to create opportunities for publishers to increase sales and reach new audiences.
Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “We are delighted to welcome Megan to the Sales team as she takes up this pivotal role at our Distribution Centre. Her wealth of experience from the publishing sector in Wales, the UK and beyond includes hands-on roles in Sales, Marketing and management of major trade accounts, alongside rigorous academic research and international expertise.
Megan joins us as we are better placed than ever before to support the books sector in Wales and help it thrive. The new system has been transformative and Megan’s role as part of our Sales team will help our publishing clients get the best out of our services, to seek out new opportunities and grow their businesses.”
Megan will start her new job in June, before which she will be following an immersion course in Welsh in preparation for the role. Already a Welsh learner, Megan has committed to developing her Welsh to fluency with the support of the Books Council, in order to take up the post.
Megan said: “I am thrilled to be joining the Books Council at such an exciting time, and I’m looking forward to working with publishers in Wales to help them grow and reach new audiences across the UK and around the world. This role reflects my deep belief in the power and richness of Welsh literature to captivate readers everywhere. I cannot wait to get started!”