Tonight, 18 March, the Books Council of Wales revealed the second of this year’s Tir na n-Og Award shortlists – the category for an English-language book with an authentic Welsh dimension. Tir na n-Og Awards Ambassador Richard Parks made the announcement with the help of young readers from Llandaff City Church in Wales School.
The awards celebrate the best of stories from Wales and stories about Wales that were published in 2025.
The Tir na n-Og Awards are the oldest awards for children’s literature in Wales and they celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2026. The awards are held every year by the Books Council of Wales, supported by CILIP Cymru Wales. They celebrate the talents and creativity of authors and illustrators who either create original works in Welsh, or who write about authentically Welsh themes or backgrounds through the medium of English.
The awards have three categories: Welsh-language Primary (age 4–11), Welsh-language Secondary (age 11–18) and English-language book with an authentic Welsh dimension (primary or secondary, age 4–18).
The shortlisted books in the English-language category this year are:
– Major and Mynah: Project Puffin by Karen Owen, illustrated by Louise Forshaw (Firefly)
SPUD – the Super Perceptive Undercover Detectives – are on holiday, but find themselves in a race to solve a new mystery! When they discover puffins coated in waste oil that has been dumped in the sea, they must find out who is to blame. Can they crack the case before more damage is caused to precious sea life and the Welsh coastline?
- The Wicked Lies of Habren Faire by Anna Fiteni (Electric Monkey)
For Sabrina Parry, the world is tough, cruel and practical. With her father in prison, her aims in life are: 1. hold onto her job, 2. hold her tongue and 3. set up her sister Ceridwen with a man rich enough to look after her. But then Ceridwen vanishes into the eerie woods leaving only an iron ring behind, and Sabrina is drawn into a beautiful but decaying world of fairies and monsters of old.
- 10 Fascinating Stories from Welsh History (that you’ll want to talk about) by Siân Lewis and Charlotte Williams, illustrated by Kyle Legall (Rily)
10 Fascinating Stories takes young readers on a thrilling journey through Welsh history, uncovering the remarkable and the unexpected. With each story, discover a timeline, map and vibrant illustrations that bring the past to life. Meet the Welsh heroes and ordinary people whose actions helped shape both the Wales we know today and the wider world.
Independent panels of judges select the shortlists and decide on the winners for the Welsh and English awards each year. The judges on the English-language panel this year were Karen Gemma Brewer (Chair), Kate Wynne, Ben James and Molly Tidy.
Helgard Krause, Chief Executive of the Books Council of Wales said: “It is a real pleasure to announce such high‑quality shortlists in this special year. After half a century, the Tir na n‑Og Awards continue to celebrate the very best books for children and young people, and the books that have reached the top this year truly deserve their place. Huge congratulations to all the authors, illustrators and publishers – I am very much looking forward to seeing who will take home the awards in the summer!”
The shortlist was revealed by Richard Parks and the children of Llandaf City Church in Wales School on the Tir na n-Og Instagram account @gwobrautirnanogawards (opens in new tab)
The shortlist for the Welsh-language Primary category was revealed on Tuesday 17 March on Heno S4C. The shortlist for the Welsh-language Secondary category will be announced on Thursday evening, 19 March on Heno S4C.
The winner of the English-language category will be announced at the CILIP Cymru Wales conference on 9 May and the Welsh-language category winners at the Urdd Eisteddfod Ynys Môn on 28 May.
This year, young readers can once again choose the winners in a special category: the Readers’ Choice Award. The winner of this award is chosen by children and young people who take part in the Tir na n-Og shadowing scheme. Schools, libraries and other children’s reading groups can register to take part and be unofficial judges to choose winners from the shortlisted books, with the guidance of the shadowing pack. You can find out how to register on the Books Council’s website: Tir na n-Og Awards | Books Council of Wales
Bookshops and libraries will be holding Tir na n-Og Treasure Hunts over the Easter holidays with the chance for children aged 4–11 to take part. Ask your local bookshop or library for details.
Readers of all ages can join the Tir na n-Og Reading Challenge this year and enjoy a series of fun challenges to take them on a reading adventure to remember. Different versions are available for children, young people and adults, with plenty of challenges to choose from to share with family and friends. Tir na n-Og Reading Challenge leaflets can be collected from your local bookshop or library or can be downloaded from Tir na n-Og Awards | Books Council of Wales. The Books Council of Wales is very grateful to Gwasg Gomer Press for their generous support to print the reading challenges.
The Books Council of Wales is very grateful to our Ambassadors and generous supporters of the Tir na n-Og Awards 2026:
Ambassadors: Richard Parks, Elain Llwyd and Ffion Llwyd.
Sponsors:
- CILIP Cymru, our long-standing sponsor of the awards
- BCCIT
- Folly Farm
- Gwasg Gomer
- Halen Môn
- Welshpool Printing Group
Further information about the awards and the shortlisted titles can be found on the Books Council’s website, Gwobrau Tir na n-Og | Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru
Supporting the National Year of Reading, Go All In (opens in new tab), the Tir na n-Og Awards and Reading Challenge are part of a huge programme of activities to celebrate reading across the UK. The main aim of the ‘Go All In’ campaign is to inspire people to develop a lifelong love of reading – to immerse themselves in a book and enjoy reading.