Tonight, 19 March, the Books Council of Wales revealed the third of this year’s Tir na n-Og Award shortlists on Heno, S4C – for the Welsh-language Secondary category. 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).
Four titles have reached the shortlist in the Welsh-language Secondary category this year. They are:
– Y Garthen by Sioned Wyn Roberts (Atebol)
An historical adventure about Pegi and her brother Ifan who work in the Rhyd Ddu wool factory on Pen Llŷn. One morning Pegi comes across a bag of money stolen from the factory and Amos Williams, the factory manager, accuses Ifan of taking it.
– Anfarwol by Rebecca Roberts (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
Six pupils from the Ysgol Uwchradd Glan y Gors immersion course are on a school trip to camp Coed Daniel. But they’re the only class that manage to make it to the end of the journey….
- Gwen ac Arianrhod by Lleucu Gwenllian, illustrated by Lleucu Gwenllian (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
Moving to a new school is never easy – it’s even harder when you don’t fit in. A graphic novel about friendship, grief and the difficulties of growing up.
– Y Cae Ras by Manon Steffan Ros (Y Lolfa)
Danny’s life is complicated. His mum has a new boyfriend that his twin, Mali, doesn’t like, and this brings a world of change to the small family that lives in the shadow of Y Cae Ras.
Independent panels of judges select the shortlists and decide on the winners for the Welsh and English awards each year. The judges on the Welsh-language panel this year were Rhys Dilwyn Jenkins (Chair), Helen Jones, Malachy Edwards and Loti Glyn.
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 – so much so that there are four books shortlisted this year in the secondary category instead of the usual three. 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 for the Welsh-language Primary category was revealed on Tuesday 17 March on Heno S4C. The shortlist for the English-language category was announced on Wednesday 18 March by Richard Parks, Tir na n-Og Ambassador, and the Books Council of Wales on Instagram @gwobrautirnanogawards (opens in new tab)
The winners will be announced in the summer, with the English-language category winner to be announced at the CILIP Cymru Wales conference on 9 May and the Welsh-language category winners to be announced 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, Ymgolli / 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.