Seren was delighted to have two out of three nominations on the fiction shortlist for Wales Book of the Year when it was announced last night at a special event at Theatr Brycheiniog, in Brecon. Joe Dunthorne’s Wild Abandon completes the shortlist.

Nomination for prizes is becoming a habit for Minhinnick and McGuinness. Minhinnick’s The Keys of Babylon is a collection of linked stories about people migration, set in countries around the world, the main characters from which are brought together in a final story which looks at their lives on the same day. It’s “a book for our times” as prize judge Spencer Jordan said. A story from the book was shortlisted for the Sunday Times/EFG Bank Short Story Prize earlier this year, and the book is currently longlisted for the Edge Hill Story Prize.

Wales Book of the Year is the fifth prize nomination for McGuinness’s novel, The Last Hundred Days, the story of a young Englishman abroad, caught up in the final days of the Ceausecu regime in Romania. The book has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Prize, longlisted for the Desmond Elliott First Novel Prize and shortlisted for the Authors Club Best First Novel Award. The shortlist of the Desmond Elliott Prize is announced next week and the inner of the Author’s Club Award on 29 May.

And although it wasn’t shortlisted, Seren was pleased that Ellie Evans’ debut, The Ivy Hides the Fig-Ripe Duchess, was the sole poetry collection given an ‘honourable mention’ by the judges in the poetry category. The book was much praised and Ellie deemed “a poet to watch”.

The Wales Book of the Year will be awarded at a special ceremony on July 12th. If you’re a fan of Robert or Patrick’s books (or any of the other shortlisted titles!) you can vote for ‘people’s choice’ on the Media Wales website.