20th January, 2016

Breaking News: 10.6% Funding Cut to Welsh Books Industry Revoked

Following a popular campaign from Welsh publishers, authors and supporters throughout the UK and beyond, Ken Skates and the Welsh Government have announced that the proposed 10.6% cut to the Welsh Books Council will not go ahead. 
The announcement that there will be no funding cuts to the Welsh books industry for 2016/17 makes clear that our voices have been heard, and that the Welsh Government understands how detrimental the cuts would have been to Welsh literature and culture.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in organising the campaign, and to everyone who showed their support either by signing the online petition or by engaging with the #WelshBooksMatter conversation on Twitter. Special mentions should go to Kathryn Gray, who was a driving force behind the campaign’s success, and to Richard Houdmont, Chair of our Board of Directors, who spoke today at the Wales National Assembly. Authors Philip Pullman, Sarah Waters and Gillian Clarke were among the many well-known names to publicly lend their support to the cause. David Williamson of Wales Online, The Guardian’s Alison Flood, Natasha Onwuemezi from The Bookseller and Carolyn Hitt of Wales Online are just some of many who gave excellent media coverage to the issue. 
Finally, thanks must go to Ken Skates and the Welsh Government for overturning the cuts. This is a great day for Welsh publishing and literature, and we couldn’t be happier.