We ask Ken Skates and the Welsh Government to stop the proposed 10.6% cut to the Welsh Books Council, which comes after a decade of standstill funding for the Welsh publishing industry.
The cut is more than twice as much as planned cuts to other cultural organisations such as the Arts Council of Wales, and represents a major threat to the future of Welsh publishing and literature.
Stop the proposed 10.6% cut from being approved, and protect the future of the Welsh books industry.
Join in the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #WelshBooksMatter
Why is this important?
The future of publishing in Wales and with it ‘a distinctive literature from Wales’ could be under threat if the Welsh Government agrees a proposed 10.6% cut to industry funding.
Wales’ small but vibrant and diverse publishing industry produces everything from Costa prize-winning poetry titles to young adult novels, from books about sporting and music legends to Welsh history and art, from prize-winning literature: fiction, biography, travel and memoir, academic titles and Welsh classics, to richly illustrated titles and books for children, in English and Welsh.
Its independent publishing companies are spread across the country, providing skilled work for an estimated 1000 plus people, from authors to publishers, freelance editors, designers, illustrators, printers, booksellers and many others, often in areas of high unemployment.
After a decade of standstill funding, grants to Welsh publishing in English will have been cut by 21% - £158,050 – in the last three years if these latest plans go through.
Sign this petition to protect the future of Welsh literature and the Welsh books industry.
Join in the conversation on Twitter by using the hashtag #WelshBooksMatter
