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Alys Conran is based in North Wales, where she writes fiction and poetry. Her debut novel Pigeon is one of 6 books by writers aged 39 and under shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize 2017. 'An exquisite novel by a great new writer' – M.J Hyland   Last year a Welsh language adaptation of Pigeon (Pijin by Sian Northey) was published at the same time as the English original. This year Pigeon will be released in India by Bee Books. Alys Conran's short fiction has been placed in the Bristol Short Story Prize and the Manchester Fiction Prize. She completed her MA in Creative Writing at Manchester, graduating with distinction,...

Dai Smith, born in Rhondda in 1945, is a Welsh writer and historian who was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to culture and the arts in Wales. He has been a professor in History at Lancaster University, Cardiff University and Swansea University from 1969 until 1993, being awarded with a personal chair by the University of Wales in 1986. 

In 1993 he took up a position as editor for the BBC, working on Radio Wales and later on in 1994 became the Head of Broadcast (English Language) at BBC Wales, for which he commissioned various award-winning programmes, especially in the Arts and Drama until 2000. He became the Raymond Williams chairman in the Cultural History of Wales at Swansea University in 2005 and in 2007 he was appointed Arts Council of Wales chairman.

Series Editor of the Library of Wales for classic works written in English from or about Wales, Smith is also chair of the judging panel for the International Dylan Thomas Prize.

Marta Dziurosz reviews The Equestrienne by Slovak writer Uršul’a Kovalyk for the European Literature Network:

'This little book – it is only 80 pages long – packs a punch beyond its size [...] Karolína’s life, as she says at the very end, peaked at a time you’re not supposed to have anything good to say about, yet Kovalyk does not glorify the simpler times of communism. Her riotous, funny and painful parable is of a country and a girl in the throes of a revolution, of order turned upside-down.'

Buy The Equestrienne from Parthian Books

Parthian Books, Literature Wales and Wales Arts Review have teamed up with Bee Books in Kolkata, India for an exciting new collaborative new literature project between Welsh and Indian writers, entitled The Valley, The City, The Village.  Taking the title from Glyn Jones's classic novel The Valley, the City, the Village (part of our library of Wales series) the project will involve three writers from each country visiting India and Wales respectively, focusing on aspects of modern society referenced in the title and engaging with these through writing poetry, prose, blogs and stories. The project will further result in an anthology...

Tyler Keevil has been announced as a winner of the Missouri Review's Jeffrey E. Smith Editors' Prize, in the non-fiction category. His entry, 'Swarf', is about the author's experience working in an industrial unit in Mid Wales, and an injury sustained on the jobsite. Winners receive publication in the Missouri Review, an invitation to a reception in their honour, and a cash prize of $5000. Full details about the prize are available on the Missouri Review's website. To find out more about Tyler and his award-winning writing, visit his website