Literature Wales is an organisation celebrating and supporting the written and spoken word, in both Welsh and English. The ethos is that literature belongs to everyone, and they work with a range of communities within Wales to ensure that literature is a voice for all.
The organisation has run since 2004, but has really grown in their first couple of years and have decided to announc their first patron, and who better than award winning, best-selling author Philip Pullman.
While Pullman was born in Norwich, he and his family now reside in Llanbedr, Gwynedd and he’s certainly considered an honorary Welshman. Author of several best selling novels including His Dark Materials, Pullman has been a great voice for literature and reading advocate, and has already offered so much more to the world of literature than just the words in his books.
As the first patron for the organisation he has the bar to set, and upon announcement of this position he’s quoted as saying
“Making it possible for school children to meet a professional writer – I don’t say ‘real’ writer, because children are real writers too – is one of the best ways of encouraging them to think that writing has a purpose, brings pleasure and can be a means of exciting discovery and a source of lasting satisfaction. It is also a great stimulus to reading. I strongly approve of the work being done by Literature Wales to bring children and professional writers together—it’s really beneficial for both parties.”
With such a respected author on board, the next year should be an exciting one for Literature Wales and we’d strongly advise checking out their website for news and events, particularly if you are resident in Wales.
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