Y Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chwaraeon

Policy review - English Medium Writing In Wales

National Library of Wales

I write to you on behalf of the National Library of Wales. The Library is grateful for the opportunity to respond to your letter and hopes that the following comments will be of use to you in your review. The obstacles and oportunities currently available English is the language of the vast majority of the people of Wales and so the National Library is convinced that this particular field of English medium writing in Wales has great importance to the culture of our country and our nation. The tendency to devalue and disparage writing in English about Wales is a cause for concern, and the fact that general awareness of English literature from Wales - both within and outside our country’s borders - is very weak, is a disappointment. The National Assembly is in a position to deal with these concerns. We believe that a strong and powerful strategy of marketing English literature from Wales is needed, both within and outside Wales. In the Survey of the Diwydiant Cyhoeddi yng Nghymru [Publishing Industry in Wales] (Canolfan y Llyfr 2000), the lack of marketing which exists today was exposed and we welcome the Joint Marketing Strategy which is in consultation at present and which could make a great difference to the situation if it were wholly implemented in the case of our English writing. The document shows vision and initiative, and the eagerness and readiness of the sector as a whole (publishers, booksellers, libraries and public bodies) to co-operate is to be greatly welcomed: it is to be hoped that the Assembly Government will see its way clear to providing the necessary resources to implement this strategy. Contacts with other sectors, such as education and tourism It is suggested that this lack of awareness (which is on occasions abysmal) of English writing in Wales could have its roots deep in the education system: for example, it is not the role of ACCAC to provide English material for the Welsh Curriculum - only Welsh or bilingual material. It should also be noted that Anglo-Welsh literature is not on the syllabus in all of the Colleges of the University of Wales. In order to overcome the prejudices of our own people and the people of other nations, exciting and constructive marketing must be planned. In education, Wales’ English literature must be given its rightful place in the National Curriculum in Wales and attempts must be made to promote quality literature from Wales to Education Boards outside our country. Libraries should be encouraged to give prominence to Wales’ English literature and to encourage their readers to borrow these books. It is possible that there is room for libraries to improve their Welsh collections and resources should be provided for them to be able to do this. Certainly, centres and tourist attractions should be encouraged to keep and sell books about Wales. These works also need to be marketed outside Wales: a further cause for concern is seeing so few books from Wales on the shelves of the main shops in the important centres in England, Ireland and Scotland. The role of relevant institutions The Library greatly welcomes the transfer of the Welsh Arts Council’s publishing portfolio to the Books Council: this at last offers an opportunity to develop the industry in a more integrated way. The infrastructure/structure of the industry needs to be looked at and presses helped to strengthen their business and grow successfully: one way of doing this, possibly, would be to provide funding so that the presses could commission English medium authors to create books for which there is a need in Wales and beyond. In short, if we are to see English writing in Wales flourish, much more public investment is needed, channelled possibly through the Welsh Books Council, which is the most appropriate body to do so on behalf of the Assembly Government. In the same way that the Welsh side has received support from the Assembly over recent years, the English side now needs developing, possibly concentrating on:

• extending the provision (Literature cannot exist in a vacuum; Welsh material is needed at all levels)
• establishing a system of broad training, creating strong links with media courses in universities in Wales
• strengthening marketing
• investing in the industry’s infrastructure

Promoting new writing and classics New writing and classics both need to be promoted. Priority should be given to encouraging new writing, but in the case of promotion, the need of the classics and new writing is great. How should the support for the classics be regulated? This work could be entrusted to the Welsh Books Council, the most appropriate and experienced body to do so. Electronic publishing Another field in which the National Library has an interest is the field of digital publishing and electronic publishing. Again, the abysmal lack of English material from Wales already digitised is emphasised. Again, in the context of education (meeting the needs of the Welsh Curriculum), the appropriateness of digitising appropriate material should be considered, but alongside traditional publishing methods, rather than in their place. Yours sincerely Pedr ap Llwyd Assistant Director