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Congratulations to the Wales Book of the Year 2026 winners
Posted on 10/07/26
Category: News
What a night for Welsh writing. The winners of the 2026 Wales Book of the Year and Llyfr y Flwyddyn awards were announced in Caernarfon last night, celebrating a rich mix of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, writing for children and young people, and readers’ favourites.
At Siop y Pethe, we love seeing Welsh literature and writing from Wales given this kind of spotlight. This year’s winners range from major Welsh-language poetry to a quietly powerful debut novel, alongside books that explore memory, place, family, identity and belonging.
The 2026 overall winners
Llyfr y Flwyddyn 2026 and Welsh-language Poetry Award: Mae by Mererid Hopwood, published by Cyhoeddiadau Barddas.
Wales Book of the Year 2026 and English-language Fiction Award: A Room Above a Shop by Anthony Shapland, published by Granta.
Together, the two main prizes show the breadth of contemporary Welsh writing: Mererid Hopwood’s poetry brings a deep, humane attention to language and the world around us, while Anthony Shapland’s debut novel marks the arrival of a distinctive new voice from south Wales.
Welsh-language category winners
- Poetry: Mae, Mererid Hopwood (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas)
- Fiction: Tri, Sonia Edwards (Gwasg y Bwthyn)
- Creative Non-fiction: Y Cyfan a Fu Rhyngom Ni – Ar Lwybrau ‘Atgof’ Prosser Rhys, Iestyn Tyne (Gwasg y Bwthyn)
- Children & Young People: Y Cae Ras, Manon Steffan Ros (Y Lolfa)
- Golwg360 People’s Choice: Trochi, Carwyn Eckley (Gwasg Carreg Gwalch)
English-language category winners
- Fiction: A Room Above a Shop, Anthony Shapland (Granta)
- Poetry: The Storm’s Flora, Laura Wainwright (Seren Books)
- Creative Non-fiction: Children of Radium: A Buried Inheritance, Joe Dunthorne (Hamish Hamilton)
- Children & Young People: My Dog, Olivia Wakeford (HarperCollins Children’s Books / Harper Fire)
- Nation.Cymru People’s Choice: There She Goes, My Beautiful World, Gosia Buzzanca (Calon Books)
It is also lovely to see so many publishers represented across the list, from Welsh independent presses to major UK imprints. The result is a winners’ list that feels varied, energetic and very much worth exploring.
If you would like to read your way through the 2026 winners, call into the shop or browse online. We will link individual books as they become available on siopypethe.cymru.
