Representing Wales: Looking back on a year of professional writer development
“I’ve come into this as an older writer, but an older writer who’s started anew, so I feel fresher and more enthusiastic than I did before. I feel that having been accepted onto this programme has validated me. That the thing I’ve been squashing down the whole of my life has suddenly got justice, and so I feel happier, fresher, more confident” – Lesley James“Since I’ve been in the Representing Wales programme, I have started referring to myself as a poet. I really embrace the fact that this is who I am and that this is what I do, it’s not just something I’m exploring on the side, and I can envision being able to do this for a long time, I have ambitions.” – Natasha Gauthier
14 exceptional Welsh writers are nearing the end of their intensive year-long writer development journey with Literature Wales. This is the fourth Representing Wales cohort since the launch of the flagship programme in 2021. The writers were announced in April 2024 following a competitive selection process that attracted over 100 applications.
As well as a financial bursary and mentoring sessions, the cohort have enjoyed masterclasses, workshops and talks by industry experts and some of the best writers and creative writing tutors in Wales and beyond. Names include Rachel Trezise, Rachel Dawson, Jacob Ross, Damian Kerlin, Jasmine Donahaye, Raymond Antrobus, Llio Maddocks, Deanna Rodger, Clare Mackintosh, Luke Wright, Kaite O’Reilly, Clare Shaw and representatives from publishers including Calon, Parthian, Seren, Lucent Dreaming, Sebra, Barddas, Y Lolfa, Cyhoeddiadau’r Stamp, Penguin, 404Ink and Granta.
Several trips were made to Tŷ Newydd for residential stays, to Hay Festival, and to meet with respective mentors throughout the year.
The impact of this year’s programme is already bearing fruit, with several of the writers reporting that exciting talks and developments are in progress for their writing and careers, including meetings with agents, placing in writing competitions, publishing work in magazines and anthologies, full manuscript requests and more. We look forward to sharing some of this news soon.
The Representing Wales programme is going from strength to strength, with alumni using their training and mentoring to step on to great successes in the publishing industry including:
- An anthology of the second cohort’s work was published by Lucent Dreaming in 2024 – (un)common: anthology of new Welsh writing.
- Anthony Shapland from cohort 2 has published his debut novel A Room Above a Shop with Granta this month (March 2025), with The Guardian’s review praising it as “one of the best debut novels in years”.
- Bethany Handley, who was on cohort 3, has also published her debut poetry collection this year, Cling Film (Seren press). She also collaborated with two of her Representing Wales colleagues, Sioned Erin Hughes and Megan Hunter on the bilingual Beyond / Tu Hwnt – Anthology of Welsh Deaf and Disabled Writers (Lucent Dreaming, 2025).
- Rhiannon Oliver from the third cohort announced that her debut poetry collection Fresh will be published by Firefly Press in spring 2025.
The fifth cohort have now been onboarded and are waiting eagerly backstage to step into the limelight for our announcement in April 2025. But before then, it’s our pleasure at Literature Wales to celebrate our wonderful current cohort, and what better way to do so than through their own joyful words. Keep an eye on Literature Wales’ social media platforms during the week beginning Monday 31 March for the Representing Wales social media take over.
Representing Wales is funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Wales and The Foyle Foundation.