Wales Book of the Year 2019 shortlist announced

"Mental health and identity" feature in the shortlisted titles in both languages, says Lleucu Siencyn

The shortlist for the Wales Book of the Year 2019 awards for English and Welsh-language books has been announced.

Two independent judging panels have selected nine works for each language in categories for poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction.

Lleucu Siencyn, chief executive of Literature Wales, said "mental health and identity - both personal and national" feature in the shortlisted titles.

The winner will be announced in June.

Robert Minhinnick won his third Wales Book of the Year award last year

Roland Mathias Poetry Award

• Insistence by Ailbhe Darcy

• Salacia by Mari Ellis Dunning

• Gen by Jonathan Edwards

Fiction Award

• Arrest Me, for I Have Run Away by Stevie Davies

• West by Carys Davies

• Sal by Mick Kitson

The Creative Non-Fiction Award

• Moneyland by Oliver Bullough

• The light in the dark: A winter journal by Horatio Clare

• Having a go at the Kaiser: A Welsh family at war by Gethin Matthews

Welsh-language Poetry Award

• Twt Lol by Emyr Lewis

• Cyrraedd a cherddi eraill by Alan Llwyd

• Stafell fy Haul by Manon Rhys

Welsh-language Fiction Award

• Ynys Fadog by Jerry Hunter

• Llyfr Glas Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros

• Esgyrn by Heiddwen

Welsh-language Creative Non-Fiction Award

• Cymru mewn 100 Gwrthrych by Andrew Green

• Cymru Ddu a'r Ddalen Wen by Lisa Sheppard

• Rhyddhau'r Cranc by Malan

The English-language judges are poet Sandeep Parmar, Louise Holmwood Marshall of Aberystwyth University, and novelist and professor Russell Celyn Jones.

Judges for the Welsh-language awards are poet and former winner, Idris Reynolds, broadcaster and author Dylan Ebenezer and Cathryn Charnell-White of Aberystwyth University.

The awards ceremony for the competition, run by Literature Wales, includes a people's choice winner in both languages.