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Y Lolfa - Wales' liveliest press
Talybont  Aberystwyth  Ceredigion  Cymru/Wales  SY24 5HE
+44(0) 1970 832 304
fax 832 782   ylolfa@ylolfa.com
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Y Lolfa - Location

Y Lolfa is located in the Old Police Station in Talybont (Ceredigion) on the main road (A487) between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth, opposite Bethel and Tabernacl chapels, on the same side as the Memorial Hall.

Use the post code SY24 5HE if you're using a Sat Nav system to find us. For a map, see our contact page.

Y Lolfa - Background

Y Lolfa was born in the mid-sixties in a large, draughty warehouse in the middle of Wales. It was an exciting period of fun and protest. The company acted as unofficial printers to the new, activist Welsh Language Society, while also producing its own irreverent brand of popular and political material.

The word Y Lolfa comes from the word Lol, the title of the magazine it had launched in 1966. Lol means 'nonsense' or 'fun' while -fa means 'place'. The word also means 'The Lounge', reflecting the relaxed nature of its early publications.
Gradually the company evolved, and in 1977 ironically took over the Courtroom and Police Station in Talybont. As well as publishing a wide range of books in Welsh, it started producing English-language books on subjects of Welsh interest, including best-selling titles like Welsh is Fun, and Gwynfor Evans' masterly Land of My Fathers.

The company had always done its own print and design. In the sixties it took full advantage of new freedom offered by photo-litho technology, and in the nineties embraced the digital revolution. Y Lolfa now has four-colour and perfector presses with half its turnover coming from commercial print work.

This website shows the astonishingly wide range of material now being published. The launch of the Dinas imprint was a huge recent success. The company has, however, remained loyal to its original ideals, and is the only Welsh publishing company that has a policy of not adapting from other languages – a lazy method of book cloning favoured by public bodies – preferring to support home-grown artists and designers.

In a world dominated by large corporations, Y Lolfa is determined to prove, in the words of E F Schumacher, that “small is beautiful”, and that belonging to a small nation like Wales is much preferable to being part of a large power bloc. It was André Gide who said, “I love small numbers; I love small nations; the world will be saved by the few”.



Y Lolfa

The team









Y Lolfa, Talybont, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Cymru/Wales SY24 5HE     +44(0) 1970 832 304

New!

Clawr | Cover The Prince and the Patriot
The Prince and the Patriot
John D Rogers
£6.95
full details

Clawr | Cover The Six Nations Rugby Songbook
The Six Nations Rugby Songbook
Y Lolfa
£2.95
full details

Clawr | Cover Out of the Valley
Out of the Valley
Richard Lewis
£8.95
full details

Clawr | Cover Owain Glyndwr Prince of Wales
Owain Glyndwr Prince of Wales
R R Davies
£5.95
full details