News

HOW THE PEOPLE OF SWANSEA ENDURED THE TOWN’S GREATEST ORDEAL October 2024 sees the publication of Swansea and the Second World War (Y Lolfa), a book that explores how the people of Swansea endured 40 air raids while also living under the threat of invasion during the Second World War. Author Bernard Lewis has scoured both local and national archives in order to tell – for the first time in a single volume – the story of how Swansea and its people came through the gruelling ordeal of the Second World War which saw the town centre devastated and a heavy loss of life due to the frequent enemy air raids. A host of other dangers and difficulties made life during the war in Swansea never less than precarious.  read more

This week sees the publication of a bilingual book of recollections by Welsh folk dancing enthusiast and contributor to the revival, Mavis Williams-Roberts. Welsh Folk Dance Recollections / Atgofion Dawnsio Gwerin Cymreig also includes a colour photo section and examples of dances that she has composed.  read more

Ron Jones, one of the greats of Welsh athletics and Welsh 100m sprint record-holder for almost 22 years, has published his autobiography which offers a unique insight into the history of British athletics.  read more

This week sees an updated 5th edition of a collection of Welsh folk stories republished. Welsh Folk Tales by Robin Gwyndaf was originally published by the National Museum of Wales in 1989 and is an important record of the folk narrative tradition in Wales.  read more

A huge hit when trialled in schools across three Welsh counties, Tom the Lion is a new series of five books aimed at children who may be experiencing anxiety or other problems with socialising. The series follows Tom and his squirrel friends Hazel and Sid, and is designed to promote literacy, wellbeing, and good mental health.  read more

This week sees the publication of Where the Saints Came From: On Pilgrimage in Wales and Beyond by Anne Hayward (Y Lolfa). The book tells the story of the Christian faith in Wales from late-Roman times to the present day and includes discussion of over forty off-the-beaten-track religious sites and artefacts.  read more

Y Lolfa has commissioned a young artist from Llannerch-y-Medd in Anglesey to redesign its bestselling Welsh-language course, Welcome to Welsh. First published in 1984, the book has gone through innumerable reprints and sold 75,000 copies. The new edition uses engaging new strip cartoons by Osian Roberts, making it ideal for self-study.  read more

This month sees the publication of William (Bill) Condry’s original Exploring Wales, which was first published in 1970. This new edition retains Condy’s superlative prose but includes an introduction by his long-time friend Neville Jones and hopes to reach an increasingly receptive audience.  read more

This week sees the publication of a new cookbook by food expert Nerys Howell. Harvest – Recipes from the Garden is a beautiful bilingual book, full of mouth-watering recipes and photographs.  read more

Wales’ role in the Second World War, and its effect on the people and landscape of the nation, has been severely neglected says Quentin Deakin, author of Wales in World War 2 (Y Lolfa). Taking a fresh look at the subject, Dr Deakin argues that neither Welsh or English historians have shown the extent to which Wales was vital to the British war effort.  read more