Tuesday 5 April 2016

The Search For Mister Lloyd by Griff Rowland shortlisted for Tir Na n-Og Award

Big News! The Search For Mister Lloyd by Griff Rowland has been shortlisted for the Tir na n-Og Awards 2016. We couldn't be prouder!




The Welsh Books Council has announced the titles on the shortlist of the prestigious Tir na n-Og Awards for 2016. The awards celebrate a special 40th birthday this year and there is much excitement surrounding the announcement of the winning title.

This year’s shortlisted titles for the Best English-language Book with an authentic Welsh background, as chosen by the awarding panel are:

The Search for Mister Lloyd – Griff Rowland (Candy Jar Books)
Longbow Girl – Linda Davies (Chicken House)
The Four Branches of the Mabinogi – Siân Lewis (author) and Valériane Leblond (illustrator) (Rily)
Ruck in the Muck – Ceri Wyn Jones (Gomer)

Bethan M. Hughes, Reading Services Manager at Denbighshire Libraries and Chair of the English-language Selection Panel, said: “The panel was pleased with the general standard of the output, with particular praise for the physical quality and design of the selected titles. We were delighted to agree on a shortlist which provides for the widest age range, from a picture book to young adult fiction.”

The Search for Mister Lloyd by Griff Rowland (Candy Jar Books) tells the tale of Mostyn Price’s attempts to find his racing pigeon, Mister Lloyd, which failed to return from a race. Full of rich language and creative images, this is a pacy modern quest story full of emotional peaks and troughs. Told from different narrative viewpoints, it intrigues and engages the reader from the outset with its chatty direct style which cleverly parodies old public information films and modern online chat. It explores family relationships, especially the role of the father figure, and the support and loyalty of friendships. Set in both Bangor and London, it weaves Welsh phrases and names effortlessly into the narrative. This is a novel which makes you laugh one minute and which tugs at your heartstrings the next, full of memorable scenes and dilemmas.

Elwyn Jones, Chief Executive of the Books Council, said: “It’s more important than ever that publications for children and young people are exciting, attractive and of the highest quality. This is the way to attract children and to ensure that they become lifetime readers. The Tir na n-Og Awards, for Welsh and English books from Wales, have an obvious role in exhibiting and promoting the best in the field and we congratulate the authors, illustrators and publishers who have reached this year’s shortlist.”

The Tir na n-Og Awards were established in 1976 with the intention of raising the standards of children’s and young people’s books in Wales, and to encourage the buying and reading of good books. Three awards are presented annually by the Books Council and are sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Cymru/Wales and Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion.

Also highly commended by the 2016 judging panel were:
· White Petals by Maria Grace (Firefly Press)
· Mo Can’t Go by Rob Lewis (Pont Books)
· Elen’s Island by Eloise Williams (Firefly Press)

Full details and reviews of the books can be viewed on www.gwales.com.

Woo! We're so pleased that The Search For Mister Lloyd has been recognised for its quality, creativity and all around greatness. A massive congratulations to the talented author Griff Rowland.

The name of the winner of the English-language award will be announced at a special event at Swansea Library during the CILIP Cymru Library and Information Conference on Thursday, 26 May.

The full Press Release can be found here

We'll be keeping our fingers crossed!


The Search For Mister Lloyd, Griff Rowland
ISBN: 9780993119170
RRP: £7.99

The Search For Mister Lloyd is out now and available from the Candy Jar webstore and other good retailers.






Check out the GWALES review of The Search For Mister Lloyd here


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