Untitled - Literature Wales

Services for Writers- BursariesThis is the sixth year Academi has awardedWriters’ Bursaries. Gwen Davies continuedin her role as Chair of the Bursaries Panel.Fellow panel members Idris Reynolds,Catherine Fisher, Amanda Hopkinsonand Kathryn Gray continued in their roleas readers. Simon Rees from the Societyof Authors was Academi’s independentobserver. An advertising campaigngenerated 134 applications of which 24 weresuccessful. £95,000 was shared betweenAlex Barr, Joanna Davies, Euron Griffith,Jo Mazelis, Jeb Loy Nichols, Tony Bianchi,Meirion Jordan, Anthony Reynolds, CarolineRoss, David Llewellyn, Keri Finlayson, JohnFraser Williams, Llion Pryderi Roberts, DelythGeorge, Imogen Herrad, Robert Rhys, Elin apHywel, Kelly Grovier, Robert Lewis, JasmineDonahaye, John Williams, Hefin Wyn, Mary-Ann Constantine, and Vanessa Savage.Beacon Company AwardBursaries remain the single most effectiveway to help writers – they buy valuabletime and space in a world where both thosecommodities are increasingly rare.Kathryn Gray, who stood in as chair for theAcademi Bursaries Panel 2009 meeting,commented: “While the 2009 Bursaries Panelhas, despite financial constraints, managedto balance the competing needs of emergentand established writers, the pressure onfunds is evident: no major awards have beenmade this year. The Bursaries Scheme iscrucial in furthering the literatures of Walesboth in the short and longer term. Thereare grave concerns that, as the economiccrisis deepens, demand for bursaries willonly increase, while funds remain static –which could compromise the efficacy ofthe Bursaries Scheme in supporting thedevelopment of outstanding work from Walesand providing new writers, in particular, withan enhanced profile.”In November 2007, the Welsh AssemblyGovernment allocated £4.5m to be usedby the Arts Council of Wales to rewardcompanies or individuals who showedinnovation and excellence in the arts. It wasa privilege for the Academi to receive one ofthese 22 Beacon Company Awards in October2008, which secured funding to develop aprogramme of literary cultural tourism, toenhance the Young People’s Writing Squadsand extend the National Poet initiative.The Award covers two financial years,2008-2010.Additionally, money from the award will beused to develop a new database system.Two fixed-term posts have been created.Branwen Haf Williams was appointedProject Support Officer and Elena SchmitzProject Manager. Under the Award newYoung People’s Writing Squads have swiftlybeen established in Bridgend, Neath PortTalbot, Torfaen and Carmarthenshire andAcademi expects to see further new Squadsestablished in Wrexham and Rhondda CynonTaf. Academi is working closely with localauthority staff in areas where Squad activityhas been low or sporadic. In March 2009,extending the work already done by theWriters in their Landscape project (see earlierin this report) Academi launched a new seriesof Literary Bus Tours, focusing on six differentwriters in their landscape. These will runin 2009-2010.Tony Bianchi has also been commissionedto research the potential for extendingAcademi’s commemorative plaques installedin conjunction with the Rhys Davies Trust tocover Welsh language authors.