| Critical Shrinkage: The Books Council of Wales Plays Its Part |
Governance of Arts Organisations |
| Literary Writing & Commentary Reduced , Books Council of Wales , August 8, 2024 |
The Times Literary Supplement of 18th July carried a feature “Otherworld Wales.” Darren Freebury-Jones wrote about three new books from the University of Wales Press. The three were “Enchanted Wales”, subtitled “Myth and magic in Welsh storytelling” by Miranda Aldhouse-Green. “The Folklore of Wales”by Delyth Badder and Mark Norman and “Abandon All Hope”, subtitled “A personal journey through the history of Welsh literature”, by Gary Raymond. It is not common that literature from Wales is beneficiary of criticism of such high profile. An author added a comment on the literary landscape that is the Wales of 2024: “...Yet to be reviewed inside Wales (partly because the Books Council closed down all the literary magazines).” * * * * Radio 4's “Front Row” interviewed the editor of Wales Arts Review on 16th July. This was a surprise as Wales Arts Review does not exist apart from its sizeable archive. The publication's end is covered below 11th July in “Critical Life in 2024: the Shrinkage Accelerates”. Its stance had a clarity that is not common in the public life of Wales. “The English language magazine sector in Wales is dying... The Books Council of Wales, for whatever reason, and however you perceive its motivations, is facilitating that death.” “Its funding model for the sector is out-of-date and inadequate, lacking in vision, creativity, and the energy required to navigate a throttled sector through suffocating times." “The model has needed radical overhaul and rethinking, when in reality not so much as a comma has moved in five years turbulent years. It is a woefully neglected area of publishing in Wales, which in itself is a field that is sadly underserved by the body that should be fighting for it.” “Through its inaction and inertia, BCW is creating a graveyard and calling it a symposium; and in the embracing of this graveyard the organisation that should be looking after the English language magazine sector in Wales has dammed it to a zombified existence.” * * * * The Books Council of Wales changed its legal form on 11th November 2020 to become a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. The governing document remained largely unaltered but the opening sentence was amended. The earlier purpose “To promote, encourage and increase the appreciation and interest of the public in literature and the arts” became “To promote, encourage and increase the appreciation and interest of the public in books, literature and reading in Wales.” The activities to this end are fourfold: a) to encourage and support the book industry in Wales by awarding grants and otherwise; (b) to encourage, promote and assist the production and distribution of books and other literary and artistic material howsoever recorded (whether by known means or by means as yet unknown) in the two official languages of Wales, Welsh and English, or which are of Welsh interest; (c) to organise events to support the promotion of books, reading and the book sector as a whole; (d) to encourage and promote the publication and other material in Wales The most recent Operational Plan of the Council is a document of 29 pages. Page 5 states “the purpose of our grant schemes is to ensure that a wide range of high-quality books that reflects Wales in all its diversity reaches the market in both Welsh and English. Publishing in both languages can pose significant commercial challenges for very different reasons and Government support (through the Books Council) is key to ensure that Wales and the people of Wales are featured in its print culture, in paper-based products and online, in books and magazines, and that these products in turn promote and enrich the nation’s civic life. * * * * The cessation all at once of the principal literary magazines in the English language prompts a scrutiny of those who are beneficiaries of financial support from the Council. The last recorded grants for New Welsh Review, Planet and Wales Arts Review were £33750, £4500 and £20625 respectively. Planet had reduced itself with its grant reduction in recent years. Its last print edition still comprised 100 pages. Wales Arts Review over its 12 years of life published in the region of 5000 pieces and claimed a readership that took in 200 countries. A new beneficiary to the sum of £5000 declared itself “a free quarterly publication...funding will allow us to explore the content for the next four issues....We are committed to enhancing our digital presence.” It has not published since summer 2023 and nothing is available online. * * * * Wales is a bilingual nation. The Books Council of Wales is unusual in reporting in Welsh only. The accounts for 2022/2023 record on page 42 an organisation in receipt of £39000. The recipient organisation is not connected to the arts. Its nature of business is given as SIC codes 85600 and 87200. These Standard Industrial Classification numbers are “Educational support services” and “Residential care activities for learning difficulties, mental health and substance abuse.” The company reported on page 10 of its Accounts dated 31st March 2023 “We also supported 75 individuals through their Creative Writing project.” Creative writing programmes are widely available. They do not feature in the governing document of the Books Council of Wales. On 7th October 2021 the Books Council of Wales issued a press release on the appointment of a new Treasurer. The beneficiary company of £39000 is not a charity but a private company founded on 5th January 2021. It has six shareholders. One shareholder is the Treasurer, also a trustee at the Books Council. The company Secretary, appointed 10th January 2021, is his wife. A full scrutiny of the Council's financial beneficiaries is due. If this article is in need of correction, amendments or comment should be sent to editorial@theatre-wales.co.uk. |
Reviewed by: Adam Somerset |
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