| Status | Active |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981; 44 years ago (1981) |
| Country of origin | Wales |
| Headquarters location | Bridgend |
| Distribution | Welsh Books Council (Wales) NBN International (UK) Independent Publishers Group (US)[1] |
| Publication types | Books |
| Official website | serenbooks |
Seren Books is the trading name ofPoetry Wales Press, an independent publisher based inBridgend,Wales,[2] specialising inEnglish-language writing from Wales[3] and also publishing other literary fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Seren's aim is to bring Welsh literature and culture to a wider audience.[4] The press takes its name from theWelsh word for "star".[2]
The press was founded in 1981 by Cary Archard, a teacher who was then the editor of the quarterly magazinePoetry Wales. He decided to branch into publishingpoetry collections and gained funding from theArts Council of Wales, initially on anad hoc basis. At first known as Poetry Wales Press, it was published from Archard's home inBridgend.[2][4][5][6] An early office was inDannie Abse's house inOgmore by Sea.[2][4][6][7] According to the academic Sam Adams, Archard's twin initial aims were to encourage Welsh poets writing in the English language, particularly the younger generation; and to republish out-of-print works and thus make more sources available for teaching Welsh literature in English.[6] The first collections from the press were byMike Jenkins andNigel Jenkins, together with a retrospective collection featuring Abse. Literary criticism was also part of its output from the outset.[6]
In 1982, Poetry Wales Press received a block grant from the Arts Council of Wales, the first of its kind, which enabled it to set up an office in Bridgend and to appoint a full-time manager, Mick Felton. The grant later came from theWelsh Books Council; it was reassessed annually.[6] In 1985, the press adopted the Seren imprint for works that were not poetry, and from 1989 the Seren imprint has been used for all publications.[6] In 1986, an independent editor was appointed to overseePoetry Wales.[6] Since its foundation, the press has branched into literary fiction, biography and non-fiction.[4] In 2011, Seren published 20–25 titles annually.[2][4] Archard retired as manager in 1996; the press has subsequently been run by Felton.[2][4] The board of directors has included Abse (from 1989) and the academicM. Wynn Thomas (1993–2003).[6] The press remains based in Bridgend.[2][8]
Mick Felton is currently the fiction and nonfiction editor for the press, andRhian Edwards andZoë Brigley work as its poetry editor, having replaced editor Amy Wack in 2022.[9]
Seren has run the Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival since 2018; the 2021 festival was held online due toCOVID-19 pandemic.[10]
Seren retains a strong poetry list,[3] which still includesPoetry Wales. It includes some well-known poets such asDannie Abse,[2][8]Kathryn Gray,Pascale Petit,Sheenagh Pugh,[8] andOwen Sheers,.[2][8] Novelists includeRichard Collins, whose debut work,The Land as Viewed from the Sea, was shortlisted for aWhitbread Award in 2004;Lloyd Jones, whose novelMr Cassini won the English-languageWales Book of the Year award in 2007; andPatrick McGuinness, whose debut novelThe Last Hundred Days was longlisted for theMan Booker Prize in 2011.[4] Other writers have includedIvy Alvarez,Ruth Bidgood,Tony Curtis,Dic Edwards,Rhian Edwards,Catherine Fisher,Raymond Garlick,Paul Groves,Paul Henry,Glyn Jones,Mike Jenkins,[8]Alun Lewis,Gary Ley,Christopher Meredith,[8]Francesca Rhydderch,[8]Edward Thomas,R. S. Thomas andJohn Tripp.[11]
A classics series has republished important works byRhys Davies,Caradoc Evans,Margiad Evans and Gwyn Thomas, which were first published by English publishers.[8] Another project invites authors includingFflur Dafydd, Lloyd Jones andGwyneth Lewis to recreate theMabinogion in new settings.[8]
The academic Lisa Sheppard describes Seren, together withParthian and Cinnamon Press, as "among the foremost publishers of English-language writing in Wales".[5] According to Sheppard, Seren and Parthian are "illuminating Welsh writing in English's past and creating links with the Welsh language tradition in order to claim anglophone literature as part of Wales's literary heritage".[12] The Welsh poetDannie Abse describes Seren on its thirtieth anniversary in 2011 as a "vital element of the Welsh literary scene" and considers it to have contributed to the strength of English-language writing in Wales.[2] The Welsh poetOwen Sheers describes the press in 2011 as "a sign of national and cultural strength" and "a way of allowing a country a voice".[2]
Peter Finch, who has himself been published by Seren, named the late poetNigel Jenkins as one who disliked Seren's approach.[13] The Welsh poetTony Curtis said in an interview published in 1997 that "Seren's books look good, and their list is good. Some of it could improve, but that's part of the process"; he criticised the press's marketing for failing to get its books into bookshops.[14]
Sources