Honno is a Welsh

women's press The Women's Press was a feminist publishing company established in London in 1977. Throughout the late 1970s and the 1980s, the Women's Press was a highly visible presence, publishing feminist literature. Founding In 1977, Stephanie Dowrick cofo ...

, based in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

, which is run as an independent co-operative. The press concentrates solely on publishing writing by the women of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, with the twin aims of increasing publication opportunities for Welsh women and expanding the audience for Welsh women's writing.Whitfield, Lydia. Honno founder explains how women got a voice. ''WalesOnline'' (24 October 2008)
(accessed 18 February 2009) In 2006, Dai Smith, chair of the

Arts Council of Wales The Arts Council of Wales (ACW; cy, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru) is a Welsh Government-sponsored body, responsible for funding and developing the arts in Wales. Established within the Arts Council of Great Britain in 1946, as the Welsh Arts ...

, praised Honno's "terrific work in bringing women’s literature back into print". Luned Meredith, one of the founders, claimed in the press's 21st anniversary year of 2008 that Honno had made "a significant contribution to the changing social conscience which has given prominence to the woman's voice". The press was started in 1986 by a group of volunteers, and had 400 shareholders within six months of its establishment. Honno has received financial support from the

Welsh Books Council The Books Council of Wales (previously known as the Welsh Books Council) or Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru was established in 1961. Today it is funded by the Welsh Government. The council's aims are to promote the interests of Welsh language books and Engl ...

and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

. The name ''Honno'' is the Welsh feminine form of "that".

Publications

The majority of titles are novels, autobiographies and short story anthologies in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

; Honno also publishes some poetry, books for children and teenagers, and books in

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

. The press's 450 authors include

Lindsay Ashford Lindsay Ashford is a British crime novelist and journalist. Her style of writing has been compared to that of Vivien Armstrong, Linda Fairstein and Frances Fyfield. Many of her books follow the character of Megan Rhys, an investigative psychol ...

, Anne Beale, Brenda Chamberlain,

Gillian Clarke Gillian Clarke (born 8 June 1937) is a Welsh poet and playwright, who also edits, broadcasts, lectures and translates from Welsh into English. She co-founded Tŷ Newydd, a writers' centre in North Wales. Life Gillian Clarke was born on 8 J ...

, Carol Ann Courtney,

Amy Dillwyn Elizabeth Amy Dillwyn (16 May 1845 – 13 December 1935) was a Welsh novelist, businesswoman, and social benefactor. She was one of the first female industrialists in Britain. Born in Sketty, Swansea, Dillwyn was a member of a prominent family ...

, Dorothy Edwards,

Menna Gallie Menna Patricia Humphreys Gallie (18 March 1919 – 17 June 1990) was a Welsh novelist and translator. She is best known for her novels in the English language, and as the translator of Caradog Prichard's ''Un Nos Ola Leuad'', under the title ''Ful ...

Mererid Hopwood Mererid Hopwood (born February 1964) is a Welsh poet. She became in 2001 the first woman to win the bardic chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Teaching Originally from Cardiff, Hopwood graduated with first-class honours in Spanish and Ge ...

, Siân James, Anne Lewis,

Eiluned Lewis Janet Eiluned Lewis (1 November 1900 – 15 April 1979) was a Welsh novelist, poet, and journalist. Early life and education Janet Eiluned Lewis was born in Penstrowed near Newtown, Montgomeryshire, the daughter of Eveline Griffiths and H ...

Gwyneth Lewis Gwyneth Denver Davies (born 1959), known professionally as Gwyneth Lewis, is a Welsh poet, who was the inaugural National Poet of Wales in 2005. She wrote the text that appears over the Wales Millennium Centre. Biography Gwyneth Lewis was b ...

Catherine Merriman Catherine A. Merriman (born in 1949) is a British novelist, short-story writer and editor who has published five novels and three short-story collections. Her work often addresses the experiences of women. Her first novel, ''Leaving the Light On'' ...

Lynette Roberts Evelyn ('Lynette') Beatrice Roberts (4 July 1909 – 26 September 1995) was a Welsh poet and novelist. Her poems were about war, landscape, and life in the small Welsh village where she lived. She published two poetry collections: ''Poems'' ( ...

Kitty Sewell Kitty or Kittie may refer to: Animals * Cat, a small, domesticated carnivorous mammal ** Kitten, a young cat Film * Kitty Films, an anime production company in Japan * ''Kitty'' (1929 film), based on the Deeping novel; the first British talk ...

and

Hilda Vaughan Hilda Campbell Vaughan (married name Morgan, 12 June 1892 – 4 November 1985) was a Welsh novelist and short story writer writing in English. Her ten varied novels, set mostly in her native Radnorshire, concern rural communities and heroines. ...

. The Honno's Classics series republishes books which have been out of print for many years.

Awards

Awards won by Honno titles include the 1989

Wales Book of the Year The Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors. Established in 1992, the awards are currently ad ...

for ''Morphine and Dolly Mixtures'' by Carol Ann Courtney, which was later made into a film for television. ''Luminous and Forlorn'' (1994), Honno's first short story anthology, won the Raymond Williams Prize of the

Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three s ...

. ''Who's Afraid of the Bwgan-wood?'' by Anne Lewis won the

's Tir na n-Og Award for Best Children's Title in English in 1996. ''Not Singing Exactly'' by Siân James won the 1997 Wales Book of the Year. Honno books have also reached the shortlists of several recent awards, including the

Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award The Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award is one of the UK's top crime-fiction awards, sponsored by Theakston's Old Peculier. It is awarded annually at Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of ...

2006 for Lindsay Ashford's ''Strange Blood''; and the Wales Book of the Year 2006 and Crime Writers' Association New Blood Dagger 2006 for Kitty Sewell's ''Ice Trap''.CWA: Louise Penny wins New Blood Dagger
(accessed 18 February 2009)

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.honno.co.uk/index.php Aberystwyth Publishing companies of Wales Publishing companies established in 1986 1986 establishments in Wales Companies based in Ceredigion