Parthian Books is an independent publisher based in Cardigan, Wales. It was founded in 1993 by Lewis Davies and Gillian Griffiths. An editorially-led

publishing house Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

, Parthian publishes a range of contemporary fiction,

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

and

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been ...

, as well as art books. It is also involved in the

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

an literary scene. Parthian's motto is "A Carnival of Voices in Independent Publishing". Some of the authors that Parthian Books has published include Richard Owain Roberts,

Alys Conran Alys Conran is a Welsh writer. Her debut novel ''Pigeon'' won the Wales Book of the Year in 2017. Early life Alys Conran was born in north-west Wales, and is the daughter of the poet and translator Tony Conran. She studied literature in Edin ...

, Rebecca F John, Tristan Hughes,

Deborah Kay Davies Deborah Kay Davies is a Welsh poet, writer, and educator. She received her PhD from Cardiff University. In 2009 she received a Wales Book of the Year for English-language for the short story collection ''Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful'' ( ...

, Professor Dai Smith,

Rachel Trezise Rachel Trezise (born 1978) is a Welsh author, born in Cwmparc, Wales. Her debut collection of short stories, ''Fresh Apples'', won the inaugural Dylan Thomas Prize in 2006. Early life Rachel Trezise was born in Cwmparc, Rhondda in 1978. Her fam ...

, Susmita Bhattacharya, Lewis Davies, Glen Peters and

Jeni Williams Jeni may refer to * Jeni Barnett * Jeni Bojilova-Pateva * Jeni Couzyn * Jeni Klugman * Jeni Le Gon * Jeni Mawter * Jeni Mundy * Jeni Tennison See also * Jennifer (given name) Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People * Jennifer (given name) ...

. Parthian also publishes celebrity

autobiographies An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, such as

Griff Rhys Jones Griffith Rhys Jones (born 16 November 1953) is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, and television presenter. He starred in a number of television series with his comedy partner, Mel Smith. Rhys Jones came to national attention in the 1980s for h ...

' ''Insufficiently Welsh,'' and

Boyd Clack Boyd Daniel Clack (born 7 March 1951) is a Canadian-born Welsh writer, actor, and musician. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to Welsh parents. At a young age, he emigrated with his family to Wales, where he grew up in Tonyrefail ...

's ''Kisses Sweeter Than Wine''. Parthian receive 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 ...

in the form of grants, they are also responsible for publishing the Library of Wales series, which is a

Welsh Assembly Government 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 peopl ...

and Welsh Books Council joint initiative.

Translation

Parthian Books works in partnership with Il Caduceo literary agency in

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...

who represents their writers in

translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

. Parthian has developed translation links throughout

and beyond, and its books have appeared in fifteen foreign language editions including French,

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

, Turkish,

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

and

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

. Parthian has also recently announced its first book deal with New Star publications in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

for the thriller '' The Colour of a Dog Running Away'' by

Richard Gwyn Richard Gwyn (ca. 1537 – 15 October 1584), also known by his anglicised name, Richard White, was a Welsh teacher at illegal and underground schools and a Bard who wrote both Christian and satirical poetry in the Welsh language. A Ro ...

. As with his debut short fiction collection, ''All The Places We Lived'', The Serbian language rights for Richard Owain Roberts' debut novel,

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

's Not The Booker prize winning ''Hello Friend We Missed You'', have been acquired by Partizanska Knjiga, the first time Parthian Books have sold foreign translation rights ahead of English language publication. According to the publishing editor, "Roberts follows Jarett Kobek, Ben Lerner and Miranda July as the latest English-language novelist to have his work translated into Serbian." Parthian also publishes titles translated into

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 ...

, such as ''To Bury the Dead'', ''Under the Dust'', ''The Bridge Over the River'', ''Strange Language'', ''Martha, Jac and Shanco'' from

Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...

, Catalan,

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, Spanish and

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 ...

. In 2015, the publisher launched the '' Europa Carnivale'' series, with the intention of releasing translations of works originally published in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

, Slovak, Spanish and Turkish. In 2016, Parthian was awarded money by the India Wales Fund for a collaborative literature project called The Valley, The City, The Village. The project will see the publication in 2018 of a writing anthology curated by three Welsh writers and three Indian writers. In early 2017, the three Welsh writers visited India to engage with the culture and take part in writing and reading events. In spring 2017, the three Indian authors will visit Wales. The project is being run in collaboration with Bee Books, an English publisher in

Kolkata, India Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

. The writers will blog about their experiences, and make use of them for the anthology.

Awards

Since its foundation in 1993, Parthian and its titles have regularly received recognition through award nominations. '' Welsh Boys Too'', a collection of short stories by John Sam Jones, was named as a ' Stonewall Honor Book in Literature' in 2002, and in 2003 Lewis Davies' ''Work, Sex and Rugby'' picked up the

World Book Day World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyrig ...

Award for Wales. ''The Long Dry'', the debut novel from

Cynan Jones Cynan Jones (born 1975) is a Welsh writer, who lives and works in Ceredigion. Jones published his first novel, ''The Long Dry'', in 2006. In 2010 he published '' Le Cose Che Non Vogliamo Più (Things We Don't Want Anymore)'' in Italian. He later ...

, won the

Betty Trask Award The Betty Trask Prize and Awards are for first novels written by authors under the age of 35, who reside in a current or former Commonwealth nation. Each year the awards total £20,000, with one author receiving a larger prize amount, called the ...

in 2007. In 2020, Richard Owain Roberts won The Guardian's Not The Booker Prize for his debut novel ''Hello Friend We Missed You''. The competition judge, Sam Jordison, described it as "the gem of the shortlist" and as "formally daring, very funny, a writer of real talent and potential." In 2006, Parthian author

became the first recipient of the

Dylan Thomas Prize The Dylan Thomas Prize is a leading prize for young writers presented annually. The prize, named in honour of the Welsh writer and poet Dylan Thomas, brings international prestige and a remuneration of £30,000 (~$46,000). It is open to published w ...

for her short story collection ''Fresh Apples''. Following this success in the inaugural award, two further Parthian titles have been nominated for the £30,000 prize: Jemma L. King's poetry collection ''The Shape of a Forest'' in 2013 and Alys Conran's novel ''Pigeon'' in 2017. Parthian has also enjoyed success in the

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 ...

, an award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works by Welsh or Welsh interest authors.

gave the publisher its first win in 2009 with her short story collection ''Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful''. Further wins followed in 2011 (with John Harrison's ''Cloud Road'') and in 2017 (with Alys Conran's ''Pigeon''). Parthian's record of three Wales Book of the Year awards is matched by Faber, and only bettered by Seren. Many award-winning individual short stories and poems have later been included in Parthian collections. Most notably, these include 'Mr. Roopratna's Chocolate' from Lewis Davies' ''Love and Other Possibilities'', which won the Rhys Davies Prize in 1999, and 'Moon Dog' from Rebecca F John's ''Clown's Shoes'', which won the

PEN International PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internationa ...

New Voices Award in 2015. Since 2012, Parthian has published ''Cheval'': the annual Terry Hetherington Award anthology. Many of the winners of this award, including Mari Ellis Dunning, Natalie Ann Holborow, Jemma L. King and Joâo Morais, have later released their debut publications with Parthian.

Imprints and series

Bright Young Things

In 2010, Parthian launched the ''Bright Young Things'' series, with the intention of helping young writers into print. The first four writers published were Tyler Keevil, Will Gritten, J. P. Smythe and Susie Wild. A poetry anthology, ''10 of the Best'', followed in 2011, featuring ten poems each from Mab Jones, Alan Kellermann,

Anna Lewis Anna Lewis (1885–1961) was a noted teacher, historian and writer, who specialized in American history, and particularly the history of the Southwest. Born in what was then Indian Territory to a family of mixed Choctaw and European ancestry, she ...

, M. A. Oliver-Semenov and Siôn Tomos Owen. Full poetry collections from Kellermann and Lewis were published under the ''Bright Young Things'' banner in 2012, though the series marketing was less prominent. Collections from Oliver-Semenov and Owen were published by Parthian in 2016, but by this point the ''Bright Young Things'' series had been seemingly abandoned.

Europa Carnivale

The ''Europa Carnivale'' series is a collection of fiction and poetry from contemporary European women writers. The series began with a translation of ''Goldfish Memory'' by

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina *Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses *Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internation ...

writer Monique Schwitter in 2015. Other writers in the series include

, Emilia Ivancu, Rebecca F. John, Uršuľa Kovalyk and

Ece Temelkuran Ece Temelkuran (born 22 July 1973, in Izmir"About"
ecetemelkuran.com ) is a Turkish journalist and author. She was ...

. The titles released in the series so far have picked up a number of prestigious awards, among them the ''

New Voices Award'' and the ''

''.

Library of Wales

The Library of Wales series is a project intending to revive and preserve classic Welsh titles. Titles published so far are: *'' A Kingdom'', James Hanley *'' A Man's Estate'',

Emyr Humphreys Emyr Humphreys (; 15 April 191930 September 2020) was a Welsh novelist, poet, and author. His career spanned from the 1940s until his retirement in 2009. He published in both English and Welsh. Early life and career Humphreys was born on 15 ...

*'' A Rope of Vines'', Brenda Chamberlain *'' A Time to Laugh,'' Rhys Davies *''

All Things Betray Thee ''All Things Betray Thee'', by Gwyn Thomas (novelist), Gwyn Thomas, is a novel of early industrialism in South Wales. It was first published in 1949, and was republished in 1986, with an introduction by Raymond Williams. The book was later republ ...

'', Gwyn Thomas *'' The Alone to the Alone'', Gwyn Thomas *'' Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve'',

Dannie Abse Daniel Abse CBE FRSL (22 September 1923 – 28 September 2014) was a Welsh poet and physician. His poetry won him many awards. As a medic, he worked in a chest clinic for over 30 years. Early years Abse was born in Cardiff, Wales, as the young ...

*''

The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp ''The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp'' is an autobiography published in 1908 by the Welsh poet and writer W. H. Davies (1871–1940). A large part of the book's subject matter describes the way of life of the tramp in the United Kingdom, Canada ...

'',

W. H. Davies William Henry Davies (3 July 1871 – 26 September 1940) was a Welsh poet and writer, who spent much of his life as a tramp or hobo in the United Kingdom and the United States, yet became one of the most popular poets of his time. His themes inc ...

*'' The Battle to the Weak'',

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. ...

*'' Black Parade'', Jack Jones *''

Border Country The Anglo-Scottish border () is a border separating Scotland and England which runs for between Marshall Meadows Bay on the east coast and the Solway Firth in the west. The surrounding area is sometimes referred to as "the Borderlands". The ...

'',

Raymond Williams Raymond Henry Williams (31 August 1921 – 26 January 1988) was a Welsh socialist writer, academic, novelist and critic influential within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the media and literature contribu ...

*'' Carwyn,''

Alun Richards Alun Morgun Richards (27 October 1929 – 2 June 2004) was a Welsh novelist, best known for his novel '' Ennal's Point'', about the work of a lifeboat crew in South Wales. Richards was born in King Edward Avenue, Caerphilly. He was educated at ...

*'' The Caves of Alienation'',

Stuart Evans Stuart Evans (born 14 June 1963) is a Welsh former rugby union and rugby league player who played from the 1980s up until the early 2000s. Born in Neath in June 1963, Evans played for several rugby union clubs, including British Steel, for who ...

*'' Congratulate the Devil'', Howell Davies *''

Country Dance A country dance is any of a very large number of social dances of a type that originated in the British Isles; it is the repeated execution of a predefined sequence of figures, carefully designed to fit a fixed length of music, performed by a ...

'',

Margiad Evans Margiad Evans was the pseudonym of Peggy Eileen Whistler (17 March 1909 – 17 March 1958), an English poet, novelist and illustrator with a lifelong identification with the Welsh border country.Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan: 'Williams , Peggy Eileen a ...

*'' Cwmardy'', Lewis Jones *'' Dai Country'',

*''Dat's Love and Other Stories'', Leonora Brito *'' The Dark Philosophers'', Gwyn Thomas *'' Farewell Innocence,'' William Glynne-Jones *'' Feet in Chains,'' Kate Roberts *'' Flame and Slag'', Ron Berry *'' Goodbye, Twentieth Century'',

*''

The Great God Pan ''The Great God Pan'' is a horror and fantasy novella by Welsh writer Arthur Machen. Machen was inspired to write ''The Great God Pan'' by his experiences at the ruins of a pagan temple in Wales. What would become the first chapter of the n ...

'',

Arthur Machen Arthur Machen (; 3 March 1863 – 15 December 1947) was the pen-name of Arthur Llewellyn Jones, a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. Hi ...

*'' The Heyday in the Blood'',

Geraint Goodwin Arthur Geraint Goodwin (1 May 1903 – 10 October 1941) was a Welsh literature in English, Welsh journalist, novelist and short story writer from near Newtown, Montgomeryshire, who wrote about rural life on the Welsh border. His first novel, publi ...

*''

The Hill of Dreams ''The Hill of Dreams'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by the Welsh writer Arthur Machen. Plot summary The novel recounts the life of a young man, Lucian Taylor, focusing on his dreamy childhood in rural Wales, in a town based on Caerleon. The ...

'',

*'' Home to an Empty House'',

*'' I Sent a Letter to My Love'',

Bernice Rubens Bernice Rubens (26 July 1923 – 13 October 2004) was a Welsh novelist.She became the first woman to win the Booker Prize in 1970, for '' The Elected Member''. Personal history Bernice Ruth Reuben was born in Splott, Cardiff on 26 July 19 ...

*'' In the Green Tree'', Alun Lewis *'' Jampot Smith'',

Jeremy Brooks Jeremy Brooks (17 December 1926 – 27 June 1994) was a novelist, poet, and dramatist. He is best known for his novels (particularl''Jampot Smith'' ''Henry's War'' and ''Smith, As Hero'') and for his stage adaptations of classic works, part ...

*''

The Long Revolution ''The Long Revolution'' is a 1961 book by Raymond Williams. The "long revolution" of the title is a revolution in culture, which Williams sees as having unfolded alongside the democratic revolution and the industrial revolution. It followed on fro ...

,''

*'' Make Room for the Jester'', Stead Jones *'' Mapping the Territory'',

Katie Gramich Katie is an English feminine name. It is a form Katherine, Kate, Caitlin, Kathleen, Katey and their related forms. It is frequently used on its own. People Sports *Katie Boulter (born 1996), British tennis player *Katie Clark (born 1994), Brit ...

(ed.) *'' Old Soldier Sahib,'' Frank Richards *'' Old Soldiers Never Die,'' Frank Richards *'' Poetry 1900–2000'',

Meic Stephens Meic Stephens (23 July 1938 – 2 July 2018) was a Welsh literary editor, journalist, translator, and poet. Birth and education Meic Stephens was born on 23 July 1938 in the village of Treforest, near Pontypridd, Glamorgan. He was educated at ...

(ed.) *''

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

'', Dorothy Edwards *'' Ride the White Stallion,'' William Glynne-Jones *'' So Long, Hector Bebb'', Ron Berry *''

Sport Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...

'', Gareth Williams (ed.) *'' Story: The Library of Wales Short Story Anthology Volume I,'' Dai Smith *'' Story: The Library of Wales Short Story Anthology Volume II,'' Dai Smith *'' Turf or Stone'',

*'' The Valley, The City, The Village'', Glyn Jones *'' Voices of the Children'', George Ewart Evans *'' The Volunteers'',

*'' The Water-castle'', Brenda Chamberlain *''We Live'', Lewis Jones *'' The Withered Root'', Rhys Davies *''Young Emma,''

W.H. Davies William Henry Davies (3 July 1871 – 26 September 1940) was a Welsh poet and writer, who spent much of his life as a tramp or hobo in the United Kingdom and the United States, yet became one of the most popular poets of his time. His themes inc ...

Parthian Baltic

To coincide with the

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

market focus at the 2018

London Book Fair The London Book Fair (LBF) is a large book-publishing trade fair held annually, usually in April, in London, England. LBF is a global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and di ...

, Parthian launched the ''Parthian Baltic'' series. The series includes translations of works by writers from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, among them Alberts Bels,

Eeva Park Eeva Park (born September 9, 1950 in Tallinn) is an Estonian writer. Life Park was born Eeva Hint in 1950. She is the daughter of writers Aadu Hint and Minni Nurme. After high school she worked as a silk and porcelain painter, and as an archival ...

and

Krišjānis Zeļģis Krišjānis Zeļģis (born 22 July 1985) is a Latvian poet and brewer. Biography Krišjānis Zeļģis was born in Talsi in what was then the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, but today is Latvia. After finishing school he studied library s ...

References

{{Reflist

External links

Parthian

Library of Wales series
Publishing companies of Wales 1993 establishments in Wales Publishing companies established in 1993 Companies based in Ceredigion