Y Lolfa (

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 ...

for ''The Lounge'', ) is a Welsh printing and

publishing 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 ...

company based in Tal-y-bont, Ceredigion, in Mid-Wales. It publishes a wide variety of books in Welsh and English. It also provides a commercial print service. Y Lolfa was established in 1967 by Robat Gruffudd. It is now an independent, limited company run by the founder's sons, Garmon Gruffudd (managing director) and Lefi Gruffudd (head of publishing), with Paul Williams as production manager. Using the new small

offset printing Offset printing is a common printing technique in which the inked image is transferred (or "offset") from a plate to a rubber blanket and then to the printing surface. When used in combination with the lithographic process, which is based on t ...

method, the company began by producing material both for the activist '' Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg'' (The Welsh Language Society), with which it was loosely associated, and for its own publications which included '' Lol'', the satirical magazine from which the company's name, meaning 'the lounge', was derived. The company gradually expanded its range of publications to include popular series for children, contemporary

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

s, diaries, humorous courses for Welsh learners, a range for tourists to Wales and a line in Welsh sports titles. It has adopted a deliberate policy of not adapting books from other languages in order to support Welsh artists and authors. It was involved with the publication of ''Papur Pawb'', one of the first Welsh community papers, in 1974. It was also the first Welsh publishing company to launch its own website. In 1999 Y Lolfa published ''Llyfr y Ganrif'' (''The Book of the Century'') in association with the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales ( cy, Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru), Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million boo ...

and in 2007 won the Welsh-language Book of the Year for the third consecutive year. In 2012 it bought out the Gomer Press list for adults in both languages, and now publishes around 80 titles annually, employing twenty-two full-time staff. ''The Bookseller'', 5 May 2017, p.11: Regional Focus, Wales

References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control Welsh-language literature Publishing companies of Wales Publishing companies established in 1967 1967 establishments in Wales Companies based in Ceredigion