Winter of Wellbeing shortlist

On February 14, public libraries in Wales and The Reading Agency announced their Winter of Wellbeing shortlist, a collection of 25 brilliant books nominated by children and young people across Wales for their power to make them feel better, more connected and more understood.

Among those on the list are award-winning Welsh authors like the writer and broadcaster Horatio Clare, who was brought up on a sheep farm in South Wales, four times winner of the Tir na n’Og Wales Children’s Book Awards, and Libraries Wales January 2022 author of the month Manon Steffan Ros, from Meirionnydd, and popular Pembrokeshire-based children’s author, Eloise Williams.

Supported by the Welsh Government, the Winter of Wellbeing campaign aims to help children and young people recover from the pandemic, and is working its magic in counties across Wales.

Public libraries have teamed up with The Reading Agency for this seasonal celebration of reading, the benefits it promotes and the power of local libraries to help children reconnect with each other and their community. It will continue through to the end of March with a programme of activities and events delivered online and in libraries.

Here is the full list of the 25 nominated feel-good page turners for children and young adults:

Rain before Rainbows by Smriti Halls and illustrated by David Litchfield

Sharing a Shell by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Lydia Monks/Welsh language edition: Croeso I’n Cragen

Sometimes I feel…SUNNY by Gillian Shields with illustrations by Georgie Birkett/Welsh language edition: Weithiau Dwi’n Teimlo’n Heulog

One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth

Sw Sara Mai by Casia Wiliam and illustrations by Gwen Millward

Daydreams and jellybeans – poetry by Alex Wharton illustrated by Katy Riddell

While We Can’t Hug by Eoin McLaughlin and illustrated by Polly Dunbar

The Pond by Nicola Davies and Cathy Fisher / Welsh language: Y Pwll

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare and illustrated by Jane Matthews

Fi ac Aaron Ramsey by Manon Steffan Ros

Future Friend by David Baddiel and illustrated by Steven Lenton

Seaglass by Eloise Williams

Hello universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga and illustrated by Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor

The Infinite by Patience Agbabi

You are a Champion: How to be the best you can be by Marcus Rashford and Carl Anka

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

A Kind of Spark by Elle McNicoll

Scrambled by Huw Davies/Welsh adaptation: Sgramblo

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Can You See Me by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott

October, October by Katya Balen with illustrations by Angela Harding

Coming up for Air by Tom Daley

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo/Welsh adaptation: Ceffyl Rhyfel

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy/Welsh language edition: Y Bachgen, y Wahadden, y Llwynog a’r Ceffyl (Graffeg)

For links to watch recent events and information of everything taking place until the end of March, visit winterofwellbeing.readingagency.org.uk

Free Creative Writing Workshops

Aura Libraries are running a number of free online creative writing workshops for children and young people starting over half term thanks to funding from the Welsh Government’s Winter of Wonder project and are looking for people to join up.

Working with Aura Libraries is literary arts organisation, Read Now Write Now who will deliver the workshops.

• Climate Champions (for children aged nine to 11 years): The theme for these workshops is all about climate change and will consist of a number of live online writing workshops. During sessions, children will hear about real life climate change concerns and write a short story of their own which can be showcased at an extra special event and shared on Aura’s e-book platform.

The live, online courses will be held:

Half Term: Monday, February 21 to Thursday, February 24, 11am to 12.30pm or

After School: On Tuesdays from March 1 for four weeks, 5pm to 6.30pm

• This is Me (for young people aged 16-25 years): The theme of this course is all about being yourself, looking at how unique we all are but at the same time, how we can connect to one another through common hopes and fears.

During the workshops participants will be shown writing techniques and examples from famous literature to help guide them to write their own short story which can be showcased at an extra special event and shared on Aura’s e-book platform.

The live, online courses will be held:

Half Term: Monday, February 21 to Thursday, February 24 2pm-3.30pm or

Weekends: Saturday, March 5 for four weeks, 11am-12.30pm.

All courses will take place online via Zoom and there will be a maximum of 20 free places on each course with registration on a first come, first served basis. To register for either of these courses, please email Charlie at: charles@readnowwritenow.org.uk

Visit us on social media to view handy information about our services and the online monthly events we host, as well as lots of book and audiobook recommendations.

From everyone here at Aura Libraries, thank you for reading, stay safe and we hope to hear from you or see you soon!

• Aura is a charitable, not-for-profit, organisation responsible for managing the majority of leisure, libraries and heritage services in Flintshire. Aura is owned by its employees and operates for the benefit of local communities.