Author Carys Davies wins Wales Book of the Year with novel Clear

A historical novel set on a remote Scottish island in 1843 has been named Wales Book of the Year.

Clear, written by Carys Davies, was described by the judges as an “intricately crafted, passionate and remarkable novel”.

The book, which also won the fiction category, tells the story of the fragile bond forged between two strangers when the sole occupant of an island discovers an unconscious man on the beach.

Iola Ynyr’s autobiography, Camu, was named Welsh language Book of the Year.

Ms Davies, who has written three novels, was presented with her award at a ceremony held by Literature Wales at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre.

She has won £4,000 as well as a trophy designed and created by artist Angharad Pearce Jones.

In Clear, newcomer to the island John Ferguson, an impoverished church minister, has been sent to evict its only occupant, Ivar, and to turn the island into grazing land for sheep.

Ivar, who has been living a life of quiet isolation, is unaware of the stranger’s intentions and takes him into his home, developing a bond despite the two men having no common language.

Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Carole Burns said: “We all loved this book, for its story, for its ambition, for its sentences, for its relevance to our world today.”

“Excellence is always the only criteria, in the end, for a prize, and that’s true for this winning book,” she added.

Speaking after the ceremony, Literature Wales’ artistic director Leusa Llewelyn congratulated all the writers and publishers who reached the shortlist, and said it was “an incredible night for Welsh literature”.

“Special congratulations to Carys Davies for being crowned winner of the overall prize for her beautifully subtle yet evocative novella, Clear,” she added.

Camu, published by Y Lolfa, is an autobiography by writer, playwright and director Iola Ynyr and was written as a series of personal essays.

In these essays, she aims to reclaim her life and memories through creativity, having lost periods of both due to alcoholism, trauma and mental illness, an awards spokesperson said.

The Wales Book of the Year has been in existence since the 1960s, but has been run by the literature development charity Literature Wales since 2004.

There are four categories in both Welsh and English – poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction and children and young people and each category winner receives £1,000, with the overall winner getting a further £3,000.