GORSEDH Kernow has announced the winners of the annual Holyer an Gof competition at a prestigious awards ceremony held on Tuesday, July 11, with writers from Bude picking up accolades.

Hosted by Waterstones of Truro, special guest mc Edward Rowe fronted the 21st year of these popular awards.

Established and organised by Gorsedh Kernow to raise the standard and profile of publishing in Cornwall, this year’s winners were once again chosen from the best, recently published books about Cornwall or in Cornish.

Holyer an Gof co-organiser, Rael Harvey, said: “Although the number of entries is slightly down again this year, probably because books are now entered in one class rather than multiple classes, the quality of writing, illustrating and publishing, especially in the young adults category, is better than ever, and our wonderful panel of readers, drawn from the Gorsedh Kernow College of Bards and others with expertise and knowledge of their particular subject, have once again done a great job.”

Holyer an Gof has become a model for Cornish awards and Gorsedh Kernow continues to encourage new publications about Cornwall and the Cornish language.

Winners of the most outstanding entry in the whole competition and also the Holyer an Gof trophy, David and Stuart Thorn from Bude, for Thorns of Bude, were delighted with their win, saying that family were central to their success.

Accepting the award alongside his cousin, Stuart, David said: “Our relatives are the real stars of this book. I don’t think anyone had ever taken photographs in Bude before!”

Grand bard of Cornwall, Merv Davey, who presented the certificates and cups to the winners on the night, said: “We are very proud of the Holyer an Gof competition and we are very grateful to Waterstones in Truro, who very kindly host our awards evening each year, and to Kresen Kernow Cornish Studies Library in Redruth, who provide administrative help and meeting space for our reader reviewers.”