A novel by TV presenter Judy Finnigan and a new selection of work by the great Cornish poet Jack Clemo are among the books shortlisted for the 20th Holyer an Gof awards for Cornish publishing.

Gorsedh Kernow’s reader reviewers has been keeping the organising committee fully occupied with nearly 250 reports submitted for the annual Holyer an Gof Publishers Awards.

’It was never going to be easy selecting the nominations for Cornwall’s best, recently published, books,’ said Grand Bard of Cornwall, Merv Davey, Telynor an Werin, ’and I am so grateful to all my fellow bards and others with specialist subject knowledge who take the time to carefully read and review all these fantastic new books.’

Holyer An Gof is promoted annually by Gorsedh Kernow for publications relating to Cornwall or the Cornish language to encourage all supporters of Cornish publishing.

’Although the number of entries is down this year the quality of writing, illustrating and publishing is as high as ever,’ said Holyer an Gof co-organiser Rael Harvey, ’and we are delighted that the Gorsedh Kernow Holyer an Gof Awards continue to attract entries from all round the publishing world, especially those in the hard to reach self publishing sector.’

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in July at Waterstones in Truro.

I Do Not Sleep by Judy Finnigan is nominated in the adult fiction class, and Selected Poems – Jack Clemo, edited by Luke Thompson is shortlisted in poetry and drama.