Hero helps launch book

Feb 14 2008 by Samantha Mendez, Rhymney Valley Express

EVERY two minutes a copy of the first ever Welsh encyclopaedia was flying off the shelves of Wales’ largest bookstore.

Borders in Cardiff was the first shop to stock The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales, and it couldn’t have been launched at a more fitting time than when Wales’s rugby team are cleaning up in the Six Nations.

On hand to sign the first few copies of the historic book was valleys war veteran Simon Weston, of Nelson.

Ashley Drake, director of the University of Wales said the response to the new encyclopaedia has been fantastic.

“It was a historic day for many reasons, with the Welsh rugby team beating England at Twickenham, but it was even more thrilling to see people queuing up to buy the book.”

Demand for the £65 Encyclopaedia has been so high that there is a backlog of the mammoth book on order.

“As with Wales’ victory recently, after 20 years of defeat at London, the encyclopaedia will be worth it when it arrives!”

The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales is published alongside its sister version in Welsh – Gwyddoniadur Cymru yr Academi Gymreig.

The publications are the result of a 10-year Academi project, published by the University of Wales Press and funded by the Arts Council of Wales through a large Lottery grant.

The encyclopaedias were written by Dr John Davies, Menna Baines, Nigel Jenkins and Peredur Lynch.