First Original Welsh World Cup Guidebook

This year, for the first time, Welsh readers will be able to prepare for the World Cup with an original book which is as attractive as anything available in English. In the past, adaptations of English books on the championship have been published, but this year, due to new funds made available by the Wales Books Council for the designing of Welsh books and visual materials, a new full-colour book will be published by Y Lolfa on 5th of May. Cwpan y Byd 2010 will include a foreword by John Hartson, a free wall chart of the matches and a Welsh perspective on the event along with text by an experienced author, Gwyn Jenkins. The new funding from the Wales Books Council means that the book has been professionally designed by Elgan Griffiths and includes photographs from the Press Association. Lefi Gruffudd from Y Lolfa said: “It’s great to be able to commission an original book for the World Cup with an author and designer of such high standard. It will look as good as anything else available in any language. It is also good that the text will put a Welsh tilt on things and a different perspective than the often biased material seen in the English press.” Elwyn Jones, Director of the Wales Book Council, said: “It’s great to welcome the first product of the extra funding made available for Welsh books by the Assembly Government this year. It’s good to have an original Welsh book about the World Cup, and for that book to be as colourful and lively as this one. Congratulations to Y Lolfa for taking advantage of this opportunity.” The book, Cwpan y Byd 2010, will surely be a great aid to anyone who wishes to keep track of all the countries and players who will be competing in South Africa this year. It is packed with facts and figures, including details of all the matches, fantastic photographs of the players, a foreword by John Hartson and a free wall chart. The author, Gwyn Jenkins, published the first Welsh book on football for children, Gôl (Y Lolfa 1980) and this is another volume that will prove to be essential to supporters of the world’s most popular sport. Gwyn Jenkins also edited Llyfr y Ganrif. The book will available in Welsh bookshops from the 5th of May for £4.95. Cwpan y Byd – Llawlyfr Cymraeg Am y Tro Cyntaf Am y tro cyntaf erioed eleni mi fydd darllenwyr Cymraeg yn gallu paratoi ar gyfer Cwpan y Byd gyda llyfr gwreiddiol sydd mor ddeniadol ag unrhyw beth a geir yn Saesneg. Yn y gorffennol cyhoeddwyd addasiadau o lyfrau Saesneg am y bencampwriaeth, ond eleni, oherwydd arian newydd i ddylunio a deunydd gweledol mewn llyfrau Cymraeg gan Gyngor Llyfrau Cymru, mi fydd llyfr newydd llawn lliw yn cael ei gyhoeddi gan Y Lolfa ar Fai y 1af. Bydd y llyfr Cwpan y Byd 2010 yn cynnwys rhagair gan John Hartson, siart am ddim o’r gemau a gogwydd Gymreig ar bethau gyda thestun gan yr awdur profiadol, Gwyn Jenkins. Mae’r nawdd newydd gan y Cyngor Llyfrau wedi golygu bod modd cael dyluniad proffesiynol gan Elgan Griffiths a defnyddio lluniau Press Association. Yn ôl Lefi Gruffudd o wasg Y Lolfa: “Mae’n wych o beth gallu comisiynu llyfr gwreiddiol ar gyfer Cwpan y Byd gydag awdur a dylunydd o safon mor uchel. Mi fydd yn edrych gystal ag unrhyw beth mewn unrhyw iaith. Mae’n dda fod y testun hefyd yn cynnwys cyfeiriadaeth Gymreig a safbwynt gwahanol i’r holl ddeunydd unllygeidiog a welir yn y wasg Saesneg.” Dywedodd Elwyn Jones, Cyfarwyddwr Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru, ''Mae'n braf iawn croesawu ffrwyth cyntaf y nawdd ychwanegol a ddaeth ar gyfer llyfrau Cymraeg gan Lywodraeth y Cynulliad eleni. Gwych o beth yw cael llyfr gwreiddiol Cymraeg am Gwpan y Byd, a hwnnw'n llyfr bywiog a lliwgar. Llongyfarchiadau i'r Lolfa am fanteisio ar y cyfle.' Mi fydd y llyfr newydd Cwpan y Byd 2010 yn siwr o fod yn gymorth i’r sawl sydd am bwyso a mesur yr holl wledydd a’r sêr a fydd yn cystadlu yn Ne Affrica eleni. Mae’n llawn ffeithiau, yn cynnwys holl fanylion y gemau, lluniau gwych o’r chwaraewyr, rhagair gan John Hartson, a hefyd siart am ddim. Cyhoeddodd yr awdur, Gwyn Jenkins, y llyfr Cymraeg cyntaf i blant ar bêl-droed, sef Gôl (y Lolfa 1980) a dyma gyfrol arall a fydd yn hanfodol i gefnogwyr gêm fwyaf poblogaidd y byd. Gwyn Jenkins oedd hefyd golygydd Llyfr y Ganrif. Lansir y gyfrol ar Fai 1af yn y Fedwen Lyfrau, Llanrwst.

Baku or Bust

Would you be interested in helping to raise funds for one of the biggest Welsh Charity projects in 2009 ? Or could you help by forwarding this post to all your friends and family.On May 23rd 2009, over 30 Welsh Football Supporters will set off from Cardiff in old bangers to aim to reach Baku to watch Azerbaijan play Wales in a World Cup qualifier on 6th June. The cars will have a value of £400 maximum, some will make it, some probably won't.

We will be raising funds for Gôl, the Welsh Football Supporters Charity, established in 2002, which has helped over 30 orphanages over the last 6 years as well as children's hospitals and charities in Wales such as LATCH and Ty Hafan. Some photos of the places we have been before can be seen on our website.

http://www.golcymru.org

All the money donated for BakuorBust will be spent on good causes at over 20 orphanages which will be visited, some of which we have visited before, some totally new in. We will be backed by the Football Association of Wales and the Welsh players, who had a photo shoot with one of our cars back in November.

Gareth Bale and Lewin Nyatanga with myself in one of our cars going to Baku.

If your society would like to fundraise as a project and decide to focus on one of our orphanages to help we can take photos for you and acknowledge your contribution on our website. Alternatively anyone will be welcomed to make an individual donation online at our justgiving site. Donations of any size will be much appreciated.

http://www.justgiving.com/bakuorbust

Help make your countries football team proud in 2009 and give Wales a caring name around the world.

Kind Regards

Neil Dymock

Gôl Trustee and BakuorBust Project Manager

Gôl is a registered charity with HMRC, with the number XT14176.