THREE of the six Welsh-language books shortlisted for the 2021 Tir na n-Og Awards have been written by Dwyfor Meirionnydd writers.

Casia Wiliam from Nefyn, Angharad Tomos from Dyffryn Nantlle, and Manon Steffan Ros who lives in Tywyn have been shortlisted alongside Huw Aaron, Luned Aaron and Rebecca Roberts.

Casia Wiliam’s Sw Sara Mai has been shortlisted in the primary age category, alongside Ble Mae Boc – Ar Goll yn y Chwedlau by Huw Aaron and Mae’r Cyfan i Ti by Luned Aaron.

The books shortlisted in the secondary age category are Y Castell Siwgr by Angharad Tomos, Llechi by Manon Steffan Ros and #helynt by Rebecca Roberts.

Casia’s Sw Sara Mai welcomes readers to the world of Sara Mai, where cleaning up elephant poo is a lot more appealing than going to school, and where it’s easier to understand the behaviour of a bear from South Africa than the other girls in Year 5.

Poet and writer Casia has also adapted a number of titles to the Welsh language. Sw Sara Mai is her second original children’s novel. When not writing, she works for the Disasters Emergency Committee charity.

Y Castell Siwgr by Angharad Tomos is described as a heart-wrenching story about a slave girl, a maid, a ship and a castle, and about suffering beyond imagination.

Angharad published her first adult novel Yma O Hyd in 1983, around the same time as she started writing and illustrating the Rwdlan series for children. Angharad won the National Eisteddfod’s Prose Medal in 1991 and 1997.

She has won the Tir na n-Og Award in the past and has also received the Mary Vaughan Jones award.

She is a former chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, and has a regular column in Yr Herald Gymraeg.

Llechi by Manon Steffan Ros tells the tale of Gwenno.

Her body was found in the slate mine, the police are everywhere around Bethesda, and everyone is looking for her.

Manon has won a number of literary awards, including the Tir na n-Og Award five times, the National Eisteddfod’s Drama Medal twice on two successive occasions and the Prose Medal in 2018. She has proved successful across a range of areas, and her novel Llyfr Glas Nebo, which won the Prose Medal as well as a Wales Book of the Year Award in 2019, has been adapted into a stage drama.

The Books Council of Wales announced their shortlist on Thursday.

Hywel James, chair of the panel of judges for the Welsh-language primary and secondary categories, said: “As judges, we have been able to graze our way through a feast of children’s and young people’s literature.

“All the books offered a wonderful choice to young readers, and contributed to our literature by filling gaps that feed the imagination and develop their understanding of the past or an awareness of the world around them.

“This year’s titles included some very attractive picture story books by new authors and illustrators, a development that deserves special praise for creating high quality original publications.

“There were very impressive titles in the young adults’ category too, with some quite shocking content as they strived to convey the challenges of coming of age either in contemporary Wales or at key stages in our history.”

The winners will be announced on 20 May.