My Year of Reading Welshly: Discovering Wales in 52 Books

‘What should I read next?’ Alex Johnson invites you to join him on his year of reading Welshly on a warm and witty journey through 52 books from Wales and about Wales.

From novels to poetry to non-fiction, Alex explores a rich and eclectic spread of books. Covering famous favourites such as Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood and Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin’s Ivor the Engine, through to contemporary hits such as Manon Steffan Ros’s The Blue Book of Nebo and Tiffany Murray’s My Family and Other Rock Stars, Alex’s ‘Reading Welshly’ list spans decades and genres.

It’s not just about mines and farming (though there are plenty of those), but a window onto Welsh culture in all its complexity and diversity. Discover with Alex how Welsh books both reveal modern Wales and speak to universal themes of love, social struggle and identity.

Complete with discussion questions about each book and space to chart your own Reading Welshly progress, this is the ideal companion for readers and book groups to discover Wales through its rich and varied literature.

© 2025 Calon (Ebook): 9781915279804

Release date

Ebook: 18 July 2025