We’re Folding Rock: a brand new magazine on the block. Founded in 2024 by two editors determined to help put Wales and Welsh writing on the UK map – and far beyond – we publish the best new creative prose: fiction, non-fiction, and everything in between. Our magazine showcases exciting work from writers of all kinds and stages. With a combination of special commissions and open submissions, we bring together established names with first-time sharers, and in every case publish only the highest quality creative writing – the kind we should all pay close attention to.
While we have that old, familiar label of ‘literary’ magazine, rest assured our aim is to bring you something fresh that you can really sink your teeth into. A beautiful print publication that you can sit down with and properly enjoy – then pass onto friends, or leave temptingly out on your coffee table. Each issue is designed and illustrated in collaboration with Matt Needle, and will include art and visual pieces alongside our writers’ brilliant words.
Folding Rock exists for two main reasons:
We receive grant support from the Books Council of Wales, resulting from a four-year tender for an English-language magazine in spring 2024. Without this funding, we wouldn’t be here!
Folding Rock works in partnership with a number of other organisations, including:
If you would like to support the work we do, you can become a subscriber, member or patron, or make a donation below.
Co-founder, Editorial Director (fiction)
Rob is an editor and designer from Swansea, south Wales. In over a decade in publishing, he has worked both in-house and freelance for several London-based houses and the acclaimed Welsh independent press Parthian Books. During his career, Rob has edited titles by a wide range of authors, including the Booker Prize-nominated Stevie Davies, the music and comedy icon Max Boyce, the million-selling Richard Zimler and, most recently, the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize-shortlisted Joshua Jones. Aside from editorial, Rob is also a book cover designer, as well as a budding audio and mixing engineer.
Rob takes the lead on fiction for Folding Rock, as well as managing our shiny new website, overseeing production, and doing lots of our design too.
Co-founder, Editorial Director (non-fiction)
Kathryn is a writer, editor and creative producer from the south coast of Wales. She has worked with independent publishers such as Parthian and most recently as the programme and content producer for New Writing North. She is the recipient of a Rising Star award from both The Bookseller and The Printing Charity. Kathryn’s own work has been widely commended and published, including an essay collection, Seaglass, with Calon Books in May 2024 and articles for the likes of The Guardian, The Scotsman and The Bookseller. Her essay, ‘Return to Water’, was a category winner in the New Welsh Writing Awards in 2021.
Kathryn takes the lead on creative non-fiction, as well as focusing on publicity, events, partnerships and fundraising.
Frances is the Marketing Associate for Folding Rock and wears a number of hats in Welsh publishing besides, including Magazine Manager for Poetry Wales, proofreader, and editorial assistant. Originally from the North West of England, Frances has lived in Cardiff for 10 years and when not working can usually be found reading and procrastinating her own writing, usually with either her cat or dog (sometimes both) atop her.
Alys Conran writes novels, short stories, poetry, creative essays and literary translations. Her first novel Pigeon (Parthian Books, 2016) was shortlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize and won Wales Book of the Year – for which her second novel, Dignity (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2019) was also shortlisted. She was Hay Festival International Fellow for 2019-20, appearing at festivals worldwide, and was on the National Centre for Writing & British Council's International Literature Showcase 2020, named as one of 'ten writers who shape our future’. Her fiction has been dramatised on radio (Radio 4, Radio 3, Radio Cymru) has been animated, been made into a nationally touring stage production, and is currently in development as a film. Pigeon is also now on the GCSE English Syllabus (WJEC). She is Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Bangor.
Joshua Jones (he/him) is a queer, neurodivergent writer and artist from Llanelli, south Wales. His debut, Local Fires, was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and Polari First Book Prize. His poetry pamphlets include A Fistful of Flowers (2022), Three Months in the Zebra Room (Hello America Stereo Cassette, 2024) and The City on Film (Bread and Roses, 2024).
Horatio Clare is a writer and broadcaster. His acclaimed memoirs, travel and children’s books include Running for the Hills (Somerset Maugham Award), A Single Swallow, Down to the Sea in Ships (Stanford Dolman Award), Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot (Branford Boase Award), and Heavy Light. His book Your Journey Your Way – the recovery guide to mental health, is a Sunday Times self-help book of the year. Horatio presents ‘Is Psychiatry Working?’ on BBC Radio 4 and writes regularly for the international press. His new book, We Came By Sea: stories of a greater Britain tells the unreported story of the small boat crisis. Horatio delivers training to NHS intervention teams, lectures in non-fiction at the University of Manchester, and lives with his family in West Yorkshire.
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