Roger Boore


Roger Boore was a Welsh-language publisher and author who founded the Welsh publishing house Dref Wen.

Life and work

Roger Boore was born in Cardiff, Wales, in 1938, and was brought up in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, where he attended Warwick School. He was awarded a degree in classics at Jesus College, Oxford, in 1961 and a PhD in history at University of Wales Swansea in 2005. He was qualified as a Chartered Accountant. He was a life-long enthusiast of the Welsh language, which he began learning in his teens.
In 1969-70 Boore and his wife Anne founded the Cardiff publishing house Dref Wen, which was the first press to focus mainly on full-colour Welsh language books for children, thus transforming this aspect of the Welsh book market and of Welsh culture.
Under Boore's management Dref Wen also produced bilingual and educational books for children. Its many publications in that period included Llyfr Hwiangerddi y Dref Wen, Y Geiriadur Lliwgar, the “Welsh History Stories” series and the prize-winning “From Start to Finish” series on religions.
Boore translated many children's books into Welsh, from a variety of languages, for publication by Dref Wen.
He retired in 1999.
In 1997 Boore received the Mary Vaughan Jones Award for his “notable contribution to the field of children’s books in Wales over a period of years” and in 2016 was elected to the Gorsedd of Bards of the National Eisteddfod of Wales for his “special contribution to Wales and the Welsh language”.
Boore won the short story competition at the 1971 National Eisteddfod of Wales and the Prose Medal at the 1972 Pantyfedwen Eisteddfod. He published one collection of short stories, one children's novel, and, after his retirement from publishing, a ground-breaking series of five travel books.

Children's books

Hoff Hwiangerddi with Rhian Nest James. Cardiff, Dref Wen. Y Bachgen Gwyllt novel. Cardiff, Dref Wen.

Travel books

Taith i Rufain . Cardiff, Dref Wen. Taith trwy Dde Sbaen . Cardiff, Dref Wen. Glas y Sierra: Taith trwy ddwyrain Sbaen . Cardiff, Dref Wen. Marchogion Crwydrol: Taith trwy berfeddwlad Sbaen . Cardiff, Dref Wen. Taith i Awstralia . Cardiff, Dref Wen.

Other books

Llyfrau Plant mewn Ieithoedd Lleiafrifol . Cardiff, Dref WenYmerodraeth y Cymry short stories. Cardiff, Dref Wen

Awards and honours