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Welsh publishing company Y Lolfa is heralding a victory following Amazon's decision to make Welsh-language books available on its Kindle e-reader.
Garmon Gruffud, managing director of Welsh publisher Y Lolfa, launched a petition in April protesting about Amazon’s decision to list Welsh as a “not supported language”, after he had failed to sell the company’s books through the Kindle platform.
After the petition gained 3,000 signatures, Amazon has said the Welsh publisher is now able to sell some of its bestselling titles on the Kindle platform in Welsh.
Gruffud told Walesonline: “We have had difficulties in getting Amazon to allow us to publish Welsh books on the Kindle but it seems as if we’ve found a short-term solution at last.
“Because of the demand from Welsh readers we have decided to publish a few of our most popular Welsh novels on the Kindle this year. We hope that this will mean that people who live outside the catchment area of Welsh language bookshops will be able to buy our books electronically.”
He added: “I’m sure there’ll be a far wider choice in the next few months and books will be available on all platforms.”
A spokesman for Amazon said: “We are working on adding more languages through our KDP portal all the time and Welsh is one that we are now able to support.”
Gruffudd had accused Amazon of having an "incredibly negative" attitude towards Welsh compared to other digital or online companies such as Kobo, Sony, Google and Facebook.
Last month, Y Lolfa was one of four publishers whose books were launched on an app for the Apple platform, created by Yudu and funded by the Welsh Book Council. The other publishers were Graffeg, Atebol and Canolfan Astudiaethau Addysg.