A YOUNG author from Cwmbran will represent Wales at an international writing conference in September, after winning an award at the Hay Literature festival.

Robin Ganderton won the PEN Cymru New Voices Award, after impressing the judges, Owen Sheers and Fflur Dafydd.

The Cwmbran writer attended the festival after being selected for the Arts Council of Wales "Writers at Work" programme, which is aimed at developing up-and-coming Welsh writers.

In September, Mr Ganderton will travel to Ourense, Galicia in Spain as the Welsh nominee at the 82nd PEN International conference.

PEN International is a worldwide association of writers and is the world's oldest human rights organisation, known for defending artists struggling under oppressive regimes and supporting figures such as Salman Rushdie.

Despite the Welsh chapter being just two years old, it has experienced a great level of success in just 24 months since its creation.

Last year's nominee from Wales, Rebecca F John, went on to win the international award.

With the nomination of Mr Ganderton, the judges hope that Wales can bring home the title for the second year in the succession, and will hopefully continue to put modern Welsh literature firmly on the global map.

The PEN Cymru New Voices Award is an annual event which is open to unpublished writers aged 18 to 30 in Wales.