The scheme aims to bring Wales' literary classics to a new audience

The Welsh Assembly Government promotion of some of Wales' best 20th Century writing in English is launched by Culture Minister Alun Pugh later.

A 3,000 print run of the series was sent to booksellers over the weekend.

Publishers Parthian said some books were sold from the shelves earlier than planned and had led to re-orders.

The Library of Wales series aims to re-print books about Wales written during the 20th Century which are either out-of-print or difficult to obtain.

The books have new-look covers even though they are classics

A list of 20 has been drawn up by historian and culture writer Professor Dai Smith. Each book has been given a new foreword by contemporary Welsh writers, including Prof Smith.

The first five are: So Long Hector Bebb, by Ron Berry; Border Country by Raymond Williams; Country Dance by Margiad Evans; The Dark Philosophers by Gwyn Thomas; and Cwmardy & We Live by Lewis Jones.

The titles will be launched at the Wales Millennium Centre on Tuesday evening. Earlier in the day Mr Pugh will visit Whitchurch High School, Cardiff, to present books to pupils.

But the titles, with contemporary covers to belie their academic appeal, have already gone down well with the public, according to Dominic Williams, of publishers Parthian.

We believe that the series deserves a place on the book shelves of anyone with an interest in Wales, wherever they are in the world Professor Dai Smith

He said: "Some eager book sellers put them on the shelves on Saturday, so we could be looking at reprints very soon.

"It's just great that they've hit the shops and started selling immediately."

He said the contemporary covers were commissioned to show the texts were good reads in their own right as well as being of historical interest.

"If it's going to be commercially-viable, then people need to buy them. It was very important they have a very commercial-looking edge, not like a dry set of classics."

The first five titles will also be launched in USA in March and a package of educational materials will be launched at the Hay literature festival in May to help to re-introduce the books into schools, colleges and universities.