Thursday, 30 April 2026

Thank you to the Swansea LGBTQ+ Coffee Morning & Sadie's Butterflies

A Heartfelt Thank You

We wanted to say a massive thank you to the Swansea LGBTQ+ Coffee Morning and Sadie's Butterflies for having us along recently. It was a truly wonderful morning spent in great company.

We had some fantastic conversations about how our plans for Nofela are progressing. The feedback and support we received from everyone there means the world to us as we continue to build this LGBTQ+ bookshop and community space for Swansea.

LGBT+ Coffee Morning Poster

A huge thank you also goes to Coast CafΓ© in the Maritime Quarter. Their hospitality was brilliant, and the refreshments provided the perfect backdrop for such a welcoming and relaxing chat.

Seeing the community come together like this is exactly why we are so passionate about Nofela. Thank you for the support, the stories, and the coffee!

Love,
The Nofela Team

Thursday, 16 April 2026

Help Us Build the Future of Nofela: Share Your Voice!

Help Us Build the Future of Nofela: Share Your Voice! 🌈✨

Shwmae pawb!

Since we launched the Nofela pilot phase, we’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support from the Swansea community. Whether you’ve visited us at a pop-up, donated a book, or just followed our journey online, you are the reason we are doing this.

Our dream is to create a permanent, cosy, queer-centred bookshop and community space in the heart of Swansea—a place for books, brews, and belonging. But to make this space truly yours, we need to hear from you.

Why your voice matters πŸ—£️

We aren't just building a shop; we’re building a community resource. To do that right, we need to understand what you want to see in a permanent Nofela home.

  • πŸ“š What kind of books should we stock more of?
  • What kind of events would make you want to visit? (Poetry nights? Crafting circles? Quiet reading hours?)
  • 🏳️‍🌈 How can we make the space as accessible and welcoming as possible for everyone in our beautiful, neurodiverse LGBTQ+ family?

Take 5 minutes for the Nofela Survey πŸ“‹

We’ve put together a short survey to gather your thoughts, dreams, and feedback. It only takes a few minutes to fill out, but the impact it will have on our business plan and our future space is huge.

Click the link below to share your thoughts:

πŸ‘‰ Take the Nofela Community Survey Here πŸ‘ˆ

What happens next?

We’ll be using your responses to help us apply for funding, choose a location, and curate our future events calendar. This is your chance to be a "co-author" of the Nofela story!

Thank you for helping us grow. Every response brings us one step closer to opening those doors and putting the kettle on for you.

Yn gynnes,

The Nofela Team

Books, Brews, and Community Connections.

Saturday, 4 April 2026

Nofela x Queertawe: A Fantastic Day of Community at Urban HQ


Thanks to everyone who joined us yesterday for our collaboration with Queertawe. We had a fantastic afternoon of books, brews, and community!

It was just lovely to chat to folks in a queer-friendly space, have some cups of coffee, and get a tad excited about books every now and again. Thank you also to Urban HQ for hosting us so warmly.


We were absolutely blown away by the amount of second-hand LGBTQ+ books that were donated during the event! These donations are the heartbeat of what we're trying to do with Nofela—ensuring queer literature stays accessible and shared within our community.

Keep an eye on our Events Page for where we'll be popping up next!

Thursday, 2 April 2026

Spring 2026 Update

Nofela Spring Update
£1,045 Raised

A huge thank you to our 42 supporters! We are officially on our way.

Support our Crowdfunder

🌈 Rainbow Week Success

We recently took Nofela to Gower College (Llwyn Y Bryn, Tycoch, and Gorseinon). It was an incredible week of queer literature and community, resulting in over £200 raised for our stock replenishment!

πŸ“… Upcoming Events

1. QueerTawe Book Swap Social

Join us for an afternoon of community, books, and brews.

πŸ“ HQ Cafe (Urban Cafe), Orchard Street
πŸ—“️ Friday, 3rd April | 12:30 PM – 3:30 PM

2. Good Vibes Youth Cafe

We’ll be bringing the Nofela vibes to the younger members of our community later this month.

πŸ“ YMCA Swansea
πŸ—“️ Tuesday, 21st April | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Whether you're coming to swap a book, buy a new one, or just fancy a chat in a cosy, inclusive space, we’d love to see you there.

Warmly,

The Nofela Team

A space for books, brews, and community connections.

Nofela - What's in a name?

Nofela - What's in a name?
At a recent pop-up event in Swansea, someone asked us:
“Nofela? Does that mean this is just for women then?”

What? Ahhh… "No fellas"… Nope! That’s not it! πŸ˜‚

Nofela is the Welsh word for Novella - a short novel. For us, the name is about so much more than a dictionary definition.

As three neurodivergent, LGBTQ+ women building a CIC in Wales, we chose it because:

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
It’s rooted in Cymraeg: We are a proud Welsh business. Using our language grounds us in our community and culture.
🧠
It’s Neuro-friendly: We love the "short story" format. Novellas are impactful and accessible - the perfect way to enjoy literature without feeling overwhelmed.
🌈
It’s about visibility: For too long, LGBTQ+ stories have been pushed to the margins. Nofela is our platform to ensure our voices are finally heard.
How do you say it? πŸ—£️
In Welsh, a single ‘f’ sounds like a ‘v’, so it’s:
Noh-VEL-ah
(rhymes with umbrella! ☔️)

Nofela - Beth sydd mewn enw? πŸ“–✨

At ddigwyddiad pop-yp yn ddiweddar yn Abertawe, gofynnodd rhywun i ni: “Nofela? Ydy hynny’n golygu bod e dim ond i fenywod ‘te?”

Beth? Aaaa… "No fellas"… Na! Nid hwnna ydy e! πŸ˜‚

Nofela yw’r gair Cymraeg am “Novella,” sef nofel fer. Ond i ni, mae’r enw’n golygu llawer mwy na’r diffiniad geiriadur.

Fel tair menyw niwroamrywiol LHDTC+ yn adeiladu CIC yng Nghymru, dewison ni’r enw Nofela oherwydd:

🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
Mae wedi gwreiddio yn y Gymraeg: Rydyn ni’n fusnes sy’n falch i fod yn Gymreig. Mae defnyddio ein hiaith yn ein lleoli yn ein cymuned a diwylliant.
🧠
Mae’n gyfeillgar i bobl niwroamrywiol: Ni’n caru’r fformat o ‘stori fer’. Mae nofelas yn ddylanwadol a’n hygyrch.
🌈
Mae fe amdano welededd: Am rhy hir, mae storΓ―au LHDTC+ wedi cael eu gwthio i’r ymylon. Nofela yw ein platfform i sicrhau bod ein lleisiau yn cael eu clywed o’r diwedd.

Os ydych chi’n “fella” ai peidio, mae croeso i chi yma!