Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired World English rights in two middle-grade titles from award-winning Welsh language author Manon Steffan Ros, from Christopher Combemale at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. The two titles: Feather (Pluen), and Me and Aaron Ramsay (Fi ac Aaron Ramsay) are due to publish in 2024. The acquisition follows Firefly’s publication of Ros’ multi-award-winning YA title The Blue Book of Nebo (Llyfr Glas Nebo) this January, to significant acclaim.
‘The Blue Book Nebo is a stunningly beautiful novel in English as I’m sure it is in Welsh,’ said Thomas. ‘I have absolutely no doubt that Feather and Me and Aaron Ramsay will be terrific additions to our list too. We are very excited and feel privileged to be bringing more titles from Manon Steffan Ros to an English language readership with these two much-praised middle-grade novels.’
Exploring themes of friendship, family bonds and the history of conscientious objection in WW2, Feather is both modern and historical. Huw always pops in to see his nan on the way home from school – she bakes him cakes and never fusses about his homework. And so it’s a great shock when, one day, Nan forgets his name, and calls him Hywel – the long-unmentionable name of her late brother. As Nan slowly slips into the grip of dementia, Huw and his friends go on a quest to learn more about Hywel and what happened to him. The Welsh language original version, Pluen won Welsh children’s book award, the Tir na n’Og, in 2017.
Me and Aaron Ramsay tells the story of Sam and his dad who both love football, which is always there for them however tough real life becomes, until Dad’s dreams of football stardom go horribly wrong. It’s a story about hope, and about the complicated and often fractious relationship between father and son when the one interest they share is taken away from them.
‘I’m so excited to be joining the Firefly family once again to publish the adaptations of novels that are very close to my heart,’ said Ros.