Today we received the exciting news that we are a Country Finalist for the prestigious Small Press of the Year Awards.
‘We are really delighted to be on the Nibbies shortlist this year, and to see so many Welsh publishers with us on the list. Receiving four Carnegie nominations, winning the Wales children’s Book of the Year and the Waterstones Wales Book of the Year, and the success of our Ignite scheme for aspiring authors, were some of the highlights for a very hardworking team in a tough year, and it’s marvellous to have their achievements recognised by this award.’ Penny Thomas, publisher
The British Book Awards 2025 Small Press of the Year, sponsored by CPI Books, celebrates the independent presses dedicated to imaginative, forward-looking and diverse publishing.
In total there are 55 small presses listed across nine different regions and countries, including 12 in London, seven in both Scotland and South-East England, six in North England, five in Wales, South-West England and the Midlands, and four in the Island of Ireland and East England.
A huge thanks to our wonderful editors, designers, marketers, reps, authors, illustrators, translators, agents and more for making this possible. Roll on the Nibbies!
Can you design an eye-catching poster to help keep our environment free of litter?
To celebrate the publication of Major and Mynah: Project Puffin, we’re inviting young people to create a poster to help us spread the message that a clean environment is essential for humans and animals to thrive.
THE DETAILS
Your poster can be any size you like but if you’re posting your entry to us, please keep to A4 or A3.
You can submit your entry by email or by post. Posted posters will not be returned, sorry.
If submitting by email, please send to amy.low@fireflypress.co.uk with the subject “PROJECT PUFFIN POSTER COMPETITION ENTRY”
If submitting by post, please send to:
PROJECT PUFFIN POSTER COMPETITION Firefly Press Britannia House Van Road Caerphilly CF83 3GG
The deadline to receive entries is 11 April 2025.
HOW WILL THE POSTERS BE JUDGED?
We wish that everyone could be a winner, but we only have a limited number of prizes. So, here’s what the judges will be looking for:
Is your poster eye-catching?
Does your poster make people want to put litter in the bin and keep the environment clean?
Does your poster show creativity and out-of-the-box thinking?
One winner and one runner-up will be selected by a panel of judges including team members from publisher, Firefly Press and author, Karen Owen.
We will also host a ‘Popular Vote’ prize whereby the posters shortlisted by the judges will be posted on our social media channels. Whichever receives the most votes (likes) by the deadline will win the Popular Vote.
WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?
The WINNER will get a virtual or real-life visit from author Karen Owen for their school or club (depending on location) to chat about writing, clue-solving and PUFFINS! Plus a bundle of Major and Mynah books and a certificate.
One RUNNER UP will get a cuddly puffin soft toy, a bundle of Major and Mynah books and a certificate.
The WINNER of the Popular Vote will get a bundle of Major and Mynah books and a certificate.
Prizes may vary by availability and we reserve the right to make changes to the prizes.
KEY RULES
Only one entry per person please! If submitting as a school or group there is no limit to the number of entries as long as it is no more than one per person.
The competition is open to primary-aged children only, sorry!
If sending by email, you will need to take a photo or scan of your poster if sending electronically. (If taking a photo please ensure the poster is well-lit so we can judge accurately!)
Work must be original and created by the entrant(s) – please do not use any templates.
Please remember to include the creator’s name and age on the back of the poster or within the email body and image file name if sending electronically. We encourage you not to include full name(s), just first name(s) and age(s).
Please note, the data submitted will be used for the administration of the competition. First names, ages and schools/clubs where applicable may also be shared on our website and social media pages – if you do not want this data to be shared online you should make this explicitly clear in your submission.
FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Only entrants within the UK, including BFPO addresses, are eligible to enter the competition.
We reserve the right to make changes to prizes.
There will be 1 overall winner and runner up. There will also be 1 popular vote winner.
Posters will be judged on creativity, how well they fit the theme and how well the poster has been made or drawn. The popular vote winner will be chosen based on likes/reactions via the Firefly Press Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Bluesky pages.
The winner of the popular vote will be decided based on the post with the most likes/reactions across all platforms.
The dates and times of the popular vote will be updated closer to the time. No likes after this date shall be counted.
Winners will be notified via email. If posting your entry, please include a contact email address. If sending your entry by email, we will notify via the email address used to submit unless requested otherwise.
There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
If the winner cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 10 days of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. This includes any judging that occurs.
Entrant’s first name, age and school name (where applicable) will be announced on social media and on our website. If you do not wish for this data to be shared you should make this explicit when entering.
Entries may be displayed and used for marketing, with only first names used.
The closing date for entries is 11 April 2025. Posted entries must be received by this date.
Prizes are non-transferable.
Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
The news is out! And I Hear Dragons, a groundbreaking anthology celebrating belonging, identity and DRAGONS, has been included in Empathy Lab’s Read for Empathy collection 2025. Huge congratulations to editor Hanan Issa, illustrator Eric Heyman and contributing poets.
EmpathyLab has produced a #ReadforEmpathy book collection, with accompanying book guides, annually since 2017. Each title in the collection has been chosen by a panel of judges to do a specific empathy-building job. The list has been created as a practical tool to help young people learn more about empathy and put it into action, giving adults the resources they need to raise an empathy-educated generation.
Read on to find out more about And I Hear Dragons.
A ground-breaking new anthology from diverse Welsh writers aimed at children aged between eight and twelve.
And I Hear Dragon, explores the concept of identity, and Hanan has written a poem of the same name that ʻcelebrates the children of Wales as ferociously brave mythical beastsʼ, taking on discrimination, pollution and more, and upholding Walesʼ tradition of croesawgar (welcoming).
Participating poets:
Wales Children’s Laureate Alex Wharton, Angela Hui, Bethany Handley, Casi Wyn, Durre Shahwar, E.L. Norry, Emma Smith Barton, Eric Ngalle Charles, Grug Muse, Hafsah, Hanan Issa, Iestyn Tyne, Ifor ap Glyn, Jaffrin, Jessica Dunrod, Joshua Jones, Kandace Siobhan Walker, Marvin Thompson, Mari Ellis Dunning, Marvin Thompson, Mererid Hopwood, Nia Morais, Rebecca Parfitt, Rhiannon Oliver, Sarah Ziman, Sophie Anderson, Taylor Edmonds
You can buy the English/ Welsh bilingual version here.
The news is out! Play, the stunning and compelling YA novel from Luke Palmer, has been longlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Writing 2025. Huge congratulations to Luke.
The Carnegies are the UK’s longest running children’s book awards, recognising outstanding reading experiences created through writing and illustration in books for children and young people.
Read on to find out more about these brilliant nominated books…
Four boys grow up together at school, itching to get out of their small town. They play games, scoring points from each other, anything to pass the time until they’re free.
Matthew slips into his imagination, Luc pushes his body to the limit, and Johnny … well who knows what Johnny’s up to. But when Mark starts running errands for his older brother’s mysterious associate, he thinks he’s found the best game of all. There’s money in his pocket and his friends have started looking at him differently.
Then Mark breaks a rule, and quickly realises that the penalties in this game far outweigh the prizes. Can they all make it to the finish line before someone loses more than just face?
PLAY is a superbly written, tense and moving drama – a terrific second YA novel from Luke Palmer, whose debut title, Grow, was shortlisted for the Branford Boase first novel award and longlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal 2022.
Coming soon from Luke Palmer:
Sixth-former George leads the school’s coolest band – no party is complete without them. But when tragedy strikes, how can he, and the rest of his year group, rediscover the bright future they’d all planned?
This stunning coming-of-age novel for anyone who ever wanted to be in a band is due to land in bookshops June 2025.
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World English Rights to Grimstink by Daniel Peak from Philippa Perry at Show Me The Rabbit.
Alien Grimstink has travelled ninety-thousand light years to annihilate all life on Earth. Thirteen-year-old Layla Tenby has travelled half a mile to deliver leaflets for affordable fence panels.
But, when they suddenly swap places, Grimstink finds himself battling traffic wardens and the subway sandwich ordering system, while Layla is zapped to a strange planet and left fighting for the future of the galaxy whether she wants to or not (spoiler: she does not want to). Is Reece, Layla’s annoying younger brother, key to the galaxy’s survival, or will his friendship with new bestie Grimstink lead them all to impending doom?
From black holes to shopping precincts; from mining satellites to old people’s homes; from quantum spaceships to the middle aisle of Aldi… Is this the end of all life on Planet Earth or the beginning of a beautiful friendship?
Grimstink is due to land in bookshops on 10th July 2025.
‘Grimstink is one of the funniest books I have ever read, featuring a hilariously honest depiction of life on Earth, and an alien planet with seven moons and killer deathbots. With Daniel’s perfect comic timing, unique characters, unusual friendships, a ticking clock and WhatsApp groups, this story will have everyone rolling around laughing. We can’t wait for readers to meet Grimstink, Layla, Reece and Sid very soon!’ Lucy Mohan, editor
Daniel Peak said: ‘I am thrilled that Grimstink is on his way to destroy Planet Earth and extremely proud and grateful that Firefly are bringing him in to land.’
Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World Rights in teen/YA comedy thriller Dirk Jones is NOT the Chosen One by Gatlin Perrin.
Dirk isn’t the chosen one. Not even close. So how did they end up in the middle of a potential apocalypse?
All Dirk wanted was to escape another argument with their parents and go for a nice quiet coffee. Instead, they’ve been kidnapped by agents, attacked by mal-realmers and forced to wear a boiler suit that they’re pretty sure someone died in.
When Dirk is taken from a shopping centre in north Wales to Base, a secret, underground … well … base, they learn way more than they need to. More about other realms, more about the battle between good and evil, and more about the absolutely terrifying Violent Jack, an evil mal-realmer determined to bring about the end of the world.
Both sides need the chosen one. But there’s not a lot Dirk can do about it, is there? It’s not like it’s them.
Unfortunately for Dirk, not everyone knows that.
‘Gatlin has created a brilliantly original and action-packed world, with one of the most memorable and quirky casts of characters I’ve ever come across. This story is comical and creepy, but full of heart, and we can’t wait for readers to meet Dirk and the team as they – rather chaotically – attempt to save the world,’ said Lucy Mohan, Firefly Editor.
Perrin’s previous novel, His Royal Hopeless (Chicken House, 2021, written under the name Chloë Perrin) was longlisted for the Times/Chicken House Children’s Fiction Competition.
Gatlin Perrin said: ‘I’m so happy Firefly has chosen to give Dirk’s queer, funny and frightening adventure a proper Welsh home.’
The novel is supported by the Creative Wales and Welsh Books Council’s New Audience Fund, and is slated for publication in October 2025.
