Welsh independent publisher Firefly Press has received a bumper FOUR nominations for the 2023 Yoto Carnegies.
The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros, and The Red Gloves and Other Stories by Catherine Fisher are both nominated for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing. And The Song that Sings Us written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Jackie Morris is double nominated for both Yoto Carnegie Medals for Writing and Illustration respectively.
Firefly Press Publisher Penny Thomas says: ‘We are absolutely thrilled to have four Carnegie nominations this year; this is a huge achievement for our small, quality children’s fiction list and we’d like to congratulate all the authors and the illustrator on their wonderful work!
‘These nominations are also a testament to the creative power in Welsh children’s fiction at present; these writers and illustrators are all based in Wales, and all nominated titles are immersed in Welsh landscape and culture, with strong environmental themes.’
The Song that Sings Us written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winning artist Jackie Morris is a stunningly beautiful environmental epic adventure, featuring an alternative world threatened by a terrible weapon called ‘the greenhouse’. It was described by The Guardian as ‘Storytelling on the most poetic scale – strange, bloody, grand and unforgettable.’
Nicola Davies says: ‘I put my heart and soul into The Song That Sings Us and I’m so happy that this wonderful nomination demonstrates readers understand this story and the message it carries, that all life is one kin, one song.’
Jackie Morris adds: ‘This is the first time Nicola and I have worked together, and I am so proud that the illustrations I have done for this lyrical tale of adventure have been recognised with a nomination.’ Jackie will also be illustrating the second book to be set in the world of The Song that Sings Us – Skrimsli! due out in autumn 2023.
Manon Steffan Ros’ translated YA novel The Blue Book of Nebo, adapted by the author from her award-winning Welsh novel Llyfr Glas Nebo, is an deeply moving post-apocalyptic story of a mother and son’s survival and relationship after a nuclear fallout, set in north Wales. Described as ‘a gentle, yet powerful read about how we live and what we pay attention to’ by the Irish Times.
Manon says: ‘I’m absolutely honoured to be nominated. The Carnegie especially means a great deal to me as I can remember seeing the word on the cover of some of my favourite books when I was younger and learning to recognise it as a sign of a great read!’
The short story collection The Red Gloves and Other Stories by Catherine Fisher, illustrated by Anne Glenn, contains nine haunting, magical stories based on Welsh and English myths. It was described by Booktrust as, ‘A masterful mix of truth and the supernatural that will leave readers feeling discomfited and looking over their shoulders for whatever it is they can’t quite see, long after they’ve finished reading.’
Catherine Fisher says: ‘I am delighted and honoured that The Red Gloves and Other Stories has been nominated for this year’s Carnegie Medal, along with so many other wonderful books. I hope it means more people will read and enjoy these stories!’
Magazine editor and bookseller Lucy Mohan is to join Welsh indie Firefly Press in a new role as editorial assistant, with a remit to identify and work with new and diverse audiences.
The appointment marks a continued expansion to the Firefly editorial team following the appointment of senior editor Rebecca F. John last month, and increased hours for staff across the company.
The part-time role is funded by the Books Council of Wales and represents a significant opportunity for the children’s press which celebrates its tenth anniversary next year, said Publisher Penny Thomas.
‘Lucy clearly has a real love of children’s and YA books, and experience working with young people in creative writing,’ said Thomas. ‘With a small, busy team at Firefly her appointment will give us bandwidth to look at who we are publishing for and ensuring we are doing everything we can to reach new readers, particularly from underrepresented communities in Wales and across the UK. We’re really grateful to the Books Council of Wales for funding this innovative role.’
Lucy Mohan says: ‘I’ve been a fan of Firefly for a long time and I’m absolutely honoured and thrilled to be joining the team. Children’s and YA books are a huge passion of mine and so I cannot wait to help bring new books to life and share them with readers.’
The Books Council of Wales says: ‘We are very pleased to be able to fund this opportunity that continues the work of ensuring diversity, inclusion, and equity in the publishing landscape of Wales.’
Mae addasiad Cymraeg o nofel gyntaf gyffrous Lee Newbery, The Last Firefox (Y Llwynog Tân Olaf), yn arwain pedwarawd o deitlau a gyhoeddir yr hydref hwn mewn menter newydd gan y cyhoeddwyr annibynnol Cymreig arobryn Firefly Press. Mae’r teitlau yn cynnwys addasiadau o The Clockwork Crow (Y Frân Glocwaith) gan Fardd Llawryfog Pobl Ifanc Cyntaf Cymru Catherine Fisher a’r teitlau ffeithiol Fantastic Football (Pêl-Droed Penigamp) a Rampaging Rugby (Rygbi Rhempus) gan Robin Bennett.
Meddai’r cyhoeddwr Penny Thomas:
“Wedi deg mlynedd o gyflwyno darllenwyr ifanc i ffuglen o safon yn Saesneg rydym bellach ar daith gyffrous i ychwanegu llyfrau Cymraeg i’n catalog gyda’r teitlau bendigedig hyn. Ni allem ofyn am well straeon i ddechrau ‘na ‘Y Llwynog Tân Olaf a Y Frân Glocwaith, ynghyd a hiwmor gwallgof Rygbi Rhempus a Pêl-Droed Penigamp. Rydyn ni’n falch iawn bod Lee Newbery am ymuno â’n rhestr o awduron ar gyfer ei deitl Cymraeg cyntaf ac yn edrych ymlaen yn fawr at gyhoeddi pedwar llyfr gwych Cymraeg yr hydref hwn!’
“Hoffem ddiolch o galon i’r addasyddion, y dylunwyr a phawb yn y Cyngor Llyfrau a roddodd gefnogaeth wych i’r teitlau hyn.”
Mae Y Llwynog Tân Olaf yn antur ffantasi hudolus o sut mae bachgen yn canfod cryfder mewnol trwy helpu creadur hudol. Mae ‘na ddigonedd o deimlad a hiwmor yn y stori gyntaf hwyliog hon gan Lee Newbery, wedi’i darlunio gan Laura Catalán. Mae wedi’i hanelu at ddarllenwyr ifanc naw oed a hŷn.
Rhyddhawyd y fersiwn Saesneg gan Puffin Books yn gynharach eleni i ganmoliaeth uchel a daeth yn Llyfr y Mis Waterstones. Mae’r fersiwn Gymraeg wedi’i chyfieithu gan Siân Northey, sy’n cyfleu harddwch y stori dwymgalon hon. Mae’r stori yn dathlu amrywiaeth dynol ac wedi’i hysbrydoli gan brofiad yr awdur o fynd drwy’r broses fabwysiadu gyda’i ŵr.
Dywedodd Lee Newbery: ‘Fel siaradwr Cymraeg, mae hi wastad wedi bod yn uchelgais gennyf i gael un o fy llyfrau ar gael yn y Gymraeg. Rydw i wrth fy modd bod The Last Firefox wedi dod o hyd i gartref yn Firefly ac wedi dod o hyd i gyfieithydd gwych yn Siân Northey. Fedra’ i ddim aros i weld Y Llwynog Tân Olaf mewn siopau llyfrau, ysgolion a llyfrgelloedd ar draws Cymru ac ar gael yn y ddwy iaith.”
Lee Newbery
Enillodd The Clockwork Crow, gan yr awdur ffuglen a bardd enwog Catherine Fisher, Wobr Tir na n’og a chyrhaeddodd restr fer Gwobr Llyfr Blue Peter. Wedi’i gosod yng nghanolbarth Cymru Fictoraidd llawn eira, mae’n dilyn stori’r plentyn amddifad Seren a’i hanturiaethau hudolus gydag adar sy’n siarad. Nid yw yn siwr os yw’r adar yn dweud y gwir neu beidio. Addaswyd y fersiwn Cymraeg, Y Frân Glocwaith, gan Mared Llwyd.
Fantastic Football (Awst 2022) a Rampaging Rugby (Awst 2021) oedd y ddau gyntaf yng nghyfres Stupendous Sports Firefly gan yr awdur plant a’r entrepreneur Robin Bennett. Mae’r llyfrau hyn yn llawn ffeithiau diddorol, cwestiynau cwis, rheolau a thactegau am y chwaraeon poblogaidd. Maen nhw’n cael eu haddasu gan Elinor Wyn Reynolds (Pêl -droed) a Ion Thomas(Rygbi). Dyma anrhegion perffaith i ddiddanu’r teulu adeg gemau pwysig Rygbi a Phêl-droed sy’n cael eu cynnal yr hydref hwn.
Manon Steffan Ros
Dywed yr awdur a chefnogwr pêl-droed Manon Steffan Ros yn ei chyflwyniad i Pêl-Droed Penigamp:
“Mae’r llyfr hwn yn cynnwys llwyth o ffeithiau difyr am bêl-droed nad oeddwn i’n gwybod amdanyn nhw o gwbl—a dwi yn ddipyn o nyrd pêl-droed! Bydd darllen y gyfrol hon yn gwneud ichi swnio’n gallach na chyflwynwyr Sgorio a Match of the Day. Felly mwynhewch y darllen – a gadewch i ni i gyd weiddi C’MON CYMRU!!
Bydd y pedwar teitl ar gael mewn siopau llyfrau, llyfrgelloedd ac i’w harchebu ar-lein o 27 Hydref 2022 drwy https://fireflypress.co.uk
A Welsh language adaptation of Lee Newbery’s blazing debut novel, The Last Firefox (Y Llwynog Tân Olaf), leads a quartet of titles published this Autumn in a major new move by award-winning Welsh independent publishers Firefly Press. The others are adaptations of Firefly titles The Clockwork Crow (Y Frân Glocwaith) by former Wales Young People’s Laureate Catherine Fisher and non-fiction titles Fantastic Football(Pêl-Droed Penigamp) and Rampaging Rugby (Rygbi Rhempus) by Robin Bennett.
Publisher Penny Thomas said: ‘Following ten years of introducing young readers to quality fiction in English we are now at an exciting stage in our journey in adding Welsh language books to our catalogue with some wonderful titles. We couldn’t ask for better stories to start with than Y Llwynog Tân Olaf and Y Frân Glocwaith, and the crazy humour of Rygbi Rhempus and Pêl-Droed Penigamp. We’re delighted that Lee Newbery is to join our list of authors for the Welsh language edition of his debut title and very much looking forward to publishing four great books in Welsh this autumn!’
‘We’d like to say a big thank you to the adaptors, designers and everyone at the Books Council of Wales who gave wonderful support to these titles.’
Y Llwynog Tân Olaf is anenchanting fantasy adventure of how a boy finds inner strength by helping a magical creature. Heart and humour abound in this fun, fast-paced debut tale by Lee Newbery, illustrated by Laura Catalán, aimed at young readers age nine and upwards. The English version was released by Puffin Books earlier this year to critical acclaim and was a Waterstones children’s book of the month. The Welsh language version has been translated by Sian Northey, capturing the beauty of this heart-warming tale which celebrates diversity and draws inspiration from Newbery’s own experience of going through the adoption process with his husband.
Lee Newbery commented: ‘As a Welsh speaker, it has always been one of my goals to have one of my books available in Welsh, so I’m thrilled that The Last Firefox has found a home at Firefly and found a great translator in Sian Northey. I can’t wait to see Y Llwynog Tân Olaf in bookshops, schools and libraries across the country and be available in both languages.’
Lee Newbery
The Clockwork Crow by renowned children’s fiction writer and poet Catherine Fisher, won the Tir na n’og Award and was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award. Set in a snowy Victorian mid Wales, it follows the story of orphan Seren and her magical adventures with a talking crow who may or may not be telling the truth. The Welsh adaptation, Y Frân Glocwaith, is by Mared Llwyd.
Fantastic Football (August 2022) and Rampaging Rugby (August 2021) were the first two in Firefly’s Stupendous Sports series by children’s writer and entrepreneur Robin Bennett. These books are packed with interesting facts, quiz questions, rules and tactics about both sports for young fans and players. They are being adapted by Elinor Wyn Reynolds and Ion Thomas respectively and will provide perfect gifts to entertain alongside the major Rugby and Football tournaments taking place this Autumn.
Manon Steffan Ros
Award winning writer and footie fan Manon Steffan Ros says in her introduction to Pêl-Droed Penigamp : ‘This book contains loads of fun facts about football that I didn’t know about at all — and I’m a football nut! Reading this book will make you sound smarter than the presenters of Sgorio and Match of the Day. So enjoy the read — and let’s all shout C’MON CYMRU!!’
All four titles will be available in bookshops, libraries and to order online from 27 October 2022 via https://fireflypress.co.uk
From Welsh women pirates to dystopian Cardiff blood-drinkers, Firefly Press’s New Children’s Fiction from Wales competition attracted some spine-tingling entries!
And today (11th October 2022) we are delighted to announce the shortlist and winners of a competition which aimed to discover the best new writing for children coming from Welsh authors currently without publishing deals.
Launched on St David’s Day, the competition attracted some fabulous stories from writers either based in Wales or who have grown up in the country. With three separate age groups to write for (age 7-9, 9-12 and 12-18), three winners and the overall winner have been selected by top children’s authors Catherine Fisher, Catherine Johnson and Malachy Doyle and Firefly Publisher Penny Thomas.
‘We wanted to run a competition to find great new children’s fiction and authors writing from Wales and give everyone a chance to submit to us, and we have certainly done that, with some awesome results,’ said Thomas.
‘All entries to the competition were judged anonymously and I’d like to thank the judges for their hard work. We are delighted with the results and may look to make this competition a regular event.’
The winner of each category wins a one-to-one editorial session with a Firefly editor and the overall winner wins a place on a Literature Wales’ Tŷ Newydd Writing Centre residential course in 2023 (subject to availability).
The Winners:
7-9s The Map of Rhos by Victoria Pici
‘The Map of Rhos is a delightfully written, captivating story of fairies battling to regain their rightful homes, which have been stolen by invading elves,’ said Malachy Doyle.
9-12s A History of My Weird by Chloë Heuch
‘It was a great joy to read such exciting and interesting stories for this age group!’ said Catherine Fisher. ‘A History of My Weird was a stand-out winner, with its memorable and vibrant main character, and exciting narrative.’
12+ Wick Wood by Lucy Mohan
‘This is a thrilling, twisty, whodunnit with a genuinely creepy setting, I loved it!’ said Penny Thomas.
OVERALL WINNER:
A History of My Weird by Chloë Heuch
Gwynedd-based Heuch has written ‘a genuinely funny, character-led novel with a fresh voice, one that deserves to find readers,’ said Catherine Johnson. ‘A History of My Weird, our overall winner, was an easy choice to make for us judges.’
THE SHORTLIST:
Category: 7-9s
The Girl Who Was Licked by The Dragon by Nicky Herriot
I arrived in Mid Wales as a young adult and fell in love with the Welsh mountains. I stumbled into childrens fiction by accident when several characters told me they were not ready to be grown ups and wanted to do their own thing. Intially I put them into picture books but they demanded their stories be told in full and now I cant stop. Since our boys have left home I enjoy travelling with my wife in our camper van.
The Map of Rhos by Victoria Pici
Born with the gift of the gab and a vivid imagination, Victoria has been creating magical worlds for others to read and play in for as long as she can remember. She loves to write books that fuel children’s knowledge of the natural world and love for the great outdoors. A Jane of all trades, she now works as an admin in a local high school and enjoys spending time in nature with her family.
Saffi’s Super Senses by Sarah King
Sarah King is a teacher and therapist who trained as a college lecturer 26 years ago. She has since enjoyed a long career at Pembrokeshire College in South West Wales. Sarah specialises in teaching, guiding, supporting and coaching learners with SEN and barriers to learning. She is passionate about inclusivity for all and loves writing stories and poems for children that spark wonderment, laughter and well-being. She is also a mum of three.
Tommy Blue and Rex in Gigantic Danger by Jane Carter
After retiring from a 30 year career in the Civil Service, Jane joined Newport Writers Group in January 2020. She started writing poetry and flash fiction during the first lockdown and a number of these pieces were published. This success encouraged Jane to write her first children’s book – set in her childhood home of Abergavenny. Jane is married with two children and lives in Caerleon with her husband David.
Category: 9-12s
A History of My Weird by Chloë Heuch
Chloë Heuch was born in Taunton and lives near Pwllheli on the North Wales coast with her partner, two children, her psychopath cat and the dog. Past jobs have included working in a children’s home, teaching, bar work and working in the local post office. She has a Creative Writing MA from Lancaster University and is a member of SCBWI. Her novel Too Dark to See was published by Firefly in 2020. She currently divides her time between her children, her writing and teaching teenagers.
The Lost Ghost by Suzie Good
Suzie Good grew up in mid Wales walking Offa’s Dyke, making dens and steam-cleaning tractors at her Dad’s garage. She was most happy though, with her head stuck in a book – preferably one by Tolkien or Roald Dahl. After teaching English Literature for over twenty years, she now juggles tutoring, working as an Education Outreach Officer and trying to write. She lives in Cardiff with her husband, two children and a cat called Crunchie.
Lucky Boy and his Jackdaw by Mary Howell
A child’s joy as they engage with a story has been inspiration and guiding light since teaching days with the first aspiration to write. Now, fortunate to pursue something I love in sight of the sea and a step away from rolling hills, wind and waves also play their part. Studying with The Golden Egg Academy throughout lockdown has been a revelation. I also have an MA in creative writing from Bangor.
Pen Blackwood for the Win by Gail Sequeira
Gail was born in India and lived a nomadic existence until she found her roots in Wales where she now lives with her best friend and their dog. She began writing seriously during lockdown and now she can’t stop. Her writing reflects her interest in cross-cultural relations, solidarity with lost causes and the universal search for belonging.
Spark-Blood by Liam Kelly
Liam discovered a love of writing for children after getting his award-winning short film about a boy with a magic haircut broadcast on the BBC. Having turned his attention towards prose within the last year, he reached the shortlist for the 2021 Penguin WriteNow editorial programme, with a short story about a boy who can talk to flies. This is his first attempt at writing a full-length novel.
The Turquoise Thief by Essie Brammer
Essie is a Neurodivergent writer of MG, YA and Adult Fiction. She lives in Wales, where she works as a statistician for the government. The Turquoise Thief was inspired by her grandfather, who was a code cracker at Bletchley Park during WW2. She spends every spare moment writing – she always has, even when, as a dyslexic child, she struggled to spell anything right. Her work has been longlisted for a number of unpublished novel awards.
Category: 12+
The Cuckoo’s Nest by David Thorpe
David Thorpe is a Marvel comics writer whose prize-winning YA novel Hybrids was called ‘stunningly clever’ by The Times. He co-founded the London Screenwriters Workshop. He gave this up to move to Wales and devote his energy to saving the environment. He has since written a dozen books and 100s of articles on sustainability. Since he has cerebral palsy, he takes a stand for disability rights.
Lie or Die by Alison Clack
After University, Ali moved to London and became a Production Manager at Fountain Television Studios, working on a wide range of shows from Teletubbies to Friends. Her job brought her into contact with many celebrities, giving her a unique insight into the workings of a television show. She now writes YA and lives in Essex with a houseful of teenagers. She can often be found freezing on the side of a rugby pitch.
Nest by Rebecca Roberts
Rebecca Roberts lives in Prestatyn with her husband and children, and works as a translator. Best known for writing Welsh fiction, her YA novel #Helynt won the 2021 Tir na n-Og prize and the Children and Young Adult Category of Literature Wales’s Book of the Year. She has been published by Carreg Gwalch, Honno and Gomer, and is currently translating several of her books into English and writing for the Young Adult market.
Shadow of a Pirate by Kit Swift
Kit Swift grew up in Yorkshire, studied German at Warwick University and worked in advertising sales, publishing and international trade before sinking his roots deep into Welsh soil. He now works for Swansea University, has a PhD in English and will try to convince you that he enjoys running. Home is near Swansea, where he lives with his wife and two children.
Utopia Red by Abigail Tanner
Abigail lives in Cardiff with her husband and son. She studied art at university, but deciding it was far too creative, went onto study waste management and has worked in waste/resource policy ever since. Creativity returned (hurrah!), she wrote in her lunch break, joined SCBWI and is mentored at the Golden Egg Academy. She enjoys writing, sketchwalks, sketchnotes, and gardening (not housework) in her spare time. And watching her son play a lot of football.
Wick Wood by Lucy Mohan
Lucy teaches creative writing in South Wales and is the co-founder of PaperBound Magazine. She has studied with Curtis Brown Creative, and also has an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. When she isn’t writing or working as a bookseller, she can be found watching daytime murder mysteries and carving her favourite film characters into pumpkins.
A huge congratulations to all the shortlistees and winners from the team at Firefly Press, and a big thank you to judges Catherine Johnson, Catherine Fisher and Malachy Doyle for making the tough decisions!
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in middle-grade poetry collection for children Red Sky at Night: A Poet’s Delight by Alex Wharton, author of Daydreams and Jellybeans.
Aimed at Key Stage Two, Red Sky at Night features a beautiful mix of humour and more contemplative poems while still maintaining Alex’s trademark energy and approachability. As with his first book, Alex’s use of free verse, rhyme and rhythm makes for a fantastic opportunity to nurture a love of language and self-expression whether in a school setting or at home.
In addition to fun new characters like Mr Slime, readers will be pleased to see the return of Hector the Horrible Hedgehog from Daydreams and Jellybeans in the poem ‘Hector’s Ghost’. These are presented alongside powerful, moving and emotional poems such as ‘Young Oak’, ‘The Long Way Home’, and ‘For a Quiet Day’.
‘Alex has done it again! This is a wonderful collection full of the bouncy enthusiasm Alex is known for in his events. His poetry transports the reader, inviting them into new worlds, and champions empathy in such a beautiful way,’ said editor Leonie Lock. ‘As with Daydreams and Jellybeans, the poems in this collection are perfect for sharing and reading aloud.’
Alex Wharton said: ‘I’m thrilled to be publishing my second collection of children’s poetry with Firefly Press. With Daydreams we produced a book that has connected with readers of all ages and backgrounds throughout the country. I hope this second book continues to inspire and connect us through poetry!’
The collection is slated for publication in spring 2024.
