Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in debut MG novel The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie from Edinburgh-based author Yvonne Banham.
The dead have swirled around Delores Mackenzie ever since she can remember, keeping her company when living children refused. Now they want more, and Delores must seek the help of the mysterious Uncles in Edinburgh’s Old Town to try to control her gifts. But when a sinister apparition threatens the life of her new friends, has Delores learnt enough to save them?
A shapeshifting, ghost-filled, paranormal whydunnit with a grumpy gargoyle and a touch of Tartan Noire!
‘I’m thrilled that Delores has found a home with Firefly Press and excited to be working with the Firefly team!’
Yvonne Banham, Author
‘Yvonne has created an enthralling middle-grade adventure set in a vivid and very spooky world. We’re sure readers will love The Dark and Dangerous Gifts of Delores Mackenzie as much as we do, and we are so delighted to be publishing it!’
Penny Thomas, Publisher
The novel is slated for publication in spring 2023.
Firefly Press is welcoming submissions from illustrators from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
As well as searching for new illustration talent to compliment our upcoming list, we are specifically looking for illustrators to illustrate children’s poetry, with a view to publish an anthology with the winners of the Rising Stars Wales Awards.
To be considered, we are inviting illustrators from BAME backgrounds to provide a sample of work to compliment one of the three attached poems, taken from our recent publication Daydreams and Jellybeans by Alex Wharton.
Guidelines for Illustration Submissions
Please email submissions@fireflypress.co.uk by 5pm on Thursday 1st July 2021, with the subject line ‘Illustration submission: [insert name]’.
All attached images should be 198(h)x129mm(w), saved as your name and the title of the poem you have chosen to illustrate.
Please include an illustrator bio that indicates how you meet the set criteria for consideration. This should include date of birth, and eligibility.
Terms and Conditions
Submissions will be accepted from diverse (Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic) illustrators living in the UK.
Submissions from students welcome.
Only one entry will be accepted per person.
Closing date for entry will be 1/07/21 at 17:00. After this date no further submissions will be permitted. Only submissions to submissions@fireflypress.co.uk will be considered.
Firefly Press reserve the right to suspend publication of the Anthology if circumstances beyond their control make it necessary.
Firefly Press cannot acknowledge receipt of submissions and are not required to respond to individuals with feedback.
In addition we are also keen to receive submissions from poets from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, to consider for the Rising Stars Anthology. The anthology is for 7-11 year olds. For poets to be considered, send three poems to submissions with the subject line ‘Poetry submission: [insert name]’… by the same closing date!
Penny Thomas has acquired world rights in LITTLE HORROR by award-winning TV writer Daniel Peak, from Abi Sparrow at SP Agency.
Rita may be a baby, but she has the mind (and attitude) of a teenager. She may be new to walking but she’s as wise-crackingly clever as anyone in Key Stage 3. She knows she is not a normal toddler but when her parents disappear and a sinister clown and an ice-cream van seem to be hunting her down, even a soft-play centre might not be safe…
It will take all Rita’s cunning and resourcefulness, as well as a cat flap, a mobility scooter and a reluctant teenage sidekick, to defeat an evil conspiracy and a crazy genius villain. Imagine The Fugitive – if Harrison Ford was two feet tall and wearing Pampers.
‘A page-turning, hilarious debut with a brilliantly bonkers, feisty heroine, Little Horrorhad me biting my nails, while laughing out loud!’
Rebecca Lloyd, Editor
A lead writer for CBBC’s Horrible Histories, and co-writer of Lee Mack’s Not Going Out, LITTLE HORROR is Daniel’s debut children’s novel. He said, ‘I’m very honoured and excited to be joining the Firefly list alongside such brilliant writers. I can’t wait to send Rita on the run into the real world.’
Little Horror will publish in paperback on 30 September 2021. Cover artwork by Seb Burnett.
This spring, we’re growing our small team with three new appointments…
Children’s book illustrator Becka Moor joined us as a designer this month. And bookseller Amy Low and YA vlogger Karen Bultiauw join our award-winning team in April to work on sales and marketing.
Becka, who has worked on a variety of young fiction, non-fiction and picture books, has illustrated for authors such as Gwyneth Rees and Pamela Buchart, as well as new editions of The Famous Five series. She joins Firefly to work on the design and branding of its quality fiction list, and is also illustrating Firefly’s forthcoming middle-grade detective novel Libby and the Parisian Puzzle by Jo Clarke.
Amy Low joins Firefly from award-winning independent bookshop Book-ish in Crickhowell, where she co-founded the Crickhowell Children’s Book Festival in 2019, and has also been studying for an MA in Children’s Publishing at Bath Spa University. And Karen Bultiauw is a book vlogger and freelance publicist who has also worked in retail and for Welsh indie Accent Press.
We’re extremely proud to welcome all three new staff members to the team. We love Becka’s illustration and design and are so excited that she is joining us in this new role. Karen and Amy will bring terrific experience and passion for children’s book publishing to the sales and marketing team, alongside our Publicity Manager Megan Farr. At the same time we are very sad to be saying goodbye to our wonderful Sales and Marketing Officer Simone Greenwood, who has done so much to grow the company over the last two years and win two NIBBIES awards in a row!’
Penny Thomas has acquired world rights inThe Red Gloves and Other Stories by Catherine Fisher from Lesley Pollinger at Paper Lion.
The Red Gloves and Other Stories contains nine haunting tales of enchantment, ghosts and danger. All are original stories, some are contemporary, some inspired by ancient myths, including the Mabinogion, Arthurian Legend, Old English tales and the story of Taliesin.
We are so delighted to be publishing The Red Gloves this autumn. Catherine is an expert storyteller and in this collection she casts nine chilling spells, with wit, heart and magic.’
Janet Thomas, Editor
‘It’s a great honour that these stories are being published by Firefly in such a delicious new edition!’
Catherine Fisher
The Red Gloves and Other Stories will publish as a hardback gift edition in September 2021.
The acquisition follows the success of Catherine Fisher’s The Clockwork Crow trilogy for Firefly which was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards and won the Tir na n’Og Children’s Book Award, and has sold into territories around the world including the US, China and Russia.
‘Full of deep fairytale resonance, Fisher’s writing stands out in the mind’s eye like blood drops on snow,’ Imogen Russell Williams, The Guardian
Eloise Williams with her Gaslight postbox. Photo credit: SWNS for Royal Mail
To mark World Book Day 2021 (Thursday 4 March), Royal Mail has unveiled five special postboxes across the UK, honouring authors and illustrators who have been doing amazing things to help children during lockdown – one of which is Children’s Laureate Wales, and Firefly author, Eloise Williams.
Eloise’s postbox is situated in Cardiff, the setting of her middle-grade Victorian novel Gaslight, and where she spent a lot of her childhood. Painted with the gold stars and deep blue of the much-loved novel, the newly decorated post box has appeared on The Hayes in the heart of the Welsh capital and will remain for one month.
Eloise has been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, encouraging children with her writing challenges, videos, and resources for schools across Wales and the UK. We couldn’t be prouder of what she has achieved, and are delighted to see her honoured in this way.
‘It is without a shadow of a doubt that the UK is home to some of the world’s best children’s authors, and it is heart-warming to see how so many have been focused on keeping the magic of literature alive for children during lockdown. As one of the guardians of the written word, Royal Mail relishes the opportunity to celebrate some of Britain’s most treasured writers during these unprecedented times, so it seems only fitting that their amazing work is honoured on some of our iconic postboxes.
Mark Street, Head of Campaigns at Royal Mail
Eloise said, ‘I am absolutely delighted to have this very special postbox unveiled in Cardiff on World Book Day. The author community in Wales has really risen to the challenge of supporting young people during the past year and I am proud to have played a small part in that. To see how children have engaged with the Children’s Laureate Wales’ writing activities has been wonderful.
Creativity has never been so important. It has a proven positive impact on well-being and mental health and gives young people a voice and a way to express themselves. I hope the Children’s Laureate Wales’ activities have enabled young people to be playful, creative and imaginative.’
Eloise is also launching a new Children’s Laureate Wales initiative today, with Literature Wales, called Letters of Kindness. Find out more here.
