News Archives | Page 17 of 22

Immortalise your dog with Shoo Rayner’s Dog Drawing Marathon

by Firefly Admin | Mar 1, 2021 | News

Shoo Rayner’s new book, Walker and the Mystery of the Missing Millions is out on 25th March.

To celebrate, Shoo is doing a Dog Drawing Marathon on his YouTube channel from 1st-25th March. In the planned book three of the series, there is a scene with a dog show called Dogs of Influence and your dog could be there, in the book, as a character!

To enter, you need to visit Shoo’s website to find out all the instructions.

We can’t wait to see the wonderful dog drawing’s Shoo creates.

Firefly signs sequel to WWII middle-grade Flight by Vanessa Harbour

by Firefly Admin | Feb 23, 2021 | News

Firefly publisher, Penny Thomas, has acquired world rights in Safe from author Vanessa Harbour, a sequel to Branford Boase Award longlisted Flight, and slated for publication in autumn 2022.

In the chaotic last days of World War II, Jacob and Kizzy are tricked into a journey that goes very wrong. They escape, but must hide in an extraordinary empty mansion which shelters not only forty abandoned horses but a small band of lost children, displaced by the war. Kizzy and Jacob face a terrifying task – can they get them all home?

Flight was selected for Empathy Lab’s Read for Empathy Collection 2020, shortlisted for the Sheffield Children’s Book Awards 2019, and longlisted for the Branford Boase Award 2019. It has just been published in hardback in the US by Feiwel & Friends Books.

‘Vanessa has created a brilliant, huge-hearted adventure, set in the anarchy at the end of a war. It’s frightening and yet so hopeful, driven by the preciousness of every life. Most of all, it is the story of a friendship. This time Kizzy and Jacob don’t have Heinz to guide them – they have to rely completely on each other.’
Janet Thomas, Editor

‘I have loved taking Kizzy and Jakob on an adventure again. The strength of their two characters ensures they can face all the difficult and dangerous challenges as one.’
Vanessa Harbour, Author

We’re hiring! Sales and Marketing Officer post, deadline 1st March

by Firefly Admin | Feb 18, 2021 | News

Sales and Marketing Officer – Flexible part time (from three days per week) or full time

Working from the Firefly office or from home as required.

An exciting opportunity for a commercially-minded, ambitious and talented sales and marketing professional to lead sales and marketing operations for Firefly’s growing, award-winning children’s list. The successful candidate will join our small team, working remotely as well as in our Cardiff office.

The role of Sales and Marketing Officer is to assist the publisher in managing and growing sales of the Firefly list through direct sales and the trade, working with our UK sales teams, and assisting our international rights agent.

The Sales and Marketing Officer reports to the Publisher and will have a vital role to play in continuing to establish sales and marketing strategy for Firefly.

For details of salary and full job description please contact penny.thomas@fireflypress.co.uk

To apply, send your covering letter and CV to penny.thomas@fireflypress.co.uk

Deadline for applications – 1 March 2021

Firefly Press is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Firefly signs debut children’s novel by Rebecca F. John

by Firefly Admin | Feb 16, 2021 | News

‘I am over the moon to finally be working with Firefly – a publisher I have admired from afar for the longest time. I can’t wait to share the world of this novel with readers young and old, and must thank Penny Thomas and Jenny Savill for engaging so enthusiastically with my imaginings.’
Rebecca F. John

Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired world rights in a debut MG novel by Rebecca F. John, from Jenny Savill at Andrew Nurnberg Associates.

Set in an alternative Britain, where shadows have stopped showing people’s shapes, but instead reveal their true selves, the novel is a richly imagined fantasy with strong environmental and political themes, that will have YA and crossover appeal.

Rebecca is the author of the short story collection Clown’s Shoes (Parthian 2015) and her first novel, The Haunting of Henry Twist (Serpent’s Tail 2017) was shortlisted for the 2017 Costa First Novel Award. Her short stories have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4Extra. In 2015, her short story ‘The Glove Maker’s Numbers’ was shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. She is the winner of the PEN International New Voices Award 2015, and the British participant of the 2016 Scritture Giovani project. In 2017, she was named on Hay Festival’s ‘The Hay 30’ list.

The novel is slated for publication in autumn 2022.

Firefly acquires detective story featuring hard of hearing protagonist

by Firefly Admin | Feb 10, 2021 | News

Firefly Press has acquired world rights in Major and Mynah, a junior detective story featuring a hard of hearing protagonist, by children’s author Karen Owen, slated for publication in 2022.

In Major and Mynah things are being stolen all over town, but 9-year-old Callie Major has other things to worry about – her dreaded new hearing aids, ‘The Slugs’. But when she meets Bo, an abandoned Mynah bird, she discovers something amazing; thanks to her new hearing aids, she can hear him! Can she use her magical Slugs to help catch the thief and save the day?

‘Callie Major is the girl I wanted to be when I was younger: funny, clever, and with a special gift to hear something that other people can’t. Having been partially deaf from childhood myself, I always retreat into my imagination as a way of coping – and from there the idea for Major & Mynah was born. Knowing that Firefly Press has a reputation for giving a voice to colourful and diverse characters, I’m thrilled they’re excited about publishing the adventures of Callie and her feathered friend Bo. I’m looking forward to meeting them on the page.’
Karen Owen

‘I’ve always loved detective stories, and this is one of those books I wish I had the chance to read as a child. Karen Owen has created wonderful and vibrant characters to compliment her fast-paced adventure, packed with high-speed chases and, of course, poo! Callie is witty, feisty and resilient and doesn’t let her hearing impairment stand in her way. Bo is basically me but in animal form – constantly hungry and slightly hyper, except that I can’t fly. I’m so excited for the world to meet this duo and love them as much as I do!’
Leonie Lock, editor

ABOUT KAREN OWEN

Karen fell in love with books and stories at a young age. She read whenever and wherever she could. She’s been a journalist, a creative writing teacher, and an author. She’s written stories (real and imaginary) on everything from noisy elephants to the nomads of Mongolia. She is the author of picture books As Quiet as a Mouse (Maverick Arts Publishing) and I Could Be, You Could Be (Barefoot Books). Karen was brought up in Kent and currently lives in London.
Find out more at www.karenowen.co.uk and on Twitter @AuthorKarenOwen

Firefly acquires rights for The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith sequel

by Firefly Admin | Feb 1, 2021 | News

The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith Loris Owen

Middle Grade adventure The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith debuted in 2020 and featured riddles for puzzle lovers hidden within the pages. The story is set in ‘Quicksmiths College of Strange Energy’, a faraway school of inventions. Russian rights to the first book have recently been sold.

Firefly Publisher Penny Thomas has also acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in the second in the Quicksmiths series, from Anne Clark at the Anne Clark Literary Agency, slated for publication in spring 2022. ‘Like the first Quicksmiths book, the sequel is a thrilling and daring story, perfect for puzzlers and children with boundless curiosity about science and the universe itself,’ added Thomas.

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