Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to FISHFOLK, a strikingly original and evocative middle-grade novelby Steven Quincey-Jones, from Amy St Johnston at Aitken Alexander.
Written in an authentic and innovative voice and with stunning linocut illustrations, FISHFOLK is the tale of two girls and their battle to survive the sea, the evil fishfolk, and the truth and lies that threaten to engulf them.
The High-and-Dry is a windswept land that is being fast lost to the ever- growing sea. The only things left are seagulls, seaweed, twins Luna and Oona, and their Grandad Mull. Luna and Oona have grown up listening to Grandad Mull’s stories about the dastardly shape-shifting fishfolk who live in the sea and cause the waves to swallow the shore with their spells. Storms sent by the fishfolk are the reason why Grandad Mull is all that is left of their family, he says. But when Luna and Oona meet a fishfolk for real, Luna begins to question her grandfather’s stories, much to Oona’s confusion.
Penny Thomas said: ‘Fishfolk is an enthralling and dramatic middle-grade read from a thrilling new voice in children’s fiction. Like all good fables, it feels both historical and futuristic, but the adventures of twins Luna and Oona will resonate deeply with young readers now.’
Steven Quincey-Jones said: ‘It’s been such a delight to work with Firefly on my first novel. I suppose the book is a work of climate fiction, only set 8,000 years ago, and featuring a magical, mystical race of sea creatures known as the Fishfolk … I hope the readers enjoy exploring this strange, ancient world as much as I did writing about it.’
Affirm Press will begin distribution of independent UK publishing house Firefly Press in 2025, it was announced at the Frankfurt Bookfair today.
Affirm Press’ agency manager, Grace Breen, said she’s thrilled that such a high-quality list of titles will now be available to our readers.
‘Firefly has an outstanding reputation in the UK for producing the type of titles that ignite a book-devouring spirit in younger readers. We all know that nothing beats the first time you lose yourself in a good book and Firefly’s 2025 list is a treasure trove of unforgettable storytelling that Australian kids and teens will adore,’ said Grace.
The list will launch in February with Australian author Janine Beacham’s dark and creepy novel for middle-readers, The Doll Twin, along with the multi-award-winning and bestselling YA novel, The Blue Book of Nebo. The full 2025 Firefly publishing list is expected to have around 25–30 new release and backlist titles that will span junior fiction through to YA.
‘We so are delighted to be working with Affirm Press in Australia and New Zealand. They are an outstanding publishing house which loves great books and stories and as such, holds values close to our own hearts. We’re particularly pleased that the first books to reach Australian readers will be the Yoto Carnegie award-winning Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros, as well as the amazingly haunting and wonderfulDoll Twin by Australia’s own Janine Beacham. We look forward to these and more Firefly titles reaching readers through Affirm and hope that books such as Michael the Amazing Mind-Reading Sausage Dog and Starspill, to name but two, will become firm favourites,’ said Penny Thomas, Firefly Press publisher.
More About Firefly Press
Firefly Press is an independent children’s and YA book publisher based in Wales, UK, that publishes quality fiction for 7 to 19-year-olds. Set up by colleagues Penny and Janet Thomas back in 2013, Firefly won the Branford Boase Award for the Best First Children’s Novel three years later with Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot by Horatio Clare. Since then, their adventurous and fun fiction has won many award-listings. They also have been crowned Wales Small Press of the Year, four times in the last five years, at the Nibbies British Book Award.
Last year, their YA translation The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros won the prestigious Yoto Carnegie Medal. Additionally, Firefly’s epic environmental thriller Skrimsli by Nicola Davies was shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for nature writing and won the Wales Book of the Year.
It’s been 140 years since the Wolf swallowed the Sun, so why are all the cats in the dark, fog-shrouded town of Starspill bothering Zac about it now? He just wants to stay warm, listen to stories, and work hard for his brother as an apprentice starsmith. But the cats have other ideas. They want Zac to steal one of the three legendary Embers of the Sun from the town museum for them, and they’ve taken his precious secret map to make sure he’ll agree!
‘Storytelling at its very best!’ Jo Bowers
‘A gem … reminiscent of Joan Aitken in its wit and style.’ New Statesman
‘Mythical, vivid and pacy. It has all the feels of a children’s classic, yet is totally fresh and original.’ Julie Pike
‘It’s years since I’ve loved a fantasy adventure as much as this one. Starspill and Catherine Fisher deserve every prize going.’ Amanda Craig
· 17 adventures, fairy tales and ghost stories from across Wales, retold and reimagined by the author of WELSH FAIRY TALES, MYTHS AND LEGENDS
· Traditional stories are given new life through a contemporary storyteller’s lens – a feisty, inclusive and relatable cast in a mix of traditional and contemporary settings
· Beautiful, decorative, hardback edition – perfect as a gift or keepsake and for reading aloud.
A wealth of Welsh myths, legends and ghost stories are reimagined for contemporary younger readers.
Meet Idris, the teenage giant king on a quest to collect stories. As he travels across Wales in this anthology, readers encounter a vengeful house goblin, a ghost that steals life from the living, dwarves that have moved in beneath someone’s garden, a tea party of Lady ghosts, a furry trickster goblin and many other fascinating and devious fairy folk besides!
‘A vibrant collection of stories, packed with magic, wit and warmth. Fayers weaves ancient folklore and modern storytelling together seamlessly. I was enchanted!’ P.G. Bell
‘A wonderful collection of weird, Welsh tales. Packed with thrills and chills, and deftly brought to life with classic Fayers’ wit. I absolutely loved it!’ Eloise Williams
‘A wonderful collection of fresh, fun retellings, told with heart and humour, sure to spark imaginations and inspire readers to collect and share their own tales.’ Sophie Anderson
‘This collection is storytelling perfection. Funny, heartwarming and wonderfully weird.’ Julie Pike
We’re absolutely thrilled that Noah Frye Gets Crushed by Maggie Horne has been longlisted for the prestigious UKLA awards!
The UKLA Book Awards are the only children’s book awards judged by teachers.
They seek to celebrate children’s books in order to encourage teachers to increase their professional and personal knowledge of recently published high quality children’s books and promote the place of books for young people in all educational settings from nursery to key stage 4.
The books selected for the award are titles that teachers can share with pupils as part of regular classroom experience, eg to: read for pleasure in the teacher’s read aloud programme to the whole class inspire extended response from learners (through discussion, creative interaction or understanding the wider curriculum) be the focus of study (set books, shared and guided reading) enhance all aspects of literacy learning and literary study.
Selection committees and teacher judges are asked to look, first and foremost, for well-written, engaging ‘reads’ and, where appropriate, outstanding illustration and design.
Best friends Luna and Zoey can’t stop talking about boys and kissing, but Noah just wants everything to go back to the way it was. To fit in, Noah pretends that she likes Archie, a boy from school, even though she’s not quite sure. When new girl Jessa joins their group things get even more confusing. Can Noah admit to herself who she really likes, not who she thinks she should? to steal one of the three legendary Embers of the Sun from the town museum for them, and they’vetaken his precious secret map to make sure he’ll agree!
We’re absolutely thrilled to have three of our titles featured in The Bookseller Buyers Guide’s Season Highlights! Find out more about our lead titles for Autumn 2024 below.
In a world where the shadow-like ‘daayan’ stalk the night, the mages of Agraal are the only ones able to defend the realm. So, when Princess Thiya discovers she has the extraordinary powers of a healing mage, she captures the attention of earth mage Isaac. In order to lure Thiya to the frontline to help defeat the daayan, Isaac does the unthinkable, he takes Thiya’s true love Amara hostage.
Together with fire mage Kaayan and her brother Lochan, Thiya must make a perilous journey to rescue Amara. But not everything is as it seems and the powers at work behind Amara’s abduction might come from the darkest heart of them all.
A poignant, moving love story set in a rich and vivid world inspired by Indian folk tales.
It’s been 140 years since the Wolf swallowed the Sun, so why are all the cats in the dark, fog-shrouded town of Starspill bothering Zac about it now? He just wants to stay warm, listen to stories, and work hard for his brother as an apprentice starsmith. But the cats have other ideas. They want Zac to steal one of the three legendary Embers of the Sun from the town museum for them, and they’vetaken his precious secret map to make sure he’ll agree!
Huw always pops in to see his nan on the way home from school – she bakes him cakes and never fusses about his homework. So it’s a great shock when, one day, Nan forgets his name, and calls him Johnny – 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 Johnny and what happened to him.
Exploring themes of friendship, family bonds and the history of conscientious objection in WW2, Feather is both modern and historical, as well as being relatable, particularly for children who may have grandparents with a similar dementia struggle to nan.
Aimed at ages 9-14, the original Welsh edition, Pluen, won the Tir na n-Og Award Wales children’s fiction Award in 2017.
