Firefly News
Affirm Press to distribute UK-based publishing house, Firefly Press
Affirm Press will begin distribution of independent UK publishing house Firefly Press in 2025, it was announced at the Frankfurt Bookfair today....
Starspill lands in bookshops
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...
Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins lands in bookshops
· 17 adventures, fairy tales and ghost stories from across Wales, retold and reimagined by the author of WELSH FAIRY TALES, MYTHS AND LEGENDS ·...
Noah Frye Gets Crushed longlisted for the UKLA awards
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...
Firefly Press featured in The Bookseller’s Season Highlights
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...
Firefly Press in The Week Junior Book Awards
We are beyond thrilled to have three of our books shortlisted in The Week Junior Book Awards 2024! 🌟 Digging for Victory by Cathy Faulkner in the...
Tiger sea-captain Skrimsli shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize
The news is finally out! The tale of the tiger sea captain, Skrimsli, written by Nicola Davies with illustrations by Jackie Morris, has been...
Let Your Imagination Fly! / Llyfrau i danio’r dychymyg!
The Let Your Imagination Fly project aims to organise author visits to schools, libraries or community centres, particularly in low income and/or...
Firefly signs superb Quicksmiths finale
Penny Thomas, publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in The Cyber Ciphers of Eartha...
Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins on tour!
Join Claire Fayers this summer as she embarks on a bookshop tour, celebrating all things Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins! 1st August - launch...
Firefly signs ‘dreamlike’ YA from Zillah Bethell
Copyright Sian Trenberth Photography Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and...
Tiger sea-captain Skrimsli roars to Wales Book of the Year success in a night to remember!
Huge congratulations to Nicola Davies whose stunning adventure novel Skrimsli has won the Wales Book of the Year Children’s Book Award 2024!...
Firefly Press at YALC!
YALC (Young Adult Literature Convention) has fast become a popular event bringing together fantastic authors, publishers and readers for two packed...
Firefly signs ‘haunting’ MG sequel from Yvonne Banham
Yvonne Banham Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in MG novel The Haunted...
Let Your Imagination Fly! / Llyfrau i danio’r dychymyg!
From eerie adventures at sea, to endearing sausage-dog tales Firefly Press has the stories to encourage children to read for pleasure. And now we...
The Blue Book of Nebo on BBC Radio 4 ‘Book at Bedtime’
Stunning YA novel The Blue Book of Nebo has been this week's read for BBC Radio 4's Book at Bedtime slot. Manon Steffan Ros’ multi-award-winning...
Major and Mynah selected for The Blue Peter Book Club
The news is finally out! Major and Mynah, written by Karen Owen and illustrated by Louise Foreshaw, has been selected for The Blue Peter Book Club....
And I Hear Dragons cover reveal
Happy St. David's Day! Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! To celebrate St Davidʼs Day, we're revealing the cover of our brand new childrenʼs poetry anthology of...
Firefly Press are Country Finalists for Small Press of the Year
This week we received the exciting news that we are a Country Finalist for the prestigious Small Press of the Year Awards. The British Book Awards...
Digging for Victory longlisted for the 2024 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing
This week we received the exciting news that Digging for Victory, written by Cathy Faulkner has been longlisted for the prestigious Yoto Carnegie...
The Sleeping Stones and Digging for Victory longlisted for The Branford Boase Awards 2024
The Sleeping Stones, written by Beatrice Wallbank and edited by Janet Thomas and Rebecca F. John, and Digging for Victory, written by Cathy Faulkner...
Firefly swoops in for Flame Chasers Julie Pike’s soaring middle-grade novel
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in Flame Chasers a swashbuckling...
Firefly scoops Claire Fayers’ enchantingly modern tales from myth and legend: Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins a...
Firefly launches second round of Ignite programme for writers from Wales
Firefly Press is thrilled to announce Firefly Ignite 2, a follow-up to last year’s acclaimed programme for aspiring children’s writers from...
Firefly signs next instalment in sausage dog young fiction series
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Michael the...
We’re hiring! Assistant Designer (Maternity Cover). Deadline October 23rd.
An exciting opportunity for an experienced or up-and-coming designer to work at award-winning independent children’s book publisher, Firefly Press....
Firefly signs sweeping YA romantasy steeped in Indian folklore
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World English Language rights to YA romantasy This...
Michael the Amazing Mind-Reading Sausage Dog selected for The Blue Peter Book Club
The news is finally out! Michael the Amazing Mind-Reading Sausage Dog, written by Terrie Chilvers and illustrated by Tim Budgen, has been...
Children’s Laureate of Wales Alex Wharton returns with a ‘how to’ poetry collection for readers 9-12
A new book from the Children’s Laureate Wales, Alex Wharton is aiming to encourage a new generation of budding poets and lyricists. An innovative...
Clarke’s The Travelling School Mysteries returns with a journey to the glamorous Manhattan heights
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired world English rights in Libby and the Manhattan...
Happy publication day to Cracking Cricket!
Hard on the heels of an awesome Ashes series, Firefly is delighted to bring you the third in its Stupendous Sports series: Cracking...
Firefly commissions translation of multi-authored YA novel The Five
Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired World English rights in prize-winning, co-created YA novel The...
The Blue Book of Nebo wins the Carnegie!
Stunning YA novel The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Ros and published by Firefly Press, has today won the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing....
New-look team at Firefly Press
Award-winning indie children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has appointed four new staff members as it expands the business in its tenth year of...
Firefly signs dark, reality-TV-based thriller, perfect for fans of The Traitors
Ten strangers trapped in a television studio. Forty-two remote cameras. Five dead bodies. One rule: Trust no one. Penny Thomas, Publisher at...
…And I Hear Dragons: new children’s poetry anthology to celebrate diversity and identity in Wales
A children’s poetry anthology of ‘dragon-focused’ poems, conceived and edited by the National Poet of Wales, Hanan Issa, is due to hit the...
Firefly to publish new children’s fiction series from Wales
A young adult novel about schooldays in north Wales, an illustrated story for younger readers, and ‘a darkly comic tale of what it means to be...
FIREFLY PRESS LAUNCHES PROGRAMME FOR NEW WRITERS FROM WALES
Firefly Press is excited to announce Firefly Ignite: a programme of free online sessions for new and aspiring writers from underrepresented...
Join our sales and marketing team! Deadline April 21st.
As our award-winning children’s fiction list expands, Firefly has some exciting new opportunities in children’s publishing. Please apply with a cv...
Welsh YA novel SHORTLISTED for the Yoto Carnegie Medal
A stunning post-apocalyptic novel from north Wales has reached the shortlist for the prestigious Yoto Carnegie Medal for writing, it was announced...
Firefly signs Palmer’s gripping YA deep dive into modern-day masculinity and male friendship, PLAY
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in Young Adult novel PLAY by Carnegie-longlisted and Branford Boase shortlisted poet and novelist Luke Palmer.
‘Simply wonderful’ novel longlisted for Yoto Carnegie medal
Manon Steffan Ros’ beautiful young adult novel, The Blue Book of Nebo, has been longlisted for a 2023 Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing, after...
We’re hiring! Children’s Book Editor, deadline 24th Feb
Firefly Press is an award-winning independent publisher of quality fiction for five to nineteen year olds, based in south Wales. We are shortly...
Archie and Leo join the Reading for Empathy collection 2023!
Empathy is a superpower, and there's no better way to share this than through stories. Whether it's making a boy visible again after his family...
We’re hiring! Business Manager and Bookkeeper posts, deadline 20th Feb
Business Manager Full time or four days pro rata; £30,000 to 35,000, salary commensurate with experience. Hybrid working a possibility.We are...
Firefly starts off 2023 with shortlisting for the Lollies and James Reckitt Hull awards
Daydreams, missing identity, and a villain in an ice-cream van have all helped start the New Year off with a bang for Firefly, with no fewer than...
Firefly signs Chloë Heuch’s memorable and vibrant MG novel A History of My Weird
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights in middle-grade novel A History of My...
FOUR Yoto Carnegie nominations for Welsh indie Firefly Press
Welsh independent publisher Firefly Press has received a bumper FOUR nominations for the 2023 Yoto Carnegies.The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan...
Lucy Mohan joins award-winning indie team at Firefly
Lucy Mohan Magazine editor and bookseller Lucy Mohan is to join Welsh indie Firefly Press in a new role as editorial assistant, with a remit to...
Creaduriaid chwedlonol a chwaraeon mwdlyd – Gwasg Firefly yn lansio cyfres o deitlau Cymraeg i blant
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...
Mythical creatures and muddy sports – Firefly Press launches first series of titles in Welsh for children
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...
Wonderfully weird story wins Firefly Welsh fiction competition
From Welsh women pirates to dystopian Cardiff blood-drinkers, Firefly Press’s New Children’s Fiction from Wales competition attracted some...
Firefly signs second poetry collection from Alex Wharton
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in middle-grade poetry collection for...
Firefly cofounder Janet Thomas moves from Editor to board
Firefly Press co-founder Janet Thomas is stepping back from her voluntary role as Editor and management after nearly ten years. In that time the...
Firefly Press to publish Welsh adaptation of Newbery’s blazing debut
Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired Welsh rights to The Last Firefox, a thrilling middle-grade debut...
Firefly Press yn cyhoeddi addasiad Cymraeg o nofel gyntaf eirias Lee Newbery
Mae Penny Thomas, cyhoeddwr gyda'r wasg llyfrau plant ac oedolion ifanc Firefly Press, wedi sicrhau'r hawl gan Penguin Random House i gyhoeddi The...
Firefly signs compelling nature middle grade sequel, Bigfoot Island
Firefly Press have contracted Tim Budgen to illustrate Michael the Amazing Mind-reading Sausage Dog by Terrie Chilvers.
We’re hiring! Editorial Assistant: New Audiences post, deadline 24th August
Editorial Assistant: New Audiences Firefly Press is looking to appoint an editorial assistant to work with our small Wales-based team to help us...
Tim Budgen to illustrate Terrie Chilver’s amazing Sausage Dog tale
Firefly Press have contracted Tim Budgen to illustrate Michael the Amazing Mind-reading Sausage Dog by Terrie Chilvers.
Firefly signs two middle-grade translations from award-winning Welsh language author
Author Manon Steffan Ros Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired World English rights in two middle-grade...
Firefly Press signs breathtaking WWII verse novel
Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth (exc. Can) rights in Digging for Victory, an...
Firefly Press signs thrilling mythical island adventure
Author, Beatrice Wallbank Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights to The Sleeping Stones, an...
Costa-shortlisted author Rebecca F. John to join Firefly as Senior Editor
Acclaimed novelist Rebecca F. John is to join Firefly Press in a new role as Senior Editor this autumn. Her appointment coincides with Firefly’s...
Firefly Press signs sparkling sequel to Major and Mynah
Karen Owen Louise Forshaw Leonie Lock, Editor at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights for Major and Mynah 2 (title...
Firefly joins Welsh Government’s book-gifting scheme
Community groups and food banks across Wales have added children’s books to the list of resources and support they are able to provide for families...
Firefly signs Kate Mallinder’s summer feel-good follow-up
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in non-fiction title Fantastic Football, the second instalment in the Stupendous Sports series by author Robin Bennett.
Firefly launches competition to find new children’s fiction from Wales
Award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has launched a competition to find the best new stories for children and young adults,...
Firefly signs second Stupendous Sports title: Fantastic Football
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in non-fiction title Fantastic Football, the second instalment in the Stupendous Sports series by author Robin Bennett.
2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal Longlist for Grow by Luke Palmer
Huge congratulations to Luke Palmer, whose hard-hitting YA debut Grow has been longlisted for the 2022 Yoto Carnegie Medal!
With snowy mountains and forged paintings, The Travelling School Mysteries journey to the Highlands
Janet Thomas, Editor at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired world English rights in Libby and the Highland Heist, the second installment in The Travelling School Mysteries by author Jo Clarke, from Alice Williams at Alice Williams Literary.
Firefly signs new Eloise Williams historical MG
Eloise Williams, author Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights...
Firefly Press signs passionate middle grade on standing up and speaking out
Maggie Horne, author of Hazel Hill is Gonna Win This One Leonie Lock, Editor at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and...
New and reviewed from Firefly Press
With the holiday season nearly upon us, we first of all want to thank you all for supporting books, authors and publishers year-round. Before we all...
Cyber books for Cyber Monday
SHOP NOW Ant Clancy, Games Detective by Ruth Morgan Ray-Chay is the new virtual reality game that everyone’s playing and the world loves its...
Four Firefly titles available to read online for a limited time, in celebration of COP26 Glasgow
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. In celebration, from...
Song Day
Thanks to everyone who attended the launch of The Song That Sings Us by Nicola Davies… on the first-ever Song Day (October 14th).
Dark forces are destroying nature. Those with the ability to listen to animal thoughts stand in their way. Who will triumph in this epic conflict?
Firefly joins Publishers Association’s sustainability pledge
Firefly Press is proud to be among the 39 founding signatories to the Publishers Association’s Publishing Declares sustainability pledge.
The purpose of Publishing Declares is to raise awareness of the sustainability issues most relevant to the UK book and journal publishing industry; to aid the discovery of existing tools and resources and to inspire action that results in sustained behaviour change.
Firefly signs Fayers’ out of this world middle-grade adventure
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in middle-grade sci-fi adventure Lethe by author Claire Fayers, from Gemma Cooper at The Bent Agency.
Firefly signs fiery middle-grade dragon debut
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in debut MG novel Fireblood by author Sam Stewart, from Lucy Irvine at Peters Fraser and Dunlop.
Firefly signs amazing sausage dog tale
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in debut MG novel Michael the Amazing Mind-reading Sausage Dog by Terrie Chilvers, from Alice Williams at Alice Williams Literary.
Firefly signs moving middle grade on selective mutism
Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in Call Me Lion by Camilla Chester from...
Firefly signs ‘funny and feisty’ middle grade about hidden homelessness
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights in moving MG novel Has...
Firefly signs multi-award-winning Welsh language YA novel in translation
Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press has acquired UK English rights in multi-award-winning Welsh language novel The...
Louise Forshaw to illustrate Karen Owen’s ‘Major and Mynah’
Firefly Press have contracted Louise Forshaw to illustrate Major and Mynah by Karen Owen, slated for publication in summer 2022. Karen Owen,...
Stunning environmental adventure by Nicola Davies to launch in hardback with Jackie Morris cover
"When animals speak, it’s time humans listened" Firefly Press is publishing The Song that Sings Us, an epic environmental adventure novel byrenowned...
Firefly signs ‘dark and dangerous’ MG debut
Yvonne Banham, Author Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in debut MG...
Diverse creatives: call out for submissions
Firefly Press is welcoming submissions from illustrators from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. As well as searching for new...
Firefly acquires debut middle-grade by Daniel Peak
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...
Firefly spreads its wings with new staff members
This spring, we're growing our small team with three new appointments... Children's book illustrator Becka Moor joined us as a designer...
Firefly signs haunting collection from Catherine Fisher
Penny Thomas has acquired world rights in The Red Gloves and Other Stories by Catherine Fisher from Lesley Pollinger at Paper Lion....
Royal Mail honour Children’s Laureate Wales, Eloise Williams
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...
Immortalise your dog with Shoo Rayner’s Dog Drawing Marathon
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...
Firefly signs sequel to WWII middle-grade Flight by Vanessa Harbour
Firefly publisher, Penny Thomas, has acquired world rights in Safe from author Vanessa Harbour, a sequel to Branford Boase Award...
We’re hiring! Sales and Marketing Officer post, deadline 1st March
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....
Firefly signs debut children’s novel by Rebecca F. John
‘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...
Firefly acquires detective story featuring hard of hearing protagonist
Firefly Press has acquired world rights in Major and Mynah, a junior detective story featuring a hard of hearing protagonist, by...
Firefly acquires rights for The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith sequel
Middle Grade adventure The Ten Riddles of Eartha Quicksmith debuted in 2020 and featured riddles for puzzle lovers hidden within the...
We’re hiring! Come and join the Firefly Team – two posts available
Do you want to be part of a growing, award-winning, independent children's publisher? We're looking for two new team members to join Firefly Press,...
Firefly acquires debut middle-grade from book blogger Jo Clarke
Firefly Press has acquired World English rights for the debut middle-grade detective story Libby and the Parisian Puzzle by popular book...
Permissions policy for educators and librarians: Jan-Feb 2021
PLEASE NOTE: This policy has now been extended until the end of July 2021.