Firefly News
We’re hiring! Part-time Business Administration Officer
Business Administration Officer | 3 days per week | £27,000 FTE Award-winning Wales-based children’s publisher Firefly Press is looking for a...
Firefly Press signs witty and inventive children’s poetry collection from Wales Book of the Year shortlisted poet, Sarah Ziman
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to This is Just to Say by Sarah Ziman....
Firefly signs deeply moving middle-grade novel set in the aftermath of the 1966 Aberfan disaster
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning independent Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to middle-grade debut The Secret Lamb by...
Firefly Press signs hilarious hare and tortoise detective duo title for younger readers from bestselling author Emer Stamp
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to Shelby and O'Hare: Pop Went the...
Firefly sails off with Wish Seekers, the sequel to Julie Pike’s magical middle-grade novel of adventure on the high seas, Flame Chasers
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to Wish Seekers a magical sequel to...
Laugh-out-loud middle-grade title A Werewolf Ate my Homework to Germany following three-way auction
Indie children’s publisher Firefly Press has sold German and Danish rights in its forthcoming funny middle-grade title A Werewolf Ate My...
Delight as Welsh Classic makes Hay Festival’s ‘The Pleasure List’
News that Yoto Carnegie winner The Blue Book of Nebo by Manon Steffan Roshas been included in the Hay Festival’s ‘The Pleasure List’ alongside the...
Vanishing Edge shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Awards 2026
Vanishing Edge, a darkly comic YA novel by Zillah Bethell, has been shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Awards 2026 in the English-language...
Fresh on tour!
Join Rhiannon Oliver this spring as she embarks on a bookshop tour, celebrating all things Fresh! Tuesday 7th April, 11am - Waterstones Taunton...
Firefly signs hair-raising new young MG comedy ‘A Werewolf Ate My Homework’
Emily Snape DRAFT COVER Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights in A Werewolf...
(CLOSED) We’re hiring! Part-time Marketing Assistant (maternity cover)
Marketing Assistant | maternity cover fixed-term contract| 3 days per week | £26,326 pro rata Are you a creative thinker with a love of books?...
Welsh children’s book THE MAB back for Christmas as indie publisher Firefly Press swoops for frozen copies
More than 1500 copies of hit children’s title The MAB have been rescued from destruction by award-winning Welsh indie Firefly Press. Firefly made a...
Children’s classics from Wales to be reissued in landmark new series
A new series celebrating classic books for children and young adults is to be launched in Wales by award-winning publisher Firefly Press. The...
Firefly Press to donate £1 per book sold on its website to Llamau between 19th November – 31st December 25
With Christmas fast approaching, Firefly is partnering up with homelessness charity Llamau. Rather than offering discounts on our books, we’ll be...
Firefly Press signs English adaptation of Megan Angharad Hunter’s Wales Book of the Year winning ‘masterpiece’
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to YA novel Behind the...
Firefly Press signs uplifting tale of hope and renewal from former Children’s Laureate Wales
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The Library of Lost...
Top Children’s Illustrator Chris Riddell to illustrate debut collection by Cardiff poet
Former UK Children’s Laureate, renowned illustrator and political cartoonist Chris Riddell OBE is to illustrate a collection of children’s poetry by...
New Children’s Laureate Wales Nicola Davies a brilliant choice to inspire young readers and writers!
From the award-winning story of incredible tiger sea captain, Skrimsli, to the epic tale of three children saving the earth in The Song that Sings...
Firefly signs Emma Rea’s thrilling Venetian adventure
Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning Firefly Press, has acquired world rights in Entangled, a thrilling middle-grade adventure set in the...
Get £1 OFF per book + FREE P&P + a FREE BOOK when you buy 3 this summer!
Looking for children's and teen summer reading inspiration?We are sharing weekly summer suggestions, and we are offering £1 OFF per book AND FREE...
A History of My Weird WINS at the Wales Book of the Year Awards
A History of My Weird, a beautiful, dynamic middle grade novel by Chloë Heuch, has won the English-language Children & Young People category...
A History of My Weird shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Awards
A History of My Weird, a beautiful, dynamic middle grade novel by Chloë Heuch, has been shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year Awards 2025 in...
Award-winning YA eco-fantasy Skrimsli to be published in paperback
Wales Children’s Book of the Year Winner, and Wainwright Prize shortlisted Skrimsli, written by Nicola Davies with internal illustrations from...
New look for Kate Mallinder’s summer feel-good fiction
Four friends set out across France on a road trip ‘holiday of a lifetime’ in SUMMER UNDER THE STARS, a new YA title from Kate Mallinder publishing...
Firefly Press signs YA debut Showstopper, a love letter to first crushes and theatre
© Jake Stewart Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to...
Firefly Press signs swashbuckling middle-grade adventure from Penny Chrimes
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK and commonwealth rights to Hero the Highway Girl...
Firefly Press at Hay Festival 2025!
The Hay Festival of Literature & Arts, better known as the Hay Festival, is an annual literature festival held in Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales, for...
Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins shortlisted for the Tir Na N-og Awards
The news is out! Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins, a wealth of Welsh myths, legends and ghost stories by Claire Fayers, has been shortlisted...
Play shortlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Writing
The news is out! Play, the stunning and compelling YA novel from Luke Palmer, has been shortlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Writing 2025. Huge...
Firefly Press are Country Finalists for Small Press of the Year
Today we received the exciting news that we are a Country Finalist for the prestigious Small Press of the Year Awards. 'We are really delighted to...
POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION
WE NEED YOUR HELP! Can you design an eye-catching poster to help keep our environment free of litter? To celebrate the publication of Major and...
And I Hear Dragons included in Read for Empathy Collection 2025
The news is out! And I Hear Dragons, a groundbreaking anthology celebrating belonging, identity and DRAGONS, has been included in Empathy Lab's Read...
Play longlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Writing
The news is out! Play, the stunning and compelling YA novel from Luke Palmer, has been longlisted for The Carnegie Medal for Writing 2025. Huge...
BAFTA winning writer Daniel Peak returns with hilarious MG sci-fi comedy Grimstink
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World English Rights to Grimstink by Daniel Peak...
Firefly Press signs queer, chaotic action-packed adventure
Gatlin Perrin (image credit Neil Graveney) Penny Thomas, Publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World Rights in...
Flame Chasers soars into The Times’ best children’s books of the year spot
Huge congratulations to Julie Pike who has seen her sizzling magical adventure novel for 9-12s - Flame Chasers burn its way through the competition...
Firefly signs globetrotting next instalment in sausage-dog young fiction series
Terrie Chilvers (left) and Tim Budgen (right) Penny Thomas, Publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired UK...
Welsh Giants, Ghosts and Goblins is Waterstones Welsh Book of the Year!
Welsh Giants, Ghosts & Goblins by Claire Fayers has been announced as Waterstones Welsh Book of the Year 2024. Huge congratulations to Claire!...
Firefly Press signs ‘Fresh’ new children’s poetry collection
Rhiannon Oliver Penny Thomas, publisher at children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights in debut poetry collection Fresh by...
Carnegie longlisted Luke Palmer returns with stunning coming-of-age novel
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to LIVE, a third book by Carnegie...
FOUR Carnegie Medal Nominations for Firefly!
CONGRATULATIONS to Firefly authors, Luke Palmer, Nicola Davies, Alex Wharton and Manon Steffan Ros as FOUR Firefly titles are nominated for the Yoto...
Firefly signs ‘striking and original fable for our times’
Penny Thomas, publisher at award-winning children’s and YA publisher Firefly Press, has acquired World rights to FISHFOLK, a strikingly original and...
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...
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...
(CLOSED) 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...
(CLOSED) 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...
(CLOSED) 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...
(CLOSED) 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.
(CLOSED) 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...