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Welsh children’s indie Firefly Press will publish Manon Steffan Ros’ award-winning Welsh-language YA novel, The Blue Book of Nebo (Llyfr Glas Nebo), in English.
Penny Thomas, publisher at Firefly, acquired UK English rights in the novel from Christopher Combemale at Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc.
The Blue Book of Nebo tells the story of Dylan and his mother who are isolated in their lonely hillside home near Nebo in north Wales, with no idea what has happened when the world as we know it is destroyed in a devastating attack. They begin to confide their experiences, memories and secrets in a notebook, the Blue Book of Nebo.
The novel won in three categories at the 2019 Wales Book of the Year Awards, as well as receiving the Prose Medal at the 2018 Eisteddfod. Ros will adapt it into English herself.
Thomas said: “This is a subtle and beautifully told story of survival and adolescence against an eerie and unsettling backdrop, that will speak to YA and adult readers alike. We are very proud to be publishing this book.”
Ros lives in North Wales and is the author of several books for children and adults in both Welsh and English. She has won the Tir na n’Og Award for Welsh Children’s Literature four times. She said: “It’s an honour to be able to work with a publishing house that I have admired since its beginnings. I’m excited about sharing The Blue Book of Nebo with a new audience, and am delighted that it has found a new home with Firefly.”
The Blue Book of Nebo has sold in eight territories so far, including France, Spain, Poland, Egypt and the US. Firefly will release it in the UK in paperback in January 2022.