Elliott & Thompson scoops 'warm and inviting' collection of Japanese wintry stories

Elliott & Thompson has snapped up Moon, Snow, Blossom: Wintry Tales from Across Japan by poet Erica Hesketh and storyteller Laura Sampson – a collection of reimagined Japanese folktales set in the winter months.

Publishing director Sarah Rigby acquired world all-language rights, including audio, direct from the authors. The book will be published in hardback and e-book on 29th October 2026.

The synopsis says: "Winter in Japan. A season of sudden snow and biting wind, whispering volcanoes and sun-tipped forests, of warrior monks and restless ghosts. A season to gather and delight in the ancient tales – to wash away the old year and usher in the new. Moon, Snow, Blossom is full of wintry folklore that offers a glimpse into the shimmer and shiver of story traditions from across Japan. From wondrous creation myths to mischievous mountain spirits and eerie fox fires, from frost-bitten tales of the deep north to stories of foolhardy fishermen off the southern coast, join two friends on a journey through deep drifts of Japanese heritage and culture."

The blurb adds: "Packaged sumptuously for the Christmas gift market, Moon, Snow, Blossom weaves together story, poem, legend and lore to delight and surprise even the most knowledgeable Japanophile."

Rigby said: "Reading Moon, Snow, Blossom is the literary equivalent of sitting by the fire as a storm rages outside. Warm and inviting, frost-covered and chill by turn, these tales and myths of Japanese winter are full of the comforting, mysterious and unexpected. Erica and Laura combine perfectly judged storytelling with deep knowledge of Japanese culture. They are the ideal guides to this world of mountain spirits, fox fires and transformations under a full moon. I know it will be found in so many Christmas stockings this time next year."

Hesketh and Sampson added: "We had so much fun choosing our favourite wintry stories for this book, and exploring how diverse strands of Japanese story culture have shaped one another over the centuries."