NEWS


Award winner


Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2021 The headlines


Ros’ award-winning Blue Book of Nebo set for translation with Firefly Press


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 English language 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 atack. The novel won in three categories at the 2019 Wales Book of the Year Awards. 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 unsetling backdrop, one 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: “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


to date, including France, Spain, Poland, Egypt and the US. Firefly will release it in the UK in paperback in January 2022.


Reporting Caroline Carpenter


Magic Light bags BRAW award for The Snail and the Whale adaptation


The animated version of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s The Snail and the Whale has won the 2021 BolognaRagazzi CrossMedia Award (BRAW), the annual prize celebrating children’s titles adapted for another media. The nearly 20-year-old picture


book was made into a 30-minute film by London-based Magic Light Pictures and was originally broadcast on the BBC on Christmas Day 2019. Rights have been sold to broadcasters and streaming services in over 15 countries. The film was directed by Max Lang and Daniel Snaddon, with the English-language voice actors including Sally Hawkins, Rob Brydon and the late Dame Diana Rigg. The BRAW judges said: “The story


and the way it has been transformed into a short movie feels epic in its scope and delivery. The movie is


04 15th June 2021


charming and beautifully rendered. It is also very faithful to the original text of the picture book; it brings wonderfully enlarged characters to life and expands visually the narrative by representing sea life with a 3D of delightful quality.” “The Snail and the Whale” is the


seventh adaptation by Magic Light of a Donaldson/Scheffler property, three of which have been nominated for Oscars: 2009’s “The Gruffalo”, 2012’s “Room on the Broom” and 2015’s “Stick Man”. The Snail and the Whale has


shifted just over 1.6 million units for almost £8m in all print editions through Nielsen BookScan for Macmillan Children’s Books. M.d. Belinda Ioni Rasmussen said the title’s themes of “kindness, friendship and appreciation of our natural world possibly resonates with readers more


than ever nearly 20 years later. The animation complements the picture book perfectly and our longstanding relationship with Magic Light means that we absolutely believe in the approach they take with Julia Donaldson’s and Axel Scheffler’s stories—and we know that their films will do justice to the original.” The BRAW jury also gave a


Special Mention to Flying Eye Books, the children’s imprint of Hackney- based graphic novel and illustrated independent Nobrow Press for “Hilda”, the adaptation of Luke Pearson’s graphic novels by Silvergate Media, which has been streaming on Netflix since 2018. The judges said: “The TV series is a great adaptation of a great story, with excellent screenplay, witty dialogues and a modern style that manages to be visually faithful to the graphic novel.”


WILL TRANSLATE HER BOOK FOR ENGLISH READERS


MANON STEFFAN ROS


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