Children’s classics from Wales to be reissued in landmark new series

A new series celebrating classic Welsh books for children and young adults is to be launched in Wales.

The launch by award-winning publisher Firefly Press will take place around St David’s Day 2026, is the start of a series that aims to recognise and re-establish classic Welsh writing in English for children, in a format that appeals to today’s young readers.

The first two books in the Firefly Classics will be Georgie by Malachy Doyle, aimed at readers age 12+ and The Candleman by Catherine Fisher, aimed at 9-12-year-old readers.

Firefly hopes the titles will also appeal to teachers, librarians, parents and booksellers looking to introduce a depth of great Welsh writing in English to their children. They will come with a new introduction, educational resources, and also a foreword from Children’s Laureate Wales, Nicola Davies.

And Firefly will also be gifting one copy of a classics title to some 100 secondary and primary schools in Wales. Please get in touch if your school would like to receive a copy at [email protected]

Georgie by award-winning author Malachy Doyle is a hard-hitting, bold and sensitively told young-adult story.

Fourteen-year-old Georgie hasn’t spoken in years. Withdrawn, isolated and full of rage, no one trusts him, and no one can get close to him. But then he is moved to a new home in the Welsh countryside. Instead of an empty room with a bare mattress on the floor, he has a proper bed, a music system, a mirror. There even seems to be someone here who might want to be his friend. Is this the place where Georgie can finally overcome his fears and start to unlock the secrets of his past? A raw, gritty, yet hopeful and uplifting story about mental health and the power of care and kindness.

The Candleman by Catherine Fisher is a tale of magic, courage and music set on the eerie Gwent levels, where the mists rise from the sunken fields, and no one is safe from the vengeance of the river goddess, Hafren. When Conor finds out mysterious Meurig is under a spell, he promises to help. Meurig’s immortal soul is trapped in a small white candle, and if anyone burns the candle away, Meurig will die. Conor and his friend Sara try to rescue it for him, but then it falls into the hands of his deadly enemy, Hafren. And she will only give it back for a terrible price.

Penny Thomas said: “There is a treasury of great children’s and young adult books from Wales stretching back over the years, and Firefly is aiming to bring together some of the best and make them re-available to today’s readers, along with great introductions and resources too. It’s an exciting project which we hope will inspire new readers, and encourage reading for pleasure in schools, libraries and homes around the country.”

Malachy Doyle said: “I’m thrilled that Georgie is being re-issued by Firefly in their new Classics from Wales series. One of my favourites of my books, with one of my favourite publishers. It’s a win-win.”

Catherine Fisher said: “I’m delighted that The Candleman will be the first in the Firefly Classics from Wales series. It’s long overdue for Wales to have its own series of children’s classics, showcasing great writers both past and present. I’m sure this will be a series that every reader, school and library in Wales and beyond will want to collect and treasure.”

Arwel Jones, Head of Publishing Development at the Books Council of Wales said: “We’re very pleased to support this new series from Firefly that will shine a light on classic Welsh children’s literature for a new generation of readers, and we wish Firefly all the best with this new venture.”