Welsh author launches magical fantasy featuring disabled heroine

A best-selling Welsh author is inspiring young readers with a new fantasy adventure about embracing difference.

Gavin Clifton, 43, from Pentwynmawr near Newbridge, has released Anya and the Enchanted Wheelchair, the third children’s book in his growing collection.

Born with cerebral palsy and a severe speech impairment. Clifton, who is also known as ‘The Disabled Writer,’ has previously authored Max and the Magic Wish, Paddy and the Polar Bear Teddy, and his autobiography, Cerebral Palsy & Me.

Clifton said he wrote the story to fill a gap in children’s literature. “I didn’t see myself in the books I read,” he explained. “There were no disabled heroes, no kids in wheelchairs leading the adventure. That absence has always stuck with me, so I created the story I needed.”

In the first book of the new series, Clifton introduces Anya, a brave you girl whose life changes when an ancient pendant awakes her enchanted wheelchair and unlocks newfound courage.

Alongside her loyal skunk Snoopy, Anya ventures from her home with her father, King Torus, into the magical kingdom. Where she encounters fantastical creatures, daring challenges, and her own strengths and abilities.

Through the vivid storytelling, Clifton hopes to show you readers that disabilities do not limit you. I want disabled children to see that their mobility aids, support needs, and way of doing things don’t take anything away from who they are. If anything, it adds to it,” he said.

Clifton is also an ambassador for the Welsh charity Cerebal Palsy Cymru. He hopes Anya and the Enchanted Wheelchair will spark conversations about resilience, diversity, and self-belief among families and educators.

“Anya’s journey is one of courage, discovery, and defying limits,” he said. “I hope young readers come away knowing their differences are not something to overcome; they’re something to embrace and celebrate. It’s okay to be different. Your story matters.”

Anya and the Enchanted Wheelchair is now available here