What a lot of excitement to see MAGGIE BLUE AND THE DARK WORLD as Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week on Sunday March 21st – it’s such an accolade and we’re thrilled for Anna and her incredible novel. So well-deserved – and absolutely spot on. It’s been a tricky time with the shops shut, so this has made our day! Well done, Anna, and onwards, Maggie!
We had such a wonderful evening online on Thursday 18th March, celebrating the launch of Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada’s magnificent novel, TSUNAMI GIRL. Julian’s prose and Chie’s manga has combined to create a magnificent story – sensitively, emotionally drawn in both words and manga. It was so fascinating listening to them talk about the creation of this unusual novel, and huge thanks to them and Tamsin Rosewell from Kenilworth Books for chairing an enlightening, emotional evening.
Click here if you weren’t able to make the event live – and enter password +aD4@u%4 to watch again. Signed copies by both Julian and Chie are available on the Waterstone’s website here.
It was never the intention that we would publish Anna Goodall’s magnificent novel, MAGGIE BLUE AND THE DARK WORLD, into a pandemic – we were anticipating a launch in a local indie bookshop clutching warm glasses of white wine. But the beauty of a Zoom event became evident – last night we spent an hour in the company of Anna and the multi-award-winning and all round lovely person, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, for a fascinating conversation about the book, writing styles, how indie publishing differs from big corporation and editorial methods, amongst much much more.
We loved watching – and in case you couldn’t make it live, here is a recording of the event to listen to in your own time. The readings by Anna are simply amazing too – she’s destined for an audiobook career!
Click here to watch – if you need a passcode, type in LX%K1#uh
Until the end of Sunday 14th March we are offering a signed and dedicated bookplate from Anna to be sent to anyone who buys a copy of MAGGIE BLUE AND THE DARK WORLD from Blackwells – and also the opportunity to win a magnificent limited edition print of the cover 30x40cm signed by both author and illustrator. Please email bella@guppybooks.co.uk with proof of postage to be placed in the draw, as well as who you would like your bookplate dedicated to. Winner announced on Monday 15th!
We are so proud to be publishing this incredible book, written by Julian Sedgwick and with manga from Chie Kutsuwada. A powerful coming-of-age story about a fifteen-year- old girl caught up in the March 2011 Great Eastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, this story for young adults will touch the hearts of all readers.
Check out the incredible trailer above. Signed copies available through the shop.
We are absolutely thrilled that Guppy Books has been chosen as a regional finalist for the Small Press Award in the British Book Awards. What an honour to be on a list with so many other amazing publishers, and so early in our publishing journey too.
I am so grateful for the incredible Guppy authors and illustrators, as well as my talented and dedicated team whose hard work has allowed this to happen. We might be small, but everything we publish promises to be mighty – and to have this acknowledged by the trade means the world.
Bella
Maggie Blue and the Dark World by Anna Goodall, dark, gripping, unputdownable. A beautiful edition from an exciting new voice in children’s fiction.
Ghost Scouts: Hullabaloo at Camp Croak! by Taylor Dolan, perfect for your little ones moving from picture books to reading aloud. Wild, wicked fun for parents and children alike!
It’s 2021, and there’s a light on the horizon, but we aren’t quite there yet. So all this January, we are offering our books at amazing prices – and a fixed P&P of £3 however many you order. You’ll find all sorts of incredible stories to entertain you on these cold nights, for all ages as well as yourself and every order will receive a bookmark and postcard too.
We’ve only been going for just over a year (and what a year it was) but we’ve already had two Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week, all our books have received rave reviews, and many have already been shortlisted for awards.
Happy browsing!
It’s nearly Christmas but the Guppy shop is still open, and this weekend only we will be sending out all parcels in the UK with free postage, no matter how many books you order. So get your little (and big) ones a read that guarantees to entertain them – whatever the weather, and whatever kind of Christmas you are having. And all of us at Guppy hope that you have a very restful, peaceful time.
The fabulous Louisa Reid, author of Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week, GLOVES OFF and latest novel, WRECKED, is offering schools the opportunity to enjoy a Zoom author visit during the spring term of 2021, suitable for Years 7, 8, 9 and up.
Louisa is a secondary school English teacher in Manchester; her inspirational visits have already engaged, motivated and encouraged many young people to rediscover the joy of reading, which so many can easily forget at this time. Reading has never been more important, and Louisa conveys this using her many years of teaching experience and her own immersive, fast-paced, layered novels which cover discussion topics such as the devastating effects of bullying, body image and coercive relationships.
Louisa will not charge a fee, but we would ask that the school buy a class set of either GLOVES OFF or WRECKED from a local independent bookshop.
So if you are a teacher, librarian or other educator, please do contact Catherine Alport on hello@catherinealportpr.co.uk or Bella Pearson on bella@guppybooks.co.uk.
After THE EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT ADVENTURES OF BRONTE METTLESTONE was chosen as one of the i newspaper’s best books of 2019, Jaclyn Moriarty’s second book has been included in the above list! A fabulous accolade for another magical intriguing adventure that tells the story of two warring groups of children who must come together to fight a bigger fi altogether… available in the shop for a short time only with £2 off, don’t miss it!
‘As if Hans Christian Andersen had cornered you in a pub and got his own yarn in the wrong order, or The Brothers Grimm had squeezed up next to you with a Tupperware box of home-made sandwiches on a long coach journey – Knight Sir Louis is an epic non-epic saga’ So says Stewart Lee – and if he thinks so, you know it’s going to be a brilliant read!
KNIGHT SIR LOUIS AND THE DREADFUL DAMSEL has been entertaining children (and Stewart Lee) all over the country – it’s the first of a new series perfect for readers looking for something to follow Diary of a Wimpy Kid or the 13 Storey Treehouse series. With humour straight from Monty Python and a fantastic combination of illustrations and story, children LOVE it. And if you order it from the Guppy shop, you’ll receive a signed copy sent first class for a sale price of only £5.99 (RRP £6.99)!
Head to the Guppy shop where you’ll find books for all ages, perfect for Christmas presents or just staving off the boredom during Lockdown Part 2… we know that your budding readers will love the stories they find here!
If for any reason you can’t get to your local bookshop and would like to buy direct from Guppy Books, now you can! Every order will be sent out first class and will include something extra – a postcard, a bookmark or a badge. And you can order as many books as you like for only £3 postage. Take a look here!
We are thrilled that GLOVES OFF by Louisa Reid, SAVING WINSLOW by Sharon Creech and THE EXTREMELY INCONVENIENT ADVENTURES OF BRONTE METTLESTONE have all been longlisted for the UKLA awards – a national award judged only by teachers. The judges said ‘All the books exemplify the award criteria’s aim of encouraging teachers’ knowledge of high-quality children’s books that can reflect all identities and promote diversity’ – to have three titles be chosen out is a real honour and we have all appendages crossed for the shortlists…
The books will now be read in schools and by teachers, with the next stage announced in March 2021. Good luck to them all!
The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty is our last new title for 2020 – and what a gorgeous one it is too. Covered in silver foil, it tells the story of two bickering groups of children who must join forces when life becomes really terrifying, and a real war begins… Set twelve years earlier than The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, Bronte fans will be glad to hear that she might make an appearance from the future – along with her lovely friend Alejandro – and this incredible story is sure to entertain all readers who love magic. Out in hardback, it is the perfect gift for Christmas too.
After a few months of serious consideration, the judges have reached a decision – the winner of the 2020 Guppy YA Open Submissions Competition (note to self: needs pithier title) is the awesomely talented Nadia Mikail, with her beautifully written story, THE CATS WE MEET ALONG THE WAY. The two runners up were Lex Aloro and SORCERESS THREE, and Aoife Doyle with THE LOST LAHRSI.
We were all so impressed with the talent shown in the shortlist, and to reach the last 11 out of 356 was an achievement in itself, so huge congratulations to Nadia and the two runners up, and thank you to all who took part. And a huge thank you the judges, Tamsin Rosewell, Adamma Okonkwo, Linda Sargent and Lucas Maxwell – whose expertise and loveliness has been invaluable.
We hope to run this competition on a regular basis so do watch this space, and sign up for the Guppy newsletter – the first will be on its way imminently… And watch out for these incredible authors of the future!
Louisa’s second verse novel is published almost a year to the day after the acclaimed GLOVES OFF came out in hardback as Guppy’s first publication. And what a year it has been… GLOVES OFF was the Sunday Times Children’s Book of the Week, One to Watch in the Bookseller magazine and nominated for the Carnegie Medal. And WRECKED is as powerful and unputdownable as its predecessor – the story of Joe and Imogen’s relationship is hooked over a gripping courtcase, as we look back and attempt to understand who exactly is telling the truth… Unmissable.
IT might not be an ideal time for us all, but what keeps us going at Guppy Books are the incredible books that are ready to be published. On August 1st, middle-grade comedy caper, KNIGHT SIR LOUIS AND THE DREADFUL DAMSEL, appeared in the shops, written and illustrated by Greg and Myles, the talented Brothers McLeod. The first in a brand new series, it became Waterstone’s Straford-Upon-Avon’s sell-out book in its first week, and we can’t wait for kids to get their hands on it…
With great difficulty, we have whittled down the longlist to a shortlist of eleven. It has been a hard job, and I have no doubt missed some great books in the pipeline, but a choice had to be made and I’m thrilled for the remaining authors. Thank you to all who submitted such a dazzling array of stories – they were all such a good standard and hugely enjoyable to read. Now it’s the judges turn to agree on a winner – more on that soon.
Congratulations to the eleven authors through to the Guppy YA shortlist! They are, in no particular order:
Nadia Mikail
Paul Wade
Zoleka Mazibuko
Elva Hills
Jenny Ireland
Lex Aloro
Aoife Doyle
S Fahima Begum
Vikki Gemmell
Rachel Faturoti
David Renton
We were amazed, thrilled and only slightly overwhelmed by the incredible response to the open submissions window for YA writers at Guppy Books. And having looked at 377 entries, we have whittled them down to 41 which was such a hard job! See the attached for the list of winners, as well as more information on feedback. Thank you all! And good luck with the next round.
Hello everyone,
Thank you so much for sending in your book for Guppy’s open submission window last month. I was so impressed with the standard of writing, the original ideas and the incredible energy that went into all the entries. It was a hard task to whittle 377 down to 41, and it’ll be harder still to choose just one.
I have listed the longlisted authors here, and they have all been contacted. Please don’t be dispirited if you don’t appear – there was such tough competition and just because you might not have got through this round doesn’t mean there’s not a home for your book around the corner. It is an incredibly subjective thing, and I’m the first to tell you that I’ve said no to many books that go on to do great things!
I will try and respond to everyone individually in the next few weeks – as you can imagine, as a small indie publisher time is not really on my side so please be patient, I will get to you eventually! But I feel that it’s an act of courage to submit a manuscript for consideration so I want to respond properly to everyone!
Please do keep writing, and also keep an eye on the Guppy Aquarium on YouTube where we will be posting advice for writers, as well as readers. It has been a pleasure to read your work, and thank you again.
I hope you are all managing in these difficult times, and take care.
Very best wishes,
Bella Pearson
Publisher
Guppy Books
Sarah Dawson
Mae Gaynor
Nadia Mikail
Elin Heron
Rose Marie Miller
Amanda Addison
Alex Ivey
Lois Johnson
Katharine Grimshaw
Rachel Faturoti
Simon Bailey
Heather Davey
Tim Burbage
Sara Waymont
Jenny Ireland
Elva Hills
Paul Wade
Priyanka Kaveramma
Alison Allen
S Fahima Begum
Vikki Gemmell
Tomi Nyong
Sian Chaney-Price
Heidi Shamsuddin
E Ashley
Paul Ian Cross
Maria Pigada
Harriet Worrell
Gill Mullin
Nikki Giant
Onndewala Makananise
David Renton
Zoleka Mazibuko
Lily Rose Harris
Charlie Ogden
Aoife Doyle
Caroline Evans
George K
Beatrice Anobah
Annie Harris
Lex Aloro
Sharon Creech is an amazing writer and we are so proud and thrilled to be publishing this ‘captivating’ book about a boy saving the life of a donkey – it was the Children’s Book of the Week in both the Saturday and Sunday Times, as well as a BookTrust Book of the Month and a Staff Pick by LoveReading. Purchase a copy here!
Between 9am Monday 11th May and 11.59 on Friday 15th May 2020, Guppy Books will open its portholes to all unagented YA writers who have a novel to share.
Please email your submission to submissions@guppybooks.co.uk.
To submit, please include the first three chapters (or 2000 words) of your YA novel, plus a synopsis. (It doesn’t to be precise, near this number will work perfectly.)
Please don’t worry too much/spend much time on the synopsis – we want to see it in order to get a sense of what happens in your story, but we would prefer work go into the novel itself!
Please email as a Word document. Entry is free. One submission per person.
We will shortlist down to a list of ten by June 15th, and a winner will be offered a contract with Guppy Books in the summer. A team of judges will be announced shortly.
Good luck!
We are over the moon to announce that Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada are joining the Guppy shoal with a part novel, part manga for young adults. TSUNAMI GIRL will be published in March 2021 and we’re thrilled to be part of getting this important story out in the world. See press release for details!
Check out our new YouTube channel where you can meet our wonderful authors & illustrators for lots of bookish fun. We’ll be posting videos every week – for now, meet Taylor Dolan & her trustee sidekick, her mom, Katie! Take the Ghoul Scout word quiz, listen to a reading & draw a ghostie for #GuppyAquarium. Or perhaps you want to know more about Gloves Off – listen to Louisa talking about the power of Rocky, resilience and this incredible young adult novel. And much more to follow – drawalongs, interviews and all sorts of creative fun!
Please subscribe & share with your friends – click this link to go directly to the Guppy Aquarium channel .
From 11th to 15th May 2020, Guppy Books will be unbolting the portholes and welcoming submissions of young adult fiction from unagented writers. We are looking for an exciting and fresh new voice in young adult writing.
Please email your submission to submissions@guppybooks.co.uk between 9am GMT on Monday 11th May and 5pm GMT Friday 15th May. We would particularly like to encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
To submit, please include the first three chapters (or 2000 words) of your YA novel, plus a synopsis. Please don’t worry too much/spend much time on the synopsis – we want to see it in order to get a sense of what happens in your story, but we would prefer work go into the novel itself!
Please email as a Word document. Entry is free. One submission per person.
We will shortlist down to a list of ten by mid June, and a winner will be offered a contract with Guppy Books in the summer. A team of judges will be announced shortly.
If you would like to order any of Guppy’s books, then for the time being you will be able to direct from the publisher – please email bella@guppybooks.co.uk and place your order! GLOVES OFF by Louisa Reid, a gripping YA book in verse; SONG BENEATH THE TIDES, a layered lyrical love story novel for young adults set in Africa; GHOUL SCOUTS – mayhem at a scout camp for ghouls and ghosts, perfect for 6-10 year olds, and THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF BRONTE METTLESTONE by Jaclyn Moriarty, a magical quest filled with incredible characters and perfect for lovers of Lemony Snicket.
The fourth Guppy book, an evocative YA novel set in Africa, is not being launched into the world in quite the way we imagined. But that’s not to say that it will go without any celebration – this wonderful book is both love story and thriller, and will transport you away and sweep you into a world you won’t want to leave. Available in hardback from Blackwell’s, Waterstone’s, and please do contact Guppy direct if you can’t find another way – bella@guppybooks.co.uk.
Taylor Dolan’s fiendishly funny story of friendship, GHOUL SCOUTS, WELCOME TO CAMP CROAK! hits the bookshops on February 6th – this wonderfully wicked tale is simply the most fun you’ll have within the pages of a book, and highly recommended to all readers aged 6 upwards. Taylor and her Ghoul Scouts are touring the UK later this month, which she’s managing to fit in amidst writing and illustrating Book 2 (HULLABALLOO AT CAMP CROAK!), out in October 2020. Ghoul Scouts Unite!
I’m thrilled to welcome author Anthony Burt to the Guppy shoal with THE ANIMAL LIGHTHOUSE, a middle-grade adventure telling the story of a young boy brought up in a lighthouse run by a group of animals who treat him as their own. When a ship approaches and the rumour of pirates becomes imminent, Jim can’t understand why the animals are so determined to hide him. And will he ever discover where he comes from? This is an adventure that will warm the cockles of any reader’s heart, with humour, warmth and family drama packed into its pages.
Anthony is well-known in the children’s book world as a reviewer and events coordinator, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be publishing his debut novel in 2021. As Anthony himself says: “If I was a cow, I’d be jumping over the moon with excitement right now. I’m very pleased to be working with the brilliant Bella Pearson on my new pirate-y, animal-y, comedy-y children’s book series and am looking forward to joining the ‘B for Burt’ section on all good bookshelves – as well as some rickety, dusty ones – in all equally good bookshops!”
We are thrilled to announce that Guppy will be publishing the first fantastically funny novel in a new series from the BAFTA-winning Brothers McLeod, KNIGHT SIR LOUIS AND THE DREADFUL DAMSEL. Myles and Greg McLeod are the award-winning brothers behind many collaborations with the RSC, films and animations – Myles as writer and Greg as illustrator. Out in June 2020, we can’t wait for Knight Sir Louis, a brave oasis of calm in a completely bonkers world, to get out into the world.
We are beyond thrilled that GLOVES OFF by Louisa Reid has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal, the UK’s most prestigious award for children’s fiction. Librarians from all over the country nominate their favourite books of the year, and we are so proud of the wonderful Louisa! Also out is the GLOVES OFF audiobook, wonderfully read by Colleen Prendergast and Anne-Marie PIazza – available on Audible.