Firefly sparks investment deal with Bennett

Welsh independent Firefly Press has secured investment from entrepreneur Robin Bennett of Quarto Translations to boost its publication of children’s and YA titles.

Bennett will also join Firefly as commercial director and the investment will see the Firefly have a stand at the London Book Fair for the first time, with Quarto Translations (at stand 1D49 in the Children’s Hall). His role will see him working for Firefly two or three days a month. The size of the investment has not been specified.

Bennett has founded more than a dozen businesses including publishers’ translation specialists Quarto Translations and written books for adults and children. 

Publisher Penny Thomas, who co-founded Firefly in Wales with editor Janet Thomas, declined to give the exact figures involved but told The Bookseller: "It's substantial for us and will make a big difference. It may not be a one-off investment, we will see how it goes.

"At the moment we are not planning to publish any more titles as a result [currently publishing around 10 titles a year] but more underpinning the success we've had so far, generating decent returns and looking more at foreign rights with a new team. We will be maximising resources and rights sales, embedding our position. We want to give the books we do the best chance in the marketplace rather than taking on too many books for our resources. We're also looking at our website and making other changes."

She said that Bennett is "coming on pretty much straight away, I'm meeting him this afternoon so we'll be ready to go from February". 
 
She added: "It's our first ever presence with a stall at LBF, we'll have a stand in the children's hall which is exciting."

“I think Firefly has huge potential and we’ll be looking to build step by step on its core business of producing excellent Middle Grade and YA fiction that children want to read,” Bennett commented, in the announcement about the deal. “We will also be looking at future opportunities including translated books and foreign rights sales.”

Thomas said: “We are delighted to welcome Quarto Translations on board, and to have Robin Bennett working with us; I know we will benefit hugely from his experience and enthusiasm. 

“We have a strong backlist and an incredible line-up of books and authors going forward, including forthcoming titles from Shoo Rayner, Jennifer Killick, Catherine O’Flynn, Horatio Claire, Catherine Fisher, Jon Blake and Eloise Williams, and so a great deal to look forward to.”

Firefly has won various prize recognitions since forming in 2013 including the Branford Boase Award in 2016 and a shortlisting for the IPG Best Newcomer Independent Publisher Awards in 2017. It is based in Cardiff and Aberystwyth and is one of the only dedicated children’s publishers in Wales.