Bluemoose Books acquires Jamie Guiney’s debut novel

Bluemoose Books has acquired Jamie Guiney’s debut novel, The Lightning.

Publisher Kevin Duffy bought world rights directly from the author, and the book will be published in spring 2026.

Guiney’s short stories have been published internationally and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. He has also been nominated four times for the Pushcart Prize, longlisted for Irish Short Story of the Year in the 2021 An Post Book Awards, and shortlisted for the Best in Rural Writing Contest 2023.

Duffy said: “We are delighted to welcome Jamie to Bluemoose Books and we can’t wait to get The Lightning into readers hands in early 2026. It is [the] remarkable story of how we navigate our natural surroundings and has all the power and energy of the roaring elemental rage of the seas in the North Atlantic.”

Guiney added: “I have admired Bluemoose for some time – a trailblazer for literature with a mighty fire in their belly. I visited a friend earlier this summer, a Waterstones bookseller, and asked him to recommend me something. From those thousands and thousands of possibilities, he chose a Bluemoose title – Leonard and Hungry Paul, by Rónán Hession. So, it feels serendipitous to now be working with Kevin, Hetha, and the wonderful team at Bluemoose.”